Man with sword, beer and gun arrested in Santa Paula

Gretchen Wenner | Ventura

A Santa Paula man walking the streets with a sword and beer — and a concealed handgun — was arrested over the weekend, authorities said Monday.

The incident unfolded shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday in the 600 block of Center Lane, a residential street generally north of Main Street at the city's western end.

The 29-year-old suspect had been seen "dressed in black and walking the streets with a sword," according to the Santa Paula Police Department. When officers arrived, residents helped them find the man walking on a sidewalk in the area.

Officers saw the man carrying a sword about 3 feet long and holding an open container of beer, authorities said. He did not initially comply with the officers' verbal commands. After police gave repeated commands, the suspect eventually dropped the sword and a revolver on the ground, officials said. Officers were not aware of the concealed gun until the man dropped it, authorities said.

The man was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor carrying a concealed firearm. He remained in Ventura County jail in lieu of $35,000 bail Monday night, jail records showed. The Star generally does not print the names of those arrested solely for misdemeanor offenses.

"The Santa Paula Police and the community will continue to stand together to reduce gun violence one arrest at a time," Santa Paula Police Chief Steve McLean said in a release.