Overview
- Police say a 41-year-old man attacked another man with a large samurai-style sword at a party at Creekside Apartments, leaving the victim with multiple head, neck, shoulder and hand wounds who was airlifted to hospital.
- Investigators identified the suspect as Jonathan Mishael Bays and say he was seen on CCTV leaving the complex still carrying the sword.
- Bays remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, and search efforts by the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office include aerial drones, helicopters and help from neighboring agencies.
- Records and local reporting show an outstanding Idaho arrest warrant from November 2025 for a parole violation tied to sexual abuse of a minor, and officials say Bays uses multiple aliases and is transient in the area.
- Sheriff Jeremy Briese says the fight occurred during a drug-involved party and that the transient population makes locating suspects harder, so residents should not approach Bays and should contact the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office with tips.