A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he slit another man’s throat in Moorpark, officials said Monday.
The 40-year-old victim was having a conversation with a friend around 10 a.m. Friday when “Joseph Oliveira approached him and without provocation, used an unknown object to cut a portion of the victim’s neck,” the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.
The attacker also made a “stabbing motion” at the victim, which caused another injury to his elbow, Detective Ken Michaelson said.
Moorpark Police Department officers responded to the scene in the area of 275 W. Los Angeles Ave., but the suspect had already fled.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He has since been discharged and was recovering at home Monday, Michaelson said.
After the attack, an off-duty sheriff’s sergeant was in a nearby business and he saw Oliveira, whom he thought was a “suspicious subject.” When he called it in, Moorpark detectives realized the description matched that of the attacker, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Detectives found Oliveira and he ran from them, prompting a brief foot pursuit that ended with a struggle and the man being taken into custody, according to officials.
Oliveira, a 29-year-old man from Simi Valley, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and resisting an executive officer.
His bail was set at more than $1 million, officials said.
Detectives believe the suspect and victim did not previously know each other and don’t appear to be connected in any way, Michaelson said.