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CINCINNATIAN ARRESTED IN IOWA
By David Pitt
Associated Press
Cincinnati Post, OH
July 7 2007
DES MOINES, Iowa - A Cincinnati man arrested outside a hotel where
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his family were
staying was charged Thursday with carrying a weapon and driving
without a license.
Davit Zakaryan, 24, appeared in Wapello County District Court and
remained in jail on a $6,825 bond.
Zakaryan never made a threat against Obama, police said. Cincinnati
businessman David Krikorian said Zakaryan, accused of possessing an
ornamental knife, was in the area to sell political novelties.
Ottumwa Police Lt. Mike McDonough said members of Obama's security crew
became suspicious as Zakaryan paced outside his car at a Fairfield
Inn in Ottumwa on Wednesday morning. They thought his car looked
familiar and may have been at another campaign stop.
Police said an ornamental knife with a blade exceeding 8½ inches was
found inside the car. Since the knife was within Zakaryan's easy reach,
the local prosecutor determined it was a violation of a state law that
makes it illegal to possess a knife with a blade longer than 8 inches,
McDonough said.
Zakaryan was not carrying the knife when he was arrested Wednesday,
McDonough said.
He was arrested after authorities determined he did not have a valid
driver's license. The car was not registered to him, McDonough said,
and literature in the car indicated an Armenian heritage.
Krikorian said Thursday that Zakaryan was in Ottumwa only to sell decks
of playing cards with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Obama's pictures.
Zakaryan bought the cards from Krikorian to sell at campaign events,
Krikorian said. Frequently, peddlers set up near campaign appearances
to sell campaign buttons, T-shirts and other items.
"That's all the guy was doing," Krikorian said. "He purchased several
of those decks and went out to Iowa with the intent to sell them at
these rallies."
He described Zakaryan as a well-educated physicist who was invited
to the United States to participate in scientific conferences.
--Boundary_(ID_tDKO2zuDdAEOcEN4tUWeD A)--
By David Pitt
Associated Press
Cincinnati Post, OH
July 7 2007
DES MOINES, Iowa - A Cincinnati man arrested outside a hotel where
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his family were
staying was charged Thursday with carrying a weapon and driving
without a license.
Davit Zakaryan, 24, appeared in Wapello County District Court and
remained in jail on a $6,825 bond.
Zakaryan never made a threat against Obama, police said. Cincinnati
businessman David Krikorian said Zakaryan, accused of possessing an
ornamental knife, was in the area to sell political novelties.
Ottumwa Police Lt. Mike McDonough said members of Obama's security crew
became suspicious as Zakaryan paced outside his car at a Fairfield
Inn in Ottumwa on Wednesday morning. They thought his car looked
familiar and may have been at another campaign stop.
Police said an ornamental knife with a blade exceeding 8½ inches was
found inside the car. Since the knife was within Zakaryan's easy reach,
the local prosecutor determined it was a violation of a state law that
makes it illegal to possess a knife with a blade longer than 8 inches,
McDonough said.
Zakaryan was not carrying the knife when he was arrested Wednesday,
McDonough said.
He was arrested after authorities determined he did not have a valid
driver's license. The car was not registered to him, McDonough said,
and literature in the car indicated an Armenian heritage.
Krikorian said Thursday that Zakaryan was in Ottumwa only to sell decks
of playing cards with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Obama's pictures.
Zakaryan bought the cards from Krikorian to sell at campaign events,
Krikorian said. Frequently, peddlers set up near campaign appearances
to sell campaign buttons, T-shirts and other items.
"That's all the guy was doing," Krikorian said. "He purchased several
of those decks and went out to Iowa with the intent to sell them at
these rallies."
He described Zakaryan as a well-educated physicist who was invited
to the United States to participate in scientific conferences.
--Boundary_(ID_tDKO2zuDdAEOcEN4tUWeD A)--