Last Saturday night, near a downtown San Mateo movie theater reportedly veered into something out of a horror flick when, prosecutors say, a 40-year-old resident threatened to decapitate a bystander and tried to stab someone nearby. The suspect, identified as Guillermo Morales, was charged today, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, and had bail set at $2,500.
According to the San Mateo Daily Journal, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Morales first got into a verbal argument with a group of juveniles near the San Mateo Century Theater at about 6:15 PM. The confrontation allegedly escalated when Morales walked toward a bystander, threatened to decapitate him, and then tried to assault him with a knife. Prosecutors charged Morales with two counts of felony criminal threats and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and the DA’s office said the stabbing attempt did not make contact.
Where it happened
The run-in unfolded near the Cinemark Century San Mateo 12 at 320 East 2nd Avenue in downtown San Mateo, per Cinemark, a stretch packed with restaurants and steady evening foot traffic. The theater’s spot in that busy corridor raises familiar concerns about bystander safety and how quickly police can get to the scene when something goes sideways. Downtown San Mateo has already seen comparable knife-related calls this year, including a February arrest after a man allegedly brandished a knife in the area, as reported by SFGATE.
Charges and next steps
Morales faces two counts each of felony criminal threats and assault with a deadly weapon and has pleaded not guilty, San Mateo Daily Journal reports; his bail remains at $2,500. Those offenses correspond to California Penal Code sections 245 and 422, as outlined by the California Legislature and the California Legislature, which can carry state prison or county jail terms depending on the details of the case. The file now moves through the San Mateo County court system as prosecutors prepare it for trial.
