Man found guilty of assaulting clerk in San Luis Obispo

A San Luis Obispo County jury has convicted a 40-year-old man following a violent December robbery at a local grocery store that left a senior employee injured. The verdict underscores the potential dangers frontline retail workers face and highlights the intervention of a Good Samaritan.

Robert Wade Moore IV was found guilty of multiple charges, including robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, and resisting a peace officer. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in state prison.

The Incident at Smart & Final

The incident occurred just before the holidays on Dec. 22, 2025. According to reports, a 67-year-old employee was working at the Smart & Final located on Johnson Avenue in San Luis Obispo. While stationed in the produce section near the store's entrance, the clerk noticed Moore picking up several food items, including a three-pack of cider, and exiting the store without paying.

The employee followed Moore into the parking lot to confront him about the stolen merchandise. When the clerk attempted to retrieve the cider, Moore became physically aggressive. He began throwing items at the worker and repeatedly struck him. Surveillance footage from the scene captured Moore swinging the three-pack of cider at the victim multiple times and ultimately striking the 67-year-old on the top of the head with a bottle, resulting in a large lump.

Good Samaritan Steps In

The assault caught the attention of a bystander who was loading groceries into his vehicle in the parking lot. Hearing Moore yelling and seeing the employee on the ground being actively struck, the citizen dropped what he was doing and ran over to intervene. In response to the intervention, Moore threw a container of milk at the Good Samaritan before fleeing the scene on a bicycle.

District Attorney Dan Dow later praised the actions of both the store employee and the intervening citizen, emphasizing the importance of community vigilance and character in keeping local neighborhoods safe.

Arrest at SLO Ranch Market

Law enforcement apprehended Moore the following day in a separate but related incident. On Dec. 23, employees at the SLO Ranch Market reported that a man had locked himself inside a closed business's bathroom and refused to come out, disrupting cleaning crews attempting to service the area.

When San Luis Obispo police officers arrived at the scene, they located Moore inside the restroom along with his belongings and the bicycle used in his escape. As officers took him into custody and placed him in handcuffs, they conducted a search and discovered he was carrying two knives.

A Growing Trend of Retail Safety Concerns

The violent nature of the robbery has resonated with San Luis Obispo residents, many of whom frequent the Johnson Avenue shopping center and other local markets. Across California, retail theft and the safety of essential workers remain pressing concerns for both local communities and state legislators.

Incidents of shoplifting escalating into violent encounters have prompted ongoing conversations about how businesses should train employees to handle theft and what role bystanders should play. While the Smart & Final clerk survived the ordeal with non-life-threatening physical injuries, the attack serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable risks faced by those working in customer-facing roles.

DA Dow commended both the victim and the bystander, stating that community members who go to work to serve the public should not be beaten for doing the right thing, nor should they be attacked for showing courage to protect others.

What Comes Next

Moore's conviction on all four charges marks a conclusive end to the December crime spree. Under California law, the charges of assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury carry severe penalties, particularly given the age of the victim. However, Moore's maximum exposure in this case caps at five years.

Local residents and retail workers will be watching closely as the legal proceedings conclude. Sentencing is officially scheduled for Aug. 12, where a judge will determine the final penalties Moore will face, bringing closure to an event that disrupted the peace of a routine grocery run during the busy holiday season.