OAKHURST – Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the Courtney disaster came to the rescue of an Oakhurst woman who was nearly assaulted on Highway 41 in Oakhurst on Thursday.
Joshua Wayne Elliott, 21, of Madera, who claimed he spent the night in Oakhurst Cemetery, approached the victim shortly after 8 a.m. yesterday, asking her for a cigarette. When she refused, he reportedly pulled a knife on her.
According to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, the 26-year-old victim then swung a grocery bag containing a large water bottle at the suspect, hitting him in the hand that held the knife. The weapon dropped to the ground, and the would-be attacker took off running.
The suspect, who deputies believe was under the influence of a controlled substance, was later captured by the river near Oakhurst Park. Though he claims he does not smoke, Elliot reportedly told the arresting deputies, “Yea I’m a stoner, but I didn’t ask her for a cigarette.”
Elliott was booked into the Madera County Department of Corrections with bail set at $5,000, for attempted assault and exhibiting a deadly weapon.
