Over the last week, Gilroy Police responded to several burglaries, assaults, drug incidents and even a person urinating on Monterey Street. Here are a few standout incidents.
- A suspect entered an apartment on the 900 block of Mantelli Drive at 11:30 p.m. on March 20 and allegedly struck the resident with a baseball bat, kicked him in the chest and stole his wallet. The Gilroy Police Department reported that the wallet carried $300 in cash. The resident said he did not know the suspect. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing, but police say they have reason to believe it is gang related. The victim was taken to the Bay Area Trauma Center for “significant but not life threatening injuries,” according to GPD Sgt. Chad Gallacinao.
- A man was allegedly assaulted by six to eight suspects in front of his residence on Hersman Drive on March 22 at 1:39 p.m. One of the suspects threw a rock, striking the man in the head, causing lacerations. He was treated at the Saint Louise Regional Hospital. The man said he did not know the suspects. Police have not made any arrests for this case but believe it is not gang-related, said Gallacinao.
- A 50-year-old woman was arrested for drunk driving and child endangerment on March 22 at 2:29 p.m. when a citizen spotted an erratic driver on Miller Avenue and Uvas Road and called the police. An officer located the vehicle and pulled over the driver, who had an 11-year-old in the car. Police said she was unable to complete field sobriety test, and was taken to Santa Clara County Jail. Since the District Attorney has not yet reviewed the case, Gallacinao would not release the name of the arrestee.
- On March 24 at 1:24 p.m., Juan Carlos Pantoja Guzman, 22, was allegedly found urinating in front of a building on Monterey Street by Gilroy police. He was arrested on a warrant as well as for being drunk in public, and was later found to be in possession of three bindles of cocaine. The cocaine appeared to be for personal use and not for sales, Gallacinao said. He was taken to Santa Clara County Jail.
- On March 25 at 10:24 p.m., the driver of a 2000 black Ford Mustang, 30-year-old Geraldo Pacheco, of Gilroy was arrested for possession of cocaine for sales, and his passenger, Estaban Lizarraga, 30, of Morgan Hill was arrested on a warrant and for possession of cocaine. Pacheco had no less than five individual bindles of packaged cocaine and money in different denominations. The driver was pulled over for a vehicle violation code on Mayock Road when the officer subsequently found cocaine in the vehicle. Pacheco and Lizarraga were taken to Santa Clara County Jail.
