Man Arrested After Wielding Fake Samurai Sword

Photo: King Roasrio under arrest

Santa Barbara County – A verbal altercation at a Goleta area McDonald’s restaurant became colorfully dramatic on the evening of April 30th when 38-year-old Goleta resident King Rosario whipped out his samurai sword to support his argument with another male subject.

According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, deputies were summoned to the fast food emporium by witness calls to 911 Emergency reporting the dispute with one of the individuals “armed with a samurai sword.”

fake sword

Responding patrol units arrived to find their suspect had fled the scene. Undaunted uniformed deputies from the Isla Vista Foot Patrol and area CHP officers responded to cordon the area off to begin “a thorough search of the area for the suspect.”

Ultimately, multiple SBSD K-9 Units were brought to the scene, with an SBSD County Helicopter flying overhead. As the search continued for more than two hours, area residents were sent reverse 911 calls suggesting they “shelter in place” pending the search. At one point, Amtrak trains were halted on their tracks.

At 10:15 that evening, Rosario was spotted walking on a Goleta city street and was confronted by deputies who held him at gunpoint prior to taking him into custody.

Once he was in handcuff’s, Rosario’s samurai sword was found and revealed to be a wooden replica of an edged weapon. Rosario was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on charges of brandishing and possessing a deadly (wooden) weapon, with his bail set at $20,000.

Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department