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Suspect arrested for threatening two people with a bat, samurai sword
Laseem Variste
Laseem Variste

The Turlock Police Department arrested a 21-year-old man on Sunday who days earlier had chased two individuals with a metal bat and a samurai sword.

Laseem Variste, 21, of Turlock was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and making criminal threats.

The incident began around 5:45 p.m. Friday when the police department received multiple phone calls reporting a battery in progress in the area of Geer Road and Twentieth Century Boulevard. One caller stated a man was chasing another man with a bat, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Mike Parmley.

Officers arrived at the scene and found the two people who had allegedly been chased by Variste. They told police officers he had been chasing them with a metal bat in one hand and a samurai sword in the other. At some point he threw the metal bat at one of the victims, but they were able to avoid being struck, Parmley said.

The victims said the fight was over a relationship. They were both able to positively identify Variste as the suspect through a photo lineup, Parmley said.

Variste was located around 6 p.m. Sunday in the 1800 block of Lander Avenue and taken into custody without incident.