A homemade shotgun + meth leads to bust in a Fresno park

Fresno police Tuesday arrested a man they say was tinkering with a homemade shotgun at a southwest Fresno park picnic table when the weapon went off.

Juan Bais, 41, was subsequently arrested on charges of possession of the shotgun, methamphetamine pipes, and discharging the weapon.

The incident happened just before 11 a.m. at Frank H. Ball Park, where city workers called police after hearing a loud blast. Officer found the device and determined it was left behind by a man later identified as Bais. The department’s bomb team identified it as a fabricated weapon containing a spent shotgun shell.

Gang officers later located Bais in the 1300 block of East Lorena Avenue and took him into custody. He was reportedly in possession of two methamphetamine pipes and more ammunition, and was identified by witnesses.

Bais, who was also sought on warrants for thefts of recyclables, was booked into Fresno County Jail.

This story was originally published July 31, 2019 at 7:47 AM.