When you are homeless, chances are that your current financial circumstances have left you with few material possessions. In fact, this struggling economy in which we live has many families deciding every day the next item they can do without in order to afford the payment that will keep a roof over their heads. For this reason, I was somewhat surprised to discover that a homeless man threatened violence in Austin earlier this week with his very own samurai sword.
Paul James Guzman showed up at a friend’s apartment in hopes of finding a place to spend the night. His friend’s girlfriend was not amenable to the idea, perhaps because she was aware of Mr. Guzman’s tendency to store a instrument of violence favored by warriors of the Far East under his coat. Whatever the reason, Guzman was not pleased by the refusal of accommodations and “unsheathed a samurai sword from his belt” while the woman placed a phone call to the police.
Guzman fled the scene before police arrived but was discovered nearby. He left the samurai sword on the living room floor, which pretty much breaks rule number one of recommended behavior for successful criminal activity. Mr. Guzman now faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is hanging out in the Travis County Jail on $15,000 bail.
Strangely enough, a college student in Maryland killed an intruder with a samurai sword just last month. Who knew they were becoming so prolific?
If you make the poor decision to threaten or even harm someone with a three- to five-foot Japanese blade, you most certainly will need legal representation. The law offices of Bertolino LLP have criminal defense attorneys in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio ready to help you. Please contact us today and let’s discuss your case.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
