Gas station clerk allegedly fights off sexual assault

Less than 12 hours after a Morgan Hill gas station clerk fought off a man who tried to drag her into a storage room in an apparent attempt to sexually assault her, the suspect was taken into custody, police said.

The man, 27-year-old Richard Dollarhide of Morgan Hill, entered a Shell Gas Station at 810 E. Dunne Ave. about 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and began acting nervous and asking for items for free, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department.

When a female employee asked him to leave, Dollarhide wrapped his arms around her and dragged her in the direction of a back storage room, police said.

The woman fought him off, striking him in the face, and he left the store and fled east through the parking lot of a nearby Home Depot, according to police.

Police posted a surveillance photo from the incident on Facebook just after noon and asked for the public’s help finding the suspect, who the victim said had a tear-drop tattoo on his face, writing on his neck and a tattoo of brass knuckles on his left hand. By 5 p.m., Dollarhide had been identified.

He was booked into Santa Clara County Jail Saturday evening for attempted sexual assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment and a parole violation, police said.

Dollarhide is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, according to county jail records.