Oceano man busted for pulling knife on worker

May 20, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

An Oceano man is in jail after he allegedly pulled a knife on an employee at a business in San Luis Obispo before stealing the victim’s phone.

Shortly after 10 p.m. on May 16, a caller reported an assault and robbery had taken place at a business on the 500 block of Higuera Street. Officers arrived to learn the suspect had fled the scene.

After spotting a man laying shirtless across a table in the hallway of the business, the employee told him to leave the business. The man, later identified as 26-year-old Dominic Charkhian, left.

However, a short time afterwards, the employee discovered Charkhian inside a restroom charging his phone. The employee again told Charkhian he needed to leave, and an argument ensued.

Using his personal cellphone, the employee began filming Charkhian and told him he was going to call the police. Charkhian knocked the phone out of the employees’ hand, pulled out a knife and threatened to kill him.

The employee grabbed a plastic trash he put between himself and Charkhian who continued to threaten him with the knife, picked up the employee’s phone and ran out of the restroom. The victim later found his phone broken into pieces in a nearby parking lot.

After reviewing videos from nearby businesses, officers identified Charkhian as the suspect.

On May 17, an officer spotted Charkhian walking next to Santa Rosa Park. Officers arrested Charkhian and booked him in San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, preventing a victim from calling law enforcement, vandalism and a probation violation. He is being held without bail.