GILROY
– With a fifth suspect in jail and one or two others believed on
the loose, Santa Clara Sheriff’s detectives are looking to put a
wrap on a month-old, $130,000 robbery case.
By PETER CROWLEY
Staff Writer
GILROY – With a fifth suspect in jail and one or two others believed on the loose, Santa Clara Sheriff’s detectives are looking to put a wrap on a month-old, $130,000 robbery case.
Their investigation led Sheriff’s deputies and detectives to the latest arrest of Rudolf Ortiz, 20, who already had three warrants out on him for probation violation and traffic violations (involving using a suspended driver’s license). Police arrested him on Aug. 26.
Earlier they arrested two 16-year-old neighbors of the victims, plus three older friends of theirs from Gilroy. Police quickly arrested the two teenagers – whose names were withheld – along with Richard Berhorst, 21, and Sean Fernandez, 20.
All five face felony burglary charges. Ortiz, whose bail was higher than the others’ due to his other warrants, is the only one still in jail.
It all started a month ago, when Sheriff’s deputies found a Hummer sport utility vehicle, abandoned by the side of the road.
They tracked the vehicle to the business it belonged to, then to the business’s owner, who was away on vacation. When the owner and family returned two weeks later to their Redwood Retreat Road home, they noticed four motorcycles, tools, stereo and electronic equipment missing along with the Hummer. The items amounted to about $130,000 in value.
Sheriff’s Det. Frank Lopez said he has reason to believe one, possibly two other people were involved with the crime. He hopes to make those arrests by the end of the week.
Since the investigation isn’t over, Lopez declined to describe how he believes the suspects organized the heist. The victims, whom police did not name, declined comment.
Lopez praised the deputies who started the investigation, saying it was a good piece of police work to figure that the Hummer was stolen in the first place.
