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A homeless man arrested after setting a fire in Ventura earlier this month has been charged with a series of violent acts, including several stabbings and robbery, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
Efrain Troncoso, 22, is charged with 10 felonies, including three counts of attempted murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of robbery, and two counts of attempted robbery.
District Attorney’s Office spokesman Joey Buttitta said in a written statement that Troncoso is also charged with several special charges, including inflicting serious bodily injury. Troncoso did not argue in court.
The attack comes three weeks after the suspect was arrested on suspicion of starting a fire outside Banfield Pet Hospital, and firefighters are fighting a wildfire that has destroyed more than 200 homes and scorched nearly 20,000 acres of land. The incident occurred while the company was working to extinguish the fire.
At the time, Troncoso was arrested on suspicion of arson and resisting arrest, causing injury to a police officer. However, due to the size of the fire, which was reportedly made up of pine cones and conifers, he was charged with a misdemeanor and ultimately released, authorities said.
Prosecutors allege he carried out a series of violent attacks three weeks later, on Nov. 23, in downtown Ventura.
That night, the Ventura Police Department said they received a report that a man on a bicycle had been stabbed in the back. While officers were assisting the victim, they received a second report that another person had been stabbed multiple times in the neck.
“A few minutes later, a third victim was hit in the head with a metal object and robbed,” Buttitta said. “While officers were responding to these incidents, another 911 call came in reporting a robbery at knifepoint.”
Prosecutors accused Troncoso of stealing keys from a fourth victim.
Buttitta said the victims were taken to a local hospital and are recovering from the attack.
Troncoso remains in custody and is scheduled to return to court on December 9 for a mental competency hearing.
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