Fashion Fair guards find attempted murder suspect at Cheesecake Factory

Fresno police arrested a man accused of trying to run over two Tulare County sheriff’s deputies after mall security guards found the man’s truck in the valet parking area of Fashion Fair.

Lt. Joe Gomez said police received a call at 12:48 p.m. Wednesday stating that Duane Griswold, 50, was believed to be in the Cheesecake Factory. Security guards were checking the parking lot with a license plate reader when they found a Nissan Titan truck registered to Griswold, who is wanted for attempted murder. The felony warrant indicated Griswold could be armed.

Police eventually entered the restaurant and found Griswold at the bar. He lied to officers about his identity, Gomez said, but police matched him with a photo attached to the warrant. He was arrested without incident.

Officers located the truck in the valet parking lot. It was loaded with Christmas gifts, and a double-barreled shotgun was sticking out of the presents in the truck’s bed. The truck will be thoroughly searched by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Fashion Fair guards find attempted murder suspect at Cheesecake Factory."