ENCINITAS–Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man accused of driving his rental U-Haul van into a crowd of people near The Saloon Bar in Encinitas Sunday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
Christian Davis, 28, was arrested and charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of attempted escape with force. He is currently in custody at the Vista Detention Facility and is not eligible for bail. At the time of his arrest, Davis did not have any weapons. He will be arraigned at the North County Courthouse in Vista on Tuesday.
On March 1, at about 1:19 a.m., deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s North Coastal Station responded to 540 S. Coast Highway 101 on a report of a van that had been driven into several people. When the first deputy arrived on the scene, the driver of the van, 28 year-old Christian Davis, was being detained by several witnesses. The deputy took Davis into custody without incident.
Davis had been at The Saloon Bar in Encinitas and was asked to leave due to his level of intoxication. After leaving the bar, Davis got into his rental U-Haul van and intentionally drove it on the west sidewalk of the 500 block of South Coast Highway 101 in an attempt to hit people that were standing outside The Saloon. Davis’ van struck three victims. One of the victims was transported to Palomar Medical Center with serious injuries. The other two victims were transported to Scripps La Jolla Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Two other victims that were injured while they were detaining Davis were transported to Scripps Encinitas hospital for minor injuries.
The three people struck by the van were: A 23-year-old victim treated for minor injuries at a hospital, a 24-year-old victim in stable condition in the intensive care unit, and a 25-year-old victim currently in surgery with serious injuries.
Two others near the scene of the collision suffered minor injuries and were treated on scene by paramedics or at the hospital.
The investigation is ongoing.
