A homeless man who was arrested after setting a fire in Ventura earlier this month has been charged for a string of violent attacks, including several stabbings and robberies, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
Efrain Troncoso, 22, is facing 10 felony counts, including three counts of attempted murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of robbery and two counts of attempted robbery.
Joey Buttitta, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said in a written statement that Troncoso is also charged with several special allegations, including infliction of great bodily injury. Troncoso has not entered a plea in court.
The attacks happened three weeks after he was arrested on suspicion of setting a fire outside the Banfield Pet Hospital as firefighters battled the Mountain fire, which destroyed more than 200 homes and burned nearly 20,000 acres of land.
At the time, Troncoso was arrested on suspicion of arson and resisting arrest, resulting in an injury to an officer. But because of the size of the fire he allegedly started, which consisted of pine cones and needles, he was charged with misdemeanor crimes and was ultimately released from jail, authorities said.
Three weeks later, prosecutors alleged, he carried out a series of violent attacks in downtown Ventura on Nov. 23.
The Ventura Police Department said that night they received a 911 call about a person who was stabbed in the back by a man riding a bicycle. As officers assisted that victim, they received a second report that another person had been stabbed in the neck multiple times.
“Minutes later, a third victim was struck in the head with a metal object and robbed,” Buttitta said. “As officers responded to these incidents, another 911 call reported a robbery at knifepoint.”
Prosecutors accused Troncoso of stealing keys from the fourth victim.
Buttitta said the victims were taken to local hospitals and have been recovering from the attacks.
Troncoso, who remains in custody, is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 9 for a mental competency hearing.
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