A Monrovia man arrested last week on suspicion of assault after confronting a burglar with ninja swords and a pocket knife will not face criminal charges, officials said.
Jesse Runge, 35, was initially booked for assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident, which unfolded late Nov. 12, according to Monrovia police and Los Angeles County booking records.
Prosecutors reviewed the case Friday and elected not to file charges against Runge, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said. “The case was declined due to insufficient evidence.”
Runge returned home shortly before midnight Tuesday to find his house ransacked and several items missing, both police and Runge said. Runge said he immediately suspected acquaintance Jeremi Weber, 30, as the culprit, and called police to report the break-in and the identity of the possible suspect.
While still on the phone with police, Runge said tracking software on his cell phone alerted him that his iPad was located at Weber’s home nearby in the 400 block of East Foothill Boulevard. He said he handed the phone with which he was talking to police over to his fiancee and rushed to Weber’s home to confront him and get his property back.
As he exited his car, Runge said he grabbed two sheathed, ornamental ninja swords that were in his vehicle. He said he did so because Weber had previously bragged to him about having guns.
“I admit it was stupid to walk to the door with those,” Runge said, but added that the swords never left their sheaths.
About that time, his fiancee joined him outside Weber’s home and took the swords from him, Runge said. She began yelling at Weber’s home, and Weber emerged.
Weber threw a soda, swung a backpack and threatened to “blast” both Runge and his pregnant fiancee as the men argued and slowly moved along Foothill Boulevard, according to Runge. When Weber began reaching into his pocket and backpack as if for a weapon, he said his fiancee then handed him a pocket knife she had been carrying. But he said he did not use it or try to use it on Weber.
Runge then flagged down a police officer that was nearby as Weber darted between two houses, Runge said. Police detained Runge, and soon also had Weber in custody.
Weber’s backpack was found to contain most of the items stolen from Runge’s home, Monrovia police Lt. Michael Lee said. Police also found Weber to be in possession of heroin and prescription pills. Weber had a small cut on his arm which he claimed Runge inflicted with the pocket knife. Officers took both men to jail.
Runge said he was not only infuriated to be locked up in jail alongside the man who burglarized his home, his father paid $3,000 to a bail bondsman to free him from jail, which is not refundable even though charges are not to be filed against him. “That’s the worst part about the whole thing.”
Weber, who was arrested for burglary and drug possession, pleaded “no contest” to a charge of first-degree burglary when he appeared Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said. Two drug-related charges were dismissed, and he was immediately sentenced to one year in jail and three years of formal probation.
In addition to the burglary and drug possession case stemming from the Nov. 12 incident, Weber also appeared in court Tuesday in connection with a pre-existing case for receiving stolen property, Davila-Morales said. He pleaded “no contest” in that case as well and was immediately sentenced to another year in jail, along with three years of formal probation.
Even after all the trouble, Runge said he did not entirely regret his actions. He said he believed police would not have arrived at Weber’s home in time to prevent him from leaving the with stolen property.
Among the items recovered from Weber’s backpack was a gold, family heirloom pocket watch that had belonged to his great grandfather, Runge said.
“I can’t say I would do it differently, because I got that back,” he said.