A man was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 16 in Ceres River Bluff Regional Park after he was reported acting strangely and equipped with body armor.

At 7:16 p.m. transient Alvaro Morfin, 32, turned up at a residence in the 1000 block of Pecos Avenue in south Modesto armed with bulletproof vest and telling people at the house that he "was going away for a long time." The action alarmed people at the house. Morfin left in a white pickup and people in the house called the Sheriff's Department.

A deputy spotted Morfin driving in the area of Hatch and Mitchell roads and prepared to conduct a felony traffic stop with the help of Ceres police. Morfin pulled into the parking lot of the park on Hatch Road, which was full of people. He surrendered and was arrested. Police found a bulletproof vest and loaded 12 gauge shotgun in the truck.

Morfin was handcuffed and placed in the patrol car. He managed to slip his handcuffed armed to the front and opened the door and attempted to run toward a chain-link fence at the park. He was apprehended and when placed in the back of the patrol car started hitting his head against the partition. Police said he then suffered a seizure but was checked out and released by paramedics.

On the way to Doctors Medical Center for a blood draw, Morfin slipped his cuffs in front of his body again and pushed the window out of alignment. The officer had to place leg restaints on Morfin before taking him to DMC.

Morfin was arrested and booked on charges of possession of a deadly weapon, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a sawed-off shotgun, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and resisting or delaying an officer.