Gilroy police captured a man suspected of beating up another man
and carjacking his vehicle, but at least one other accomplice
remains on the lam.
Gilroy police captured a man suspected of beating up another man and carjacking his vehicle, but at least one other suspect remains on the lam.
Mark Sanchez, 25, of Gilroy was arrested May 21 after he beat a 29-year-old Hispanic male about the upper body and stole his car – a maroon 2003 Mitsubishi Gallant – police said. About 3:45 p.m., a female acquaintance contacted the victim, asking for a ride to a duplex on Filbro Drive near Princevalle Street. While the victim was parking the car, Sanchez and another man attacked him, punching and kicking him and dragged him from the car, said Sgt. Jim Gillio. They also stole several items of jewelry and the victim’s wallet, Gillio said.
The female passenger, who police believe may have been involved in the crime, never got out of the car and was not attacked, Gillio said. Sanchez jumped in the driver’s seat of the victim’s car and drove off with the woman while the other male assailant got into a charcoal gray Grand Prix, Gillio said.
The victim was not severely injured, police said.
As police officers were giving the victim a ride home, he pointed out a residence on the 7400 block of Miller Avenue where he had previously seen one of the men, Gillio said. Although the victim recognized his attackers from a prior meeting, he told police he did not know their names.
When police approached the residence, Sanchez ran out the back of the residence – where police confirmed that he rented a room – and jumped a fence, heading west toward Filice Drive, police said. An undercover detective and an Anti-Crime Team officer intercepted Sanchez and arrested him for carjacking.
At this point, police have no further description of the second man and have not yet recovered the stolen vehicle. The carjacking was the second such crime in Gilroy since May 12,
