Halloween Night confrontation leads to Corcoran man’s arrest

A 41-year-old Corcoran resident was arrested on Halloween night when he decided to Trick-Or-Treat at a local residence with a loaded high-caliber rifle in his hands.

Forest John Sawatzky was spotted by Corcoran Police officers approaching a home on the 2400 block of Strepy Avenue with a lever action 30-30 hunting rifle.

He claimed that his mountain bike was stolen from him from the location and that he brought the weapon to confront the people that lived there.

When the suspect reportedly started yelling and raising the rifle in the air, he was disarmed by police officers.

Sawatzky was arrested on charges of making criminal threats, carrying a loaded firearm in public and brandishing a firearm in an angry manner.

He was booked into the Kings County Jail in lieu of $85,000 bail.

The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3048.

(Nov. 5, 2007)