Man wanted in stabbing buries himself in corn to evade arrest, San Joaquin deputies say

A man was arrested near Escalon on Saturday afternoon in connection with a stabbing after he was found hiding in a pile of corn.

In a news release, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said Francisco Lopez had apparently buried himself in corn in a rural agricultural area after driving away from deputies who suspected him in the stabbing.

The Sheriff’s Office first got a call regarding the stabbing around 1 p.m. near the intersection of Blackmore and South Van Allen roads. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.

Fleeing from pursuing deputies, Lopez exited his vehicle and ran to a nearby farm stall full of corn, where he submerged himself.

A police dog sniffed him out, and he was eventually uncovered, arrested and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on several felony charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published October 13, 2019 at 11:32 AM.