MORGAN HILL
– In a peculiar sequence of events, two out-of-town men were
taken to county jail Sunday morning in connection with a kidnapping
at gunpoint.
MORGAN HILL – In a peculiar sequence of events, two out-of-town men were taken to county jail Sunday morning in connection with a kidnapping at gunpoint.
Maurice Anthony Vasquez, 28, of Sacramento and Juan Carlos Posadas, 24, of Fremont, allegedly kidnapped a Morgan Hill man at about 7 p.m. Saturday from Kruse Ranch Lane, a rural area in the foothills east of the city.
Vasquez and Posadas bound the victim and placed him in a car and headed for Highway 101.
According to police, the kidnappers became lost trying to find the highway, and ended up stuck in the mud on Half Road behind Live Oak High School while trying to turn around their car.
When another vehicle approached the car, Vasquez and Posadas allegedly ordered the victim to go into a nearby orchard. The victim was able to free his hands and flee while Vasquez and Posadas were distracted by the approaching auto. The victim then called 911, a call that went to the Sheriff’s Office, reporting that someone was trying to kill him behind Live Oak High. He also gave them the license plate number of the suspects’ vehicle.
Six minutes earlier, at 7:46 p.m., a call came in about a stranded motorist on Half Road.
When a Morgan Hill Police officer arrived on the scene, he ran a check on the license plate. The Sheriff’s Office called MHPD dispatchers, recognizing the plate matched with the call they had received.
“Officer (Andrew) Jackson deserves some kudos for this,” said Sgt. Mark Brazeal. “He handled the situation very well.”
As Jackson approached the scene, someone with a pickup was helping Vasquez and Posadas to get their car out of the mud. The pickup’s driver left as Officer Jackson was assessing the situation.
“Then, as the Sheriff’s Office recognized what was going on, as well as our department, a sea of blue descended upon the scene,” Brazeal said.
Vasquez and Posadas were taken into custody without incident. Both have been charged with kidnapping; Posadas had an outstanding San Mateo County warrant for willful discharge of a firearm; and Vasquez was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing; the police declined to release the name of the victim and possible motives at this time because of the ongoing investigation.
Brazeal the victim and suspects were not cooperating in the investigation.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Acting Sgt. Troy Hoefling at 779-2101.
