Here’s your latest digest of criminal happenings in Gilroy, including a violent case of child abuse, a robbery of marijuana at gunpoint, assault with a deadly weapon and a high-speed pursuit.
Passed out behind the wheel at Burger King
On Nov. 7 at 2:26 a.m. at the Burger King on 400 Leavesley Road, 31-year-old Teresa Villalobos, of Hollister, was found passed out behind the wheel by the GPD while attempting to order from the drive-through window.
“The people working there called to report a female asleep behind the wheel with the vehicle running,” said GPD Sgt. Pedro Espinoza. “She was determined to be under the influence of alcohol and was arrested for driving under the influence.”
Violent child abuse
Between Nov. 12 at approximately 6 a.m. and Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. on the 6500 block of Princevalle Street, a young child suffered several injuries that occurred as the result of abuse. The victim was treated at the Saint Louise Regional Hospital for injuries sustained to his back, buttocks, arm, face and genitals. The injuries were caused when an unknown suspect struck the victim with an object by hand, biting and pinching him.
“The child was taken into protective custody on Nov. 14,” Espinoza said. “There are multiple suspects but no one has been taken into custody.”
The case is pending further investigation, he added.
Felony evasion
On Nov. 11 at 10:13 p.m. on the 6700 block of Camino Arroyo, Gavin McVey Qutob, 48 of Gilroy, was arrested for felony evading of police, being under the influence of a controlled substance and driving with a suspended license after a short vehicle pursuit.
Pitbull on the loose near Las Animas Preschool
On Nov. 15 at approximately 1:30 p.m. on the 300 block of Mantelli Drive, the GPD received a report of a pitbull on the loose in the area surrounding Las Animas Preschool. The dog was located and apprehended, according to Espinoza. The dog was dehydrated and in need of veterinary assistance. The dog, it turns out, was ill and was eventually euthanized.
Fight at Denny’s restaurant
On Nov. 16 at 2:03 a.m. at the Denny’s restaurant on the 8400 block of San Ysidro Avenue, the GPD arrested Gabriel Mendoza, 23 of Morgan Hill, Luis Alberto Corona, 22 of Morgan Hill, and Steven Jesus Segura, 22 of Los Banos, after being positively identified by the victims in a large fight. One of the victims was transported to the San Jose Trauma Center in an air ambulance after sustaining “major trauma” following the fight. “There were three victims but only one was transported,” Espinoza added.
Robbed of eight pounds of marijuana
On Nov. 9 at 5:13 p.m., the GPD responded to a call of a victim being robbed at gunpoint on the 6900 block of Cameron Boulevard while doing a “dope deal” with someone he met on Craigslist. The victim was robbed of $10,000 in cash. The suspect, likely a 25-year-old Hispanic male, was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans driving a white Mitsubishi Eclipse.
“That happens more than it ever gets reported,” Espinoza said, of drug deals gone wrong. “We have had a couple of times where (the dealers) actually call us.”
The victim told police that the marijuana was for medicinal purposes and was not formally charged.
“There is nothing to charge him with,” Espinoza said. “There is no evidence other than his own admission he was there to do a dope deal.”
Can’t we all just get along?
On Nov. 9 at 10:25 p.m. on the 9700 block of Zuni Lane, Meng Sreng, 38 of Gilroy, chased his roommates with a knife, swinging at them with the weapon. No injuries were reported, Espinoza said. Sreng was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.
High-speed pursuit ends in arrest
Brian Lee Lowery, 35 of Gilroy, was arrested on Nov. 11 at 10:23 p.m. in unincorporated San Benito County after leading the GPD on a 23-mile high-speed pursuit through Gilroy, beginning near the intersection Wayland Lane and Broadway Avenue. Lowery was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Jail on charges of felony evading, possession of methamphetamine and hypodermic needles, hit and run and driving with a suspended license.
Narcotics for sale
On Nov. 2 at 2:22 a.m. on the 100 block of Hornlein Court, the GPD arrested a Gilroy man in the parking lot of the Garlic City Casino. Santos Luciano Jimenez, 33, was found to be in possession of a controlled substance for sale (methamphetamine) and paraphernalia for sale.
Making a false report of an emergency
Shante Nicole Smith, 30 of Gilroy, was arrested on Nov. 3 at 2:28 a.m. after she called police to explain she was locked out of her apartment on the 7300 block of Monterey Street. Smith claimed her 9-year-old and 11-year-old children were inside the apartment and the stove was on. She said the children were in danger and claimed she needed the door forced open immediately.
“(Police) attempted to go to the building manager but were unsuccessful and forced entry in the hopes of making sure those kids were okay,” Espinoza said. “As it turns out, there were no kids inside and she was lying about the whole thing.”
Smith admitted “she just wanted her door open,” according to police records, and she was arrested for delaying a peace officer and making a false report of an emergency.
No headlights = suspicious
On Nov. 3 at 6:38 p.m., the GPD arrested two individuals after police stopped their vehicle, noticing the headlights were turned off, near the intersection of Chestnut and East Sixth streets. The vehicle was determined to have the license plates of another vehicle affixed that didn’t match the blue 2004 Dodge Ram they were driving, Espinoza said.
Agustin Carrillo-Chacon, 30 of San Juan Bautista, and Beatrice Diana Rodriguez, 20 of Gilroy, were arrested and the vehicle was towed. According to Espinoza, Rodriguez resisted arrest while Carrillo-Chacon was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and a firearm, false registration on the vehicle and driving with a suspended license.
“During the drive-by shooting era in southern California, (driving without headlights) was a big clue for law enforcement,” he said. “When you saw cars driving through the street without lights, that meant they were fixing to do a drive-by somewhere. Up here we don’t see that; either they’re drunk or have committed some sort of crime and want to leave undetected.”
