SLO County sheriff arrests man suspected of hate crime, threatening to stab group
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The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Templeton man on Saturday after he allegedly threatened to stab a group of people and yelled racial slurs in rural Paso Robles.
Bunker Kainoa Greff, 24, threatened to stab at least four people with a knife about 5 a.m. at Franklin Hot Springs in the 3000 block of Creston Road, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release. Two of the people were juveniles.
Greff yelled racial slurs at the victims, who were Hispanic, the agency said.
Greff also threatened to harm himself, according to the release.
The suspect ran away along Creston Road when officers arrived and later was found armed with a knife, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Greff refused deputies’ commands, according to the release, and continued to flee on foot as officers lost sight of him between Creston Road and South River Road at Laguna Del Campo.
The Sheriff’s Office reportedly searched the area for two hours with the help of a California Highway Patrol helicopter and advised nearby residents to shelter in place.
The Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a man matching the description of the suspect in rural Paso Robles, in the 1800 block of Santa Ysabel Avenue at 8:44 a.m. Saturday.
Deputies arrived and Greff again fled, according to the release.
The Paso Robles Police Department and the CHP helped set up a perimeter and Greff was arrested on Volpi Ysabel Road, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Greff was booked at San Luis Obispo County Jail on four counts of criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, hate crimes and one count of resisting an officer, according to the release.
He was being held at the jail on Saturday in lieu of $250,000 bail, jail records said.
This story was originally published July 10, 2021 at 5:43 PM.
