US police are baffled after arresting a man they believe broke into a house and carried out a bizarre food-based attack in Fresno County, California.

The man reportedly broke into the home of two farmworkers, stole cash, rubbed one of the men with spices and hit the other with a sausage before fleeing.

Fresno County sheriff’s Lt Ian Burrimond said Antonio Vasquez, 22, was later found hiding in a field wearing only a T-shirt, boxers and socks.

The victims told police that they woke on Saturday morning to find the stranger applying spices to one of them and striking the other with an 8-inch sausage.

He said police arrested Vasquez after finding his wallet containing his ID in the ransacked house.

Officers, he said, had no problem linking the suspect to the crime.

"It seems the guy ran out of the house wearing only a T-shirt, boxer shorts and socks, leaving behind his wallet with his ID,'' Burrimond said.

The money was recovered, but the sausage used in the attack was eaten by a dog.

Lt Burrimond said: "That is correct. The dog ate the weapon. I can tell you, this was one weird case."

According to the Fresno Bee newspaper , both the spices and the sausage came from the victims’ kitchen.