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Two local men punched while protecting teen

April 2, 2012

Roy Jones

San Luis Obispo police arrested a transient after he punched two men who came to the rescue of a 14-year-old girl the transient was harassing.

At about 12:30 p.m., Roy Jones approached the teen who was sitting on a bench near the Downtown Center talking on a cell phone. Jones then started yelling at the teen for no apparent reason.

Joseph Sheppard, 58, of Avila Beach notice the altercation and thought Jones was about to hit the teen, so he stepped in between the transient and the girl. Jones responded by punching Shepard in the face.

Michael Flores, 48, of San Luis Obispo spotted the skirmish and attempted to assist Sheppard. Jones then punched Flores in the chest.

Neither man sustained injuries.

Police arrested  Jones on suspicion of misdemeanor battery and booked him into San Luis Obispo County Jail in lieu of $2,000 bail.


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Subjectively, it is innate to protect another when they’re being victimized and are unduly overrun, especially in this case, by a crazy man against a 14 year old girl. Truthfully, how many would have done the same under the prevailing circumstance?


Along with me, and I am sure a few other “male” genders as well, if this Roy Jones would have swung at me, he would have made a stop at French Hospital before he was booked for his crime of misdemeanor battery.


Can you blame the store owners in SLO town when these vagrants, vagabonds, druggies, etc., are hanging outside of their establishments causing trouble? I am sure SLO town has some vagrancy laws upon their books, but when are the police going to start using them to clear out this element?


The police have to perform this act 24/7/365 to bring the point home that this element is not tolerated, period! When business’ are trying to make a living in which they interfere, it is wrong. Barring their nuisance to visitors and regular shoppers, the business’ are taking in taxes that goes to supplying the police department to begin with! SLO police, in other words, help the hand that feeds you!


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Great point Ted, why do we need the police to remove someone from our doorstep, be it our home or workplace. I’m not insensitive to the homeless issue, but jeezus, when they’ve got one hand holding their sign for work, food or money, their holding their iphone in the other. These young people begging all over this county these days, makes me sad for us all. There’s not a thing wrong with many of these people other than they’re just lazy. I’m cool if you don’t want to participate in this great union. I really am. it’s your right as a creation of our creator, but you’ve no right to expect me to not to kick your ass off my porch either…Home or business.


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Flores and Sheppard thank you for standing up for a stranger, It warms my heart to know there are still people in the world with courage.


I am the owner of a business in downtown S.L.O. and I can attest to the increase of the demented and fractured minds roaming our streets. Regularly, I am assaulted with the verbal outbursts of Vagrants, Perverts and Lunatics. I have even been the usher ,of some, from my Friends place of business. Our street corner is a Regular “Soap box” for the ranting of a few who need a podium for their outbursts upon the world. The frequency should commit the authorities to some action in an attempt to curb the activity. Unfortunately calls to them have proven to be nothing more than empty promises and sometimes snide attitudes towards something that is their job.

My friend and associate was physically threatened over the matter of not giving $0.75 to one of the locally know “Meth heads”. When the police were called the dispatcher proclaimed no action could be taken against him , knowing full well whom of which we spoke. He flatly refused to even make report of the incident of or even have an officer drive by to discourage the lout from hanging around the area.

Is it so much that we ask our public employee to do the job of which they are payed?

There are plenty of those that homelessness is a condition of the times and should be helped. However those that are a public nuisance or a threat should not be treated with kid gloves. They are well know to our civil protectors yet still left to intimidate and even violate the citizenry. Where is the fine line drawn between Inaction and over stepping the bounds of authority?


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Proof positive that SLO’s finest are NOT looking out for you!


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What ever happened to the word “vagrant”?


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I wonder if this is one of the people that were staying at De Vauls, that got tossed back on the street..


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Nope. He has been around forever and not part of the ranch group . . .


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I wonder if this is the guy that punched the 15 year old who was waking with her mother in downtown SLO last year? This young girl was seriously injured with an apparent direct punch to the face as she passed by the man. Why only $2,000 bail, this guy sounds like a menace based on his performance yesterday alone.


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If I remember correctly, the one that hit the girl was young coward, who was able to run away.


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No. That was a young man.


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this is bystander intervention at its best… congratulations to Sheppard and Flores!


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Like I was saying, I’m done with shopping in downtown. Between the aggressive panhandling to the influx of homeless-by-choice, I’m through.


I was reading the posts to this story on the Trib website and it looks like I’m not the only one.


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People need to stop giving them handouts downtown. If there’s nothing to be had, the panhandlers will move on to a place where they can get a hand up.


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This wasn’t about that. Psychotic episode.


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Good for you, Pizmo! I stopped shopping “downtown” about 2 years ago. I’m sticking with shopping at the malls.


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Where the hell was SLO PD? Don’t they have “foot patrol officers” in SLO? This guy is very scarey looking & no doubt the 14 year old is very traumatized. In addition to SLO being named the “happiest city in America”, it’s now been named “one of the prettiest cities in America”…It won’t be for long if these derelicts are allowed to roam the streets creating havoc…


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There were there in minutes. Downtown was chock-full of homeless yesterday. I made a call to the PD myself on another incident. The police were under siege somewhat . . .


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Heavens! Of course we should keep our youth from being exposed to the uglier side of life, including mental illness, else they may become “traumatized” and scarred for life!


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Good Point, you can’t have your car parked 10 seconds over the time limit without finding a 50 dollar ticket affixed to

the windshield, maybe if SLO PD was more concerned about their citizens instead of their tax base, it would be a different story altogether.


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Bless Mr. Sheppard and Mr. Flores. If more of us came to the defense of others, this world would be a much better place. Thank you both for being real heroes to a young girl.


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Well said, srichison! People like these two are admirable beyond words.


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