ENCINITAS — A transient woman suffering from a drug-induced mental health crisis assaulted a local council member with a belt on Tuesday night in downtown Encinitas before fleeing the scene and locking herself in a bathroom at a nearby train station, according to law enforcement and witnesses.
Councilman Tony Kranz, dining out with his wife and friend, told The Coast News he encountered a distressed homeless woman kneeling on the sidewalk shortly after 6 p.m. on Aug. 16 near the corner of D Street and Coast Highway 101.
“She was in a bad way,” Kranz said. “Clearly, the demons had firm possession of her.”
Upon asking her if she needed assistance, Kranz said the woman immediately became more agitated, got off her knees into a squatting position and swung a small belt at the mayoral candidate, striking him in the thigh with the buckle after he partially deflected the blow with his hand.
Kranz reported sustaining no marks or injuries in the assault that occurred near the outdoor dining tables in front of Maurizio’s Trattoria Italiana.
The woman, who Kranz noticed had urinated on herself during the altercation, fled the scene heading northeast before locking herself in a bathroom at Encinitas Station. Kranz and his wife called the Sheriff’s Department and drove to where they could observe her until law enforcement arrived at the transit depot.
Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team arrived at the train station and convinced the woman to come out of the bathroom to allow paramedics to conduct a medical assessment, Capt. Dustin Lopez told The Coast News.
According to Lopez, based on her vital signs, including an elevated heart rate, first responders determined she was likely suffering from excited delirium due to narcotics.
The woman, whose identity was not made public, was transported to the hospital and placed on a 5150 protective hold reserved for individuals suffering from an acute mental health crisis.
Lopez said deputies and homeless outreach team members had interacted with the woman on multiple occasions over the past several weeks.
Roughly 30 minutes before the assault, Kranz and his friend, sports journalist Neil Best of Newsday, reportedly observed the same woman behaving strangely by the tennis courts near Cottonwood Creek on the west side of Coast Highway 101.
“She was engaged in crazy behavior there, and we talked about the challenges of dealing with the homeless,” Kranz said. “I noticed she wasn’t there when we were returning downtown, but, alas, I found her again.”
Kranz said he is not pressing charges.
For the latest crime reports in Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar, please visit The Coast News’ Weekly Crime Reports. For up-to-the-minute arrest reports in North County, check out Daily Arrest Logs. Read more local crime news here.
6 comments
I’m so tired of Tony Kranz, this guy has done nothing for our community and now he’s running for Mayor. I’ll be voting for Cindy Cremona or anyone else besides Kranz. Kranz doesn’t listen to his constituents and was caught taking a bribe from the JFS organization for a trip to Israel. That right there should speak of his business practices as Council Member.
What a sad state our city has found itself in that you can no longer stroll along the 101 and support a local restaurant without having to deal with drug-addicted homeless, some of which may pose physical harm. I know it happens in a lot of other cities, but that was never the case in Encinitas just a few years ago. I am sad that our once super cool little beach town is experiencing this change and that there seems to be nothing that will be done about it.
whatsthehpas,
If Kranz is elected Mayor and Joy Lyndes is elected for D3, then I guarantee nothing will be done about it and it will just get worse.
Get all incumbents out of office and vote for Matt Gunderson for State Senate over too scared to debate Catherine Blakespear, the cause of all our ills.
The irony is not lost on anyone.
This is what happens when you take a Grant and attract transients from others Cities to house in our hotels, then dump them onto the streets after the Grant is used up.
Blakespear and Kranz’s Encinitas.
Vote for someone else for Mayor
Thunder for D3
Ehlers for D4
Steve, you are exactly right. Cottonwood Creek too? Shocker.
The “transient magnet” effect is genuine. We need to find a way to help deserving individuals who are simply down on their luck through circumstances beyond their own control and need only a hand up to move forward with their lives, while not attracting those who are a menace — or a real danger — to the rest of us.
Ehlers is a respected and trusted colleague, and I worked on Thunder’s campaign for Mayor two years ago. I enthusiastically echo your endorsements for D4 an D3, respectively. I am also currently proudly serving on the Gunderson for State Senate strategic committee.
Comments are closed.