Former boxing world champion Julio César Chávez Jr. was released from custody on $50,000 bail Thursday after being arrested and charged with illegal possession of an assault rifle Sunday at his Sherman Oaks home, his lawyers said.
Chavez Jr. pleaded not guilty to the charge and agreed to enter an immediate rehabilitation program. He will return to court Feb. 15.
“We posted bail and Mr. Chavez will be released at some point today and will spend some time at a program working through some personal issues. In the meantime, Julio remains in good spirits and his family appreciate the outpouring of support and encouragement,” Chávez’s lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times/Los Angeles Times en Español.
Former world champion Julio César Chavez Jr. was arrested on suspicion of illegal possession of an assault rifle last weekend in Los Angeles, his father says.
Police responded Sunday afternoon to a call from an unidentified person who allegedly saw the boxer with a gun and was concerned that he might pose a danger to himself or others. Chávez had no previous history of possessing firearms, according to his lawyer. The news was first reported by TMZ.
The 37-year-old former middleweight champion and son of legendary boxer Julio César Chávez Sr. was detained by LAPD officers after they searched his home, and Chávez Jr. was taken to the Valley Jail Section in Van Nuys. According to the TMZ report, authorities found what is called a “ghost gun” in Chávez’s house, a firearm that is impossible to trace because it has not been legally registered.
“The most important thing is to know that the family is supporting you. We are all here to help Julio, the judge, the court. All the people who are in court want the best for him,” Lupe Valencia, another of Chávez’s lawyers, said Thursday.
Chávez has not seen action since he won a 2021 decision over David Zegarra in Culiacán, Mexico. However, his life outside the ring, especially his battle to combat drug addiction, which he frequently shares on social media, has been heavily publicized.
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