The father of a 6-year-old boy who brought a firearm to Los Amigos Elementary School in Rancho Cucamonga earlier this month has been arrested, authorities said Friday.
Deputies responded to a home on March 10 after a grandmother found a gun in her grandson’s backpack, according to a Rancho Cucamonga Police Department news release.
During the investigation, deputies learned the boy took possession of the firearm from another student at the elementary school. However, the boy could not provide the other student’s name or any other identifying information to help them locate that child, the release stated.
Deputies took the weapon and called the school resource officer assigned to the elementary school to investigate the incident.
Los Amigos was on spring break at the time the inquiry started, and authorities feared pursuing the investigation while school was out could potentially compromise it, authorities said.
When students and staff returned from the break, the school resource officer was able to identify the child who initially brought the gun to school. The officer determined the child got it from the safe at his family’s home, according to the release.
A search warrant was served at the home, where the resource officer located additional firearms in a safe.
The safe was accessible to the four children living at the residence, but the father — identified as Charles Neazer — told authorities he was unaware his kids could access it, police said.
Neazer, 30, was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, the release stated. He was booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
The San Bernardino County Children and Family Services took custody of the four children, the release stated.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call police at 909-477-2800. Those who wants to leave a tip anonymously can contact the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-782-7463, or go to the website www.wetip.com.