Darien Police Found This Knife on Violent Offender

say they arrested a Port Chester, NY man with a lengthy and violent rap sheet after finding a knife with a 12.25-inch blade (pictured) in his backpack during a traffic stop.

Edwin Vargas, 40, was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon following the May 30 arrest.

At about 11 a.m., Vargas passed a Darien police cruiser on the right on a single-lane street in town. A search on Vargas showed that he has been arrested in the past for first-degree assault, risk of injury, sexual assault, aggravated assault with a knife, assault and battery, threatening and stalking.

Vargas was wearing a large backpack, and police became suspicious of him during questioning, according to Darien Police Capt. Frederick W. Komm.

“The officer asked about drugs, and if he had any weapons because of his criminal history with knives and dangerous weapons, and he refused to tell the officer—that got our attention,” Komm said. “He took a defensive posture and from his reactions to questioning, it looked like he may have the potential to become combative.”

Police frisked Vargas and found a small knife in his boot, and found the larger, Survivor-brand knife in his backpack, wrapped in a bandanna.

He was held on $5,000 bond and scheduled to appear May 31 in .