A Santa Maria man has been arrested after allegedly assaulting an employee at a fast-food restaurant on Monday.

At about noon, officers with the Santa Maria Police Department were flagged down near Chick-fil-A at 605 E. Betteravia Road regarding an employee who had been assaulted, Lt. Todd Logan said.

The initial investigation revealed that a female employee who was outside the business was struck in the back of the head with a large brick by an adult male. 

The assault knocked the victim to the ground, and the suspect fled the area.

The incident reportedly was a random attack, police said.

The suspect was identified as Clayton Peavey, 31, and located in nearby agricultural fields, Logan said.

Peavey was taken into custody without incident and was later booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder.

Anyone who witnessed the incident can contact the Santa Maria Police Department at 805.928.3871 x2177.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.