Man jailed in attack on stranger

A 35-year-old man was jailed Thursday evening after allegedly punching a stranger in the face then announcing, "I'm from Reno!"

Taylen Austin was booked into the Carson City Jail at 10:30 p.m. on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor battery.

According to the arrest report, police were called out to the 100 block of East Long Street at 9:50 p.m. where they found the victim holding his mouth and blood running down the front of his shirt.

The victim said he was standing on the street when someone unknown to him walked up and punched him in the face, yelling, "I'm from Reno!" The punch created a 1-inch gash in the victim's lip, the report states.

Then the suspect allegedly pulled a knife out of his waistband and asked the victim, "Would you like this in your stomach."

The victim said he backed away and he watched as the suspect walked north on Carson Street.

With a the victim's description of the suspect, officers located Austin near North Carson Street and College Parkway.

Because of the allegation of the suspect having a weapon, officers ordered Austin to the ground at gunpoint where they recovered a steak knife, still in its original packaging, from his pocket. The victim was brought over by a deputy and identified Austin as the assailant, the report states.

When a deputy asked why Austin's knuckles were scraped, he said, "I punched a fence earlier," the report states.

Bail was set at $20,000.

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