Tag: Morgan Hill

Morgan Hill’s ever-burgeoning dining scene is more than just an important element of downtown: it is downtown Morgan Hill, at least on the days when no festivals, concerts or special events are taking place.

Hollister police officers arrested a 17-year-old male from Morgan Hill Wednesday for the alleged murder of Andres Guzman, 19, of Hollister, Aug. 8. The arrest was made around 1 p.m.

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 arrested a San Jose man Tuesday after he used one of 30 fake credit cards in his possession at a Morgan Hill grocery store, authorities said. A loss prevention officer at Safeway grocery store on Tennant Avenue notified Morgan Hill police about the man after he used one of the fraudulent credit cards to purchase items at the store, according to a press release from MHPD. The man, later identified as Keith Brown, 22 of San Jose, was sitting in his car outside Safeway when officers contacted him, police said. He also had a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of DUI, out of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Police were assisted by Safeway, Star One Credit Union of San Jose and Travis Credit Union of Vacaville to determine that Brown had been using more than 30 stolen credit card account numbers to purchase thousands of dollars worth of gift cards at Safeway stores throughout the Bay Area, police said. The County’s Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team, a high-tech fraud task force, assisted Morgan Hill detectives with the investigation, according to the press release. Agents think Brown was manufacturing fake credit cards from his home. Brown was arrested on suspicion of identity theft, burglary and use of a fraudulent credit card, police said. Police remind residents to periodically check their bank accounts and immediately report any fraudulent activity to the authorities. Anyone with information about these crimes can contact Morgan Hill Police at (408) 779-2101.

Morgan Hill police Wednesday night arrested a man believed to be a suspect in a series of recent burglaries in town, authorities said. Officers were dispatched to the area of Barnell Avenue Wednesday night on a report of a suspicious man in the backyard of a residence, according to a press release from the Morgan Hill Police Department. When officers arrived, witnesses said they saw the man fleeing the area on a bicycle toward Dunne Avenue, police said. Officers soon found the suspect’s discarded bicycle in the yard of a home on Dunne Avenue near Del Monte Avenue. Police established a perimeter around the area, and witnesses led officers to the Dollar Tree store located in a shopping center at the corner of West Dunne Avenue and Monterey Road, the press release said. As police entered the front door of Dollar Tree, the suspect ran out through the rear doors and was tackled by officers as he ran through the Monte Vista Apartments complex, police said. The suspect, later identified as Jaime Alvarado, 33 of Morgan Hill, had multiple warrants for his arrest, police said. He was taken into custody without further incident. Alvarado is also believed to be responsible for a series of recent burglaries in Morgan Hill, though police did not offer further information on those crimes. Alvarado was booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of burglary and resisting arrest, police said. Police noted that the case would not have been solved, nor the property recovered as quickly as it was, without the help of nearby residents “to get involved and report suspicious activity.” 

Tickets are available for the Morgan Hill Downtown Association’s second annual Downtown Brew Crawl, where craft brew enthusiasts and beer drinkers will get to spend the evening getting a taste of more than 20 different area micro brews while grabbing a bite to eat and perusing the downtown shops. Tickets cost $25 each, and can be purchased at a number of downtown shops and restaurants. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.shopmorganhill.com, with an additional $2 shipping and handling fee per ticket. The Brew Crawl will take place Sept. 14 from 1 to 5 p.m. in downtown Morgan Hill. The event allows attendees to stroll through the downtown area and drop in at local businesses where 22 different micro breweries will be offering tastings of their craft beers. Participating breweries include 21st Amendment Brewery, Anchor Brewing Company, Cold Spring Brewery, Drake’s Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch Brewing, El Toro Brewing Company, Goose Island Beer Company, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Kona Brewing Company, Mendocino Brewing Company, and others. For more information, including a list of downtown locations where tickets can be purchased before the Brew Crawl, go to www.morganhilldowntown.com.

Owned by Morgan Hill local Paul Rakitin, The Running Shop's doors are now open for business.

Behind Mike Cox’s medical diagnostic manufacturing plant in the small industrial park on Concord Circle in Morgan Hill, there is something magical – a scientifically designed and nurtured, 1.5-acre self-sustainable garden.

Fire crews quickly extinguished a residential structure fire on the patio of an apartment complex Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. Fire trucks responded to the fire at 215 Del Monte Avenue about 4:30 p.m. CalFire Battalion Chief Brandon Leitzke called the blaze a “small fire,” and did not result in any injuries or significant damage. The initial investigation determined the fire was caused by a lit cigarette discarded “too close to combustible” materials, Leitzke said. 

The case against a 20-year-old Mt. Madonna YMCA employee accused of molesting a 6-year-old girl in the organization’s childcare facility located at Paradise Valley Elementary School turned darker Tuesday.