[Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept.] – In the chilly hours of early Monday morning, in the 200 block of East Palmdale Boulevard, a Palmdale Sheriff’s Station deputy stopped a man walking in the middle of the street (Suspect Miguel Delacruz).

The deputy spoke to the man and escorted him to his patrol in an effort to find out why he was walking in the middle of the street at 3:44AM in 38-degree weather.

Suspect Delacruz turned aggressively toward the deputy and assaulted him, the deputy defended himself and the two became involved in a fight.

During the minutes-long fight, Suspect Delacruz bit off part of the deputy’s left ear. The fight continued, and the deputy felt the suspect grab his gun and attempt to take it from the deputy. Although in pain from the loss of a significant portion of his ear, the deputy was able to retain his gun as he tried to overcome the suspect and to arrest him.

Delacruz continued to fight with the deputy as additional deputies arrived. Assisting Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies were ultimately able to handcuff and arrest Delacruz.

Suspect Delacruz was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment as a result of his fight with the deputies. After he was discharged from the hospital, Delacruz was transported to Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, where he was booked for Attempted Murder and Mayhem of a peace officer.

Forty-one-year old Delacruz is on probation for kidnapping and is being held without bail for violating the conditions of his probation.

The detached section of the deputy’s ear was recovered and transported with the injured deputy to a local hospital to attempt surgical reattachment. Unfortunately, doctors decided the risk of infection was too great to try to reattach it. The deputy was later released from the hospital.