Attempted carjacking, assault on Nautical Bean employee leads to arrest in SLO

A man was arrested Monday evening in San Luis Obispo after he allegedly tried to steal a car from a woman and then entered a coffee shop and punched a female employee in the face.

Just after 7 p.m. Monday, police began receiving 911 calls saying a man tried to carjack a vehicle from a 20-year-old woman who was parked in front of the Nautical Bean coffee shop in the Laguna Village Shopping Center, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

The woman was able to lock her car doors as the man, later identified as Albert Ramirez, grabbed hold of the door handle and tried to force his way into the vehicle, according to police.

Ramirez allegedly tried several times to break the driver’s window with his elbows but was unsuccessful.

Ramirez then ran into the Nautical Bean, according to police, and ran into a 22-year-old female employee who was trying to close the shop. He allegedly punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. There had been no interaction between the two prior to the assault.

Ramirez then went to the counter of the coffee shop and tried to lift up the cash register, according to police. Unable to lift it, he allegedly shoved it off the counter.

A male employee who saw the assault grabbed a large kitchen knife from the back of the business and when he went to the front of the shop, Ramirez fled, according to police.

The employee followed Ramirez and called 911.

Officers found Ramirez, described as a 40-year-old transient, at the Madonna Road post office, according to police.

Ramirez was arrested on suspicion of attempted carjacking, assault, burglary and vandalism.

He was booked at County Jail, and bail was set at $50,000.

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 7:45 AM with the headline "Attempted carjacking, assault on Nautical Bean employee leads to arrest in SLO."