Man accused of sexual crimes taken into custody following fight with deputy

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said a man is facing multiple charges following an incident that ended with him getting into a fight with a deputy.

Deputies said they responded to Garner Road on November 18 after someone reported that the suspect, Kristen Yanez, was performing sexual acts on himself in the parking lot of a gas station.

According to deputies, they arrived at the scene and spotted Yanez walking along the road. However, when deputies tried to get his attention, he reportedly ignored them.

One deputy stated that when he tried to grab Yanez to get his attention, Yanez swung at him and hit his forehead. The deputy reported that he then tried to tase Yanez, but the taser failed, so he took Yanez down and hit him multiple times before he stopped resisting. Deputies added that Yanez was apparently very intoxicated by an unknown substance during the incident.

After taking Yanez into custody, they talked to three people, two of whom were minors, about the situation. The witnesses said they saw Yanez performing sexual acts on himself. Another person reported that Yanez allegedly molested her before leaving the parking lot.

Yanez was taken into custody and charged with assaulting a police officer, 3rd-degree assault and battery, three counts of indecent exposure, public disorderly conduct, shoplifting, and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Stay with us as we work to learn more about the situation.

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