He reportedly jumped a counter at a Bellingham Jack in the Box and punched an employee

Bellingham Police K-9 Destro helped officers find a 35-year-old man who is suspected of jumping over the counter at the Jack in the Box restaurant on East Sunset Drive Friday and repeatedly punching a 17-year-old male employee in the head before fleeing.

Michael Jovanny Yrizarris was booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of fourth-degree assault and first-degree burglary. According to jail records, he is being held on $100,000 bail.

Yrizarris already was awaiting trial scheduled to begin Nov. 19 for August charges of second-degree burglary and possession of controlled a substance and May charges of possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal trespass, according to court records. He’s also previously been convicted on multiple counts of possession of a controlled substance, theft and bail jumping from 2008 to 2013.

On Friday, according to information provided by Lt. Claudia Murphy in an email Monday to The Bellingham Herald, Yrizarris entered the restaurant and, with no provocation, jumped over the counter and began to punch the employee in the head repeatedly. The employee did not know Yrizarris, Murphy said, and did not speak with him.

Yrizarris eventually stopped hitting the employee and left, according to the report. Yrizarris was described as wearing a bright orange sweatshirt, Murphy said, and a responding officer saw him pick up an object and head into the woods. Three officers and K-9 Destro went into the woods to search for Yrizarris, and shortly afterward, Destro located him. Yrizarris was taken into custody without incident and was found to have rocks in his hands.

The victim suffered minor cuts and bruises to his face and was treated by Bellingham Fire Department medics at the scene, Murphy said.