MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – While investigating an unrelated case last Wednesday night, deputies arrested a Burbank man for weapons violations.
Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said deputies arrested Geoffrey Robert Chang, 57.
At 10:30 p.m. March 5 deputies were investigating an unrelated case in the Middletown area and were looking for a male subject who had reportedly been involved in a domestic disturbance, Brooks said.
The information provided was that the subject was at Hardester’s Market in Middletown. No physical description of the subject was given, according to Brooks.
Brooks said deputies conducted a search of the area and noticed a male subject, later identified as Chang, standing in the parking lot of Hardester’s Market.
When the deputy approached him, Chang reached into the right cargo pocket of his pants, Brooks said. The deputy asked him to remove his hand from the pocket, which he did. Chang provided the deputy with consent to search him for weapons and admitted to having a knife on his belt.
While searching the outer clothing of Chang’s right cargo pocket, the deputy located a solid object which felt heavy. Brooks said the deputy reached into the pocket and retrieved a black leather sap, which is a lead-filled impact weapon.
Chang told the deputy that he carried the sap for personal protection from the methamphetamine users. The sap was seized as evidence, Brooks said.
Brooks said Chang was arrested for the sap, which is a felony to possess.
Chang told deputies that he had two dogs in his car and some personal items he wanted a friend to retrieve. When the friend showed up to retrieve the items, she was unable to open the door and asked the deputy for assistance, Brooks said.
When the deputy opened the door he discovered a loaded semiautomatic pistol in plain view between the seat and the door, which was seized as evidence. Brooks said Chang also was arrested for having a loaded firearm in the vehicle.
Chang was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Bail was set at $5,000, and jail records indicated he later posted the required percentage of bail and was released.