A San Francisco man pleaded not guilty in Marin County Superior Court today to assaulting two men in state and federal parkland in west Marin County last week.
The assaults occurred near the Ben Johnson Trail in the Muir Woods National Monument and the adjacent Mount Tamalpais State Park Wednesday evening.
Paul Alexander Slidders, 36, is suspected of the assaults and is charged with two counts of assault causing bodily injury, two counts of criminal threats and one count of battery causing serious bodily injury, Marin County Deputy District Attorney Linda Witong said.
Slidders was booked into the Marin County jail on $52,000 bail.
He and the two victims were acquaintances of some sort, National Parks Service spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet said.
The men allegedly were assaulted separately, Picavet said.
The first victim called the Marin County authorities, who dispatched the California State Parks department and the Southern Marin Fire Protection District, Picavet said.
One of the two victims suffered serious injuries to his face, including a possible fractured orbital bone, Picavet said.
He and was taken to Marin General Hospital and is expected to survive, Picavet said.
The other victim’s injuries did not require hospitalization, Picavet said.
Slidders suffered hypothermia and also was taken to Marin General Hospital before he was booked in the Marin County jail, Picavet said.
According to the jail-booking log, National Park Service police arrested Slidders at 9 p.m. Wednesday at Bridge Four in Muir Woods. He was booked into the jail around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. He is listed as an acupuncturist.
No other details were available today about the assault.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10.
