Inmate who assaulted SLO County deputy sentenced to state prison

A Nipomo man who assaulted a correctional deputy while in custody at the San Luis Obispo County Jail was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in state prison.

Joseph Allen Baker, 28, pleaded no contest to felony assault upon a custodial officer Wednesday and admitted to personally inflicting great bodily injury on the victim, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.

Baker also admitted to having a prior serious felony conviction for criminal threats, an enhancement under California’s three-strikes law.

Baker was serving a jail sentence for resisting arrest, assault and false imprisonment on March 6 when he attacked a deputy.

The attack left the deputy with a broken nose, a fractured orbital bone and nine stitches on his cheek area, according to the release.

The attack occurred as Baker was being moved from one part of the facility to another, officials said.

“The callous and unprovoked assault of a deputy sheriff in this case more than justifies the substantial prison sentence imposed,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in the release. “This incident highlights the significant danger associated with corrections work.”

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This story was originally published August 30, 2018 at 5:51 PM.