BEAUMONT — Beaumont Police say a transient broke into Cowboy Powersports, took an ATV and hammer, then drove to Red Roof Inn and tried to attack the clerk.

Officers responded to a disturbance at about 3:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Red Roof Inn, 2310 IH-10 South. Police say a man with tattoos on his face broke into the lobby and was trying to attack the clerk with a hammer.

Beaumont police arrested the suspect, later identified as Brian Ballard, a 37-year-old transient.

Officers learned Ballard committed a burglary at Cowboy Powersports, taking an ATV and a hammer. He left on the ATV and went to the Red Roof Inn. He confronted a hotel guest that was outside smoking and tried to assault him with the hammer. The guest fled and went inside the hotel. The clerk electronically locked the glass lobby doors and Ballard broke them with the hammer. He entered the lobby and went toward the clerk. She ran to a back office and locked herself in.

Ballard was using the hammer to break the office door when officers arrived and took him into custody.

Ballard was transported to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility and booked in for Aggravated Assault and two counts of Burglary.

Written by KFDM/FOX 4