Intruder tries to set pizza chef on fire, chases him with knife, California cops say

A California pizza chef at first thought it was a joke when someone entered the kitchen and threw lighter fluid on him, the Thousand Oaks pizzeria owner said.

“He thought it was water,” Allegro Pizza owner Raul Ferrero told KTTV. “When he smelled the gasoline, that was when he reacted.”

Then the man, holding a dog on a leash, pulled out a lighter, Ferrero told KABC.

The 28-year-old chef tried to flee from the man, who authorities said grabbed a kitchen knife and began chasing the chef, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The encounter took place at about 2 p.m. Sunday, June 25.

The chef dashed out the back door to a parking lot, pursued by the man, sheriff’s officials said. A 51-year-old bystander tried to intervene and also was doused in lighter fluid, according to deputies.

The bystander punched the man, knocking him down and subdued him, Ferrero told KABC.

Deputies arrested Robert Haight, 61, of Palo Alto, on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and assault with a caustic chemical, the release said.

He was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the incident, deputies said.

The dog was taken to an animal shelter, KTTV reported.

Ferrero did not disclose a motive for the attack, according to KABC.

Thousand Oaks is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published June 28, 2023 at 8:43 AM with the headline "Intruder tries to set pizza chef on fire, chases him with knife, California cops say."