LA donut shop customer faces murder charges after he drove his SUV into store
A Simi Valley man accused of tearing through a donut shop with his SUV in a fit of frustration is now facing an attempted murder charge after allegedly turning his vehicle toward a police officer during the chaotic series of events, authorities announced Wednesday.
Frank Leslie Blessing, 58, of Simi Valley, has been charged with attempted murder of a peace officer, assault upon a peace officer, three counts of felony vandalism and two counts of battery on a peace officer or nurse, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
The case stems from a predawn incident on May 27 at Donuts Plus on Erringer Road in Simi Valley.
Investigators say Blessing arrived at the shop around 3:30 a.m. and became very angry when he discovered the small business was closed.
Surveillance video released by the business shows a gray Chevrolet Tahoe pulling into the parking lot before the driver exits and tries several times to open the front door.
After failing to get inside, the man can be seen throwing his arms up in frustration before returning to the SUV.
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Moments later, the Tahoe repeatedly slammed into the storefront, shattering the front glass and punching through the business.
The footage appears to show the vehicle becoming partially lodged inside before backing out.
A donut sign was left swaying after the violent impact.
The driver then performed erratic reverse donuts in the parking lot and partly onto the sidewalk before speeding away, according to the video.
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Police later located the heavily damaged Tahoe and attempted a traffic stop.
Prosecutors allege Blessing backed into a patrol vehicle twice before accelerating directly toward an officer, forcing the officer to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.
The pursuit ended when the SUV crashed into a wall near a neighboring residence and became disabled.
Authorities said officers moved in to arrest Blessing, who allegedly refused to comply and was armed with a fixed-blade knife.
Prosecutors claim he threw the knife at an officer but missed.
Officers deployed TASERs during the confrontation and, after what authorities described as a prolonged struggle, took Blessing into custody.
According to prosecutors, the resistance continued after he was transported to a hospital, where he allegedly kicked both a police officer and a nurse.
Investigators later determined Blessing intentionally drove into the donut shop because he was upset it was closed.
One officer suffered minor injuries during the incident.
No members of the public were hurt.
Blessing appeared in court Monday, where his arraignment was postponed.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Paul Feldman ordered him held without bail after prosecutors argued he posed an ongoing threat to public safety.
“The allegations describe a deliberate and escalating series of violent acts,” Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a statement. “Using a car to allegedly attempt to murder a police officer is a heinous act that requires the strongest of consequences.”
Along with the felony charges, prosecutors filed special allegations claiming the attempted murder victim was a peace officer, that Blessing used a deadly weapon and that the offenses involved great violence.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June 22 in Ventura County Superior Court.