Man victim of random assault with knife

Attack occurred in parking lot on PCH. Seal Beach officers arrest suspect

Pictured above is the knife Seal Beach Police say was used in an assault with a deadly weapon. At this time, the motive for the attack is unknown.

A man was a victim of a random assault with a deadly weapon when an  unknown person allegedly held a knife to his  neck.

On  Friday, January 28,  2022 at about 8:15 a.m., the  Seal Beach Police Department received a call  of an  assault with a deadly weapon which occurred in the  parking lot of the  CVS Pharmacy located at 921 Pacific Coast Highway.

The victim, an  adult man, told officers that he  had parked and was exiting his  car  when he  was allegedly approached by the  suspect.

The suspect produced a knife and held it inches away from the  victim’s neck.  The suspect did  not  say  anything, nor  did  he demand money or property.  The victim feared for  his  life.   Seconds later, the  suspect withdrew the  knife from the  victim’s neck and entered the  CVS Pharmacy.  The victim was uninjured.

Officers contacted the  suspect inside the  store and took him into custody without incident.  The suspect was identified as  Christopher Patino-Guzman, age 20,  of Arlington, Virginia.  He  was arrested for  §245(a)(1) CPC, assault with a deadly weapon and later booked at the  Orange County Jail.

The suspect’s motivation for  this  seemingly random assault is unknown.  This is an ongoing investigation.  Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Bruno Balderrama at (562) 799-4100 ext. 1109 or  bbalderrama@sealbeachca.gov.