Rec trail still a dangerous place to be at night.
The Monterey Police Department announced that David Thomas, 65, was booked into jail with a bail set at $1 million.
The Monterey Police responded last week to a report of a man being attacked and severely injured near Reeside Avenue and the Recreation Trail. The person reporting the incident was a passerby who the victim had flagged down for help police said. The victim said a man with a crowbar or similar weapon attacked him.
Thomas was also previously arrested in November for felony assault with a deadly weapon after he struck a person who was experiencing homelessness with an expandable metal baton. The victim in that incident was not seriously injured. A witness reported the November incident and said Thomas claimed the victim was drinking alcohol in public. Thomas said he was acting in self-defense after the victim called him a racial slur. Ultimately, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to 40 days in jail and a year of probation.