Fingertip Bitten Off in Attack Points to Suspect

Michael McDonald of Moorpark did his part at taking a bite out of crime Tuesday morning by chewing off the fingertip of a ninja-costumed attacker who tried to rob him in front of his house.

McDonald was jumped by two men clad in black with black ski masks about 2:50 a.m. as he was getting into his car on his way to work, said Ventura County Sheriff’s Detective Frank O’Hanlen.

“The assailants apparently knew the victim and were attempting to assault and rob him,” O’Hanlen said. “He fought back and ended up biting one of his attackers, tearing the meat off the top of one finger, including the fingernail.”

Neighbors apparently called deputies after hearing the screams of both the victim and the injured attacker, but the black-clad assailants escaped.

Detectives found the fingertip and are holding it as evidence.

“It has a fingerprint on it, so it’s a pretty good way of identifying the suspect,” O’Hanlen said.

After the attack, deputies began calling local hospitals and tracked down Malcolm Hanson, 28, and Antonio Miranda, 32, at the Ventura County Medical Center, arresting them on suspicion of assault and attempted robbery.

Hanson had lost the tip of his finger and was being treated by doctors. Deputies said they also found two ski masks in the suspects’ car.