Man accused of assault with paddle in waters off SLO County beach
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A man was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after a physical altercation in the waters off Morro Strand State Beach over the weekend.
The weapon? A paddleboard paddle.
California State Parks told The Tribune that its officers responded to a 911 call regarding an altercation at around 10:45 a.m. on Saturday. The incident was in the water just south of the entrance to Morro Strand State Beach in Morro Bay.
Andrew Eric Gustafson, 59, was arrested at the scene without incident and booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, felony assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor battery, according to court documents.
California State Parks did not disclose details regarding the arrests despite multiple requests but did say the victim did not request or require medical treatment at the scene.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office filed two charges against Gustafson: assault with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury.
Gustafson is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. His bail was set at $500,000, and as of Tuesday evening, he was in jail custody.
