Police Arrest Incoherent Man With Two Knives After Dramatic Confrontation

A homeless man apparently high on drugs carrying a knife in each hand confronted Pasadena police responding to a 911 call at 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

The dramatic encounter happened at South Fair Oaks Avenue at Dayton Street. When the officers approached, the man was yelling incoherently and appear to be extremely agitated, Lt. Mark Goodman said.

At first, Goodman said, the man actually complied with officers’ orders and dropped both knives to the ground, then backed away.

But as officers moved forward to arrest him, the man “sprang forward and picked both knives up off of the ground and began to walk parallel to the officers,” Goodman said. “Again he was holding both knives, one in each hand.”

At that point, one of officers discharged his Taser into the man. The suspect dropped the knives, and the officers were able to move in and arrest him without further incident.

The man was transported to a local hospital for observation.

Goodman said the officers’ investigation also revealed that just prior to his encounter with them he had burglarized an apartment in the 100 block of Dayton Street and had stolen the two knives.

The officers contacted the victim, who had not been home at the time of the burglary. They returned her property to her.

Goodman said the suspect was subsequently booked for assault with a deadly weapon and residential burglary.

The suspect has been identified as Charles Romero, aged 50.