Tag: law enforcement

Authorities arrested a southern California man who traveled to Morgan Hill with the intent of having arranged illegal sexual relations with two minors, according to Morgan Hill police. Stephen Lewis, 21 of Oceanside, was arrested Saturday following a multi-agency sting involving Morgan Hill Police, Homeland Security Investigations and the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a press release from MHPD said. Lewis, who lives in southern California, contacted a man over the Internet who agreed to allow Lewis to have sexual relations with his two minor children, police said. The man contacted by Lewis was in fact an undercover agent. The undercover agent and Lewis arranged a predetermined time and location in Morgan Hill to meet, police said. When that meeting happened, Morgan Hill police took him into custody without incident. Lewis was later booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of meeting a minor to engage in lewd or lascivious behavior and possession of child pornography, police said. “Law enforcement works diligently to protect everyone in our communities, especially children who are the most vulnerable,” Morgan Hill Police Chief David Swing said. “I am very proud of the dedicated professionals who worked as a team to keep this predator from victimizing children.” Joseph Vincent, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Jose, added, “Many child sexual predators mistakenly believe they can act on their unconscionable urges with impunity and anonymity online, but as this case shows, nothing could be further from the truth. Homeland Security Investigations will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners here and around the globe to target those engaged in the sexual exploitation of children to see that they are held accountable for their crimes.” Anyone with information about this case can contact MHPD at (408) 779-2101, or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867. 

Morgan Hill police arrested three people with a trove of stolen property after making a routine traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by two of the suspects early Friday morning, authorities said. About 3 a.m. Friday, an officer stopped a vehicle occupied by Adam Stout, 29 of Milpitas, and Brianne Campana, 22 of San Jose for a traffic violation, according to a press release from the Morgan Hill Police Department. The officer learned that Stout was on probation and police conducted a search of the vehicle, police said. Found in the vehicle were an unspecified amount and type of narcotics and drug paraphernalia. Police also learned that Stout and Campana were staying in a room at the Quality Inn, 16525 Condit Road, and officers searched the room, according to the press release. Found inside the hotel room were more than 70 pieces of stolen property from six different cities in two counties, according to police. A third suspect - Karlee Douglas, 19 of San Jose - was in the room when officers arrived, and she was arrested, police said. All three suspects were booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of possession of stolen property, possession of narcotics, probation violation and being under the influence of a controlled substance, police said. Anyone with information about this case can contact MHPD at (408) 779-2101, or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867. 

Police arrested a suspected thief after a resident observed the man stealing mail out of mailboxes on a north Morgan Hill residential street, according to authorities. Morgan Hill police were dispatched to the 19000 block of Cheyenne Court on a report of a suspicious person about 3 a.m. Tuesday, according to an MHPD press release.Officers contacted the suspect, Erik Gonzales, 36 of San Jose, on suspicion of possession of stolen mail and possession of a stolen vehicle, police said. The resident who reported the crime told dispatch they saw Gonzales removing mail from mailboxes along the street and placing the items into an orange Mitsubishi convertible, police said. When officers arrived to the neighborhood, they located the Mitsubishi which had paper dealership plates, according to the release. Police approached the vehicle and saw Gonzales sitting inside. The car “was filled with stolen mail from nearby houses (and) in fact the vehicle he was sitting in was also stolen out of San Jose,” police said. Gonzales was booked into Santa Clara County Jail, according to police. Police gave credit to the resident who reported Gonzales’ suspicious behavior for helping to arrest the suspect. Anyone with information about this case can contact Morgan Hill Police at (408) 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867. 

After staking out a stolen vehicle outside a Morgan Hill hotel, officers arrested three suspects on suspicion of counterfeit currency and controlled substance violations, police said.

Authorities are looking for three men who led police on a chase that reached 120 mph on the U.S. 101 after allegedly attempting to burglarize a Morgan Hill home. Morgan Hill police responded to a report of a burglary in progress at a home on the 2000 block of Pinto Court Wednesday night, according to a press release from MHPD. Three Hispanic men were seen jumping a fence surrounding the backyard of a home on the court, and breaking a window out of that home to make entry, police said. A resident was at home upstairs during the break-in. The suspects fled before stealing any property, police said. Police saw the suspects fleeing the scene and chased after them, the press release said. The suspects, traveling in a 1999 Audi Station Wagon, were pursued northbound on U.S. 101, at speeds up to 120 mph. Police called off the pursuit due to public safety concerns when the vehicle and patrol cars reached heavy traffic, police said. The suspects continued to drive recklessly on the shoulder of the freeway at high speeds, evading officers, according to police. The suspicious vehicle was registered out of Oakland, and the registered owner of the vehicle told police he sold the car several months ago, police said. Police are now seeking the public’s help in locating the suspect vehicle, which has a license plate of 4GTT297, authorities said. The vehicle has damage to the right quarter panel and does not have tinted windows. Police also reported Thursday they have responded to a series of recent residential burglaries that happened in quick succession. Four of these burglaries happened during daylight hours Wednesday, and officers think the suspects involved are from different areas from Morgan Hill to Oakland and Sacramento. Detectives have also noticed a pattern in the daytime burglaries, in which the suspects are ringing the doorbell or knocking on doors before forcing entry into the home, police said. “Police encourage people who are not expecting guests to call police if they suspect foul play, and make noise to ward off burglars,” the press release said. “Also, be vigilant and keep reporting suspicious persons, cars and activity.” Anyone with information about these crimes can contact Morgan Hill police at (408) 779-2101, or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867. 

Police are looking for two suspects who allegedly robbed the Citibank in downtown Morgan Hill at gunpoint Friday morning.

Morgan Hill’s first homicide of 2013 was the result of a violent fight between a man and a woman who were involved in an “off and on” relationship and had recently moved in together at a local mobile home park, according to police and the couple’s neighbors.

The Special Olympics Torch, the Flame of Hope, will be making stops in the South Valley Wednesday during the 2013 Law Enforcement Torch Run. 

Large fight reported outside Village Avante

Two Hollister men died Sunday in an alleged gang-related shooting at 11:30 p.m. in the 600 block of Chaparral Court.