Police find medieval weapon, pepper spray in parolee’s home

A 27-year-old man was arrested in North Glendale Thursday after police found a medieval weapon inside his home during a parole compliance check, officials said.

The parolee, Nicholas Davanzo, was home on the 4400 block of Ocean View Boulevard when Glendale police officers and gang detectives showed up and knocked on his door.

During a search of his home, they found a flail — essentially a wooden handle with a blunt, spiked object attached to a chain at the end. Police also allegedly found pepper spray.

Possession of the dangerous weapon was a violation of Davanzo’s parole, which he’s serving for a burglary conviction, police said.

Davanzo’s residence was one of 12 homes that police and U.S. Marshals visited Thursday morning to check for any parole or probation violations. The local residents had been previously convicted of violent and property crimes, police Sgt. Mike Toledo said.

A series of home break-ins, vehicle burglaries and auto thefts in the area prompted officials to organize the operation, Glendale Police Lt. Scott Bickle said.

The likelihood of some parolees re-offending after being convicted of a crime is high, he added.

“The goal is just to keep the pressure on the people we know are out committing crimes,” Bickle said.

Police have logged 21 burglaries and 46 thefts in North Glendale in the last 60 days.

Officers discovered two others were in violation of their parole conditions, but they weren’t home, Bickle said. Two needles with heroin were found in one home, while marijuana and equipment used to sell it were found in another, he said.

Police will seek arrest warrants for the men, Bickle added.

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-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News

Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA