Two Hollister gang members shot up a party and tried to evade
police, driving for 20 miles at speeds up to 120 mph, police said.
The incident marked the fifth gang shooting in Gilroy in one
month.
Two Hollister gang members shot up a party and tried to evade police, driving for 20 miles at speeds up to 120 mph, police said. The incident marked the fifth gang shooting in Gilroy in one month.
Roberto Martinez, 18, and a 17-year-old whose name police did not release, were at a party at a home on the 9200 block of Sagewood Court in north Gilroy about 11:45 p.m. Friday, police said. During the party, the two teens got into a fight and Martinez fired shots, injuring another person. Many people called in to report the gunshots.
The teens then fled from the house, driving right past Gilroy officer Jose Barrera – who was in the middle of a traffic stop – in a Volkswagen Passat without its headlights on, police said. Barrera called ahead to nearby officer Noel Lemus, who tried to stop the vehicle without success.
The teens then led Gilroy police and San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies on a 20-mile chase to Hollister, during which the teens’ car reached 120 mph, police said.
During the chase, the teens tossed a gun out of the car, but police later found it, police said. Also during the chase, Saint Louise Regional Hospital told police that a shooting victim came in for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The victim was later released.
After endangering the lives of numerous motorists, police and sheriff’s deputies managed to stop and arrest the teens, police said. They were booked for attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of stolen property – the gun – and felony evading of police officers.
The two teens were members of a gang and multiple people at the party where the incident occurred were gang members, police said.
In addition, the traffic stop conducted by Barrera that the teens drove by involved three more people who may have been headed to the party, police said. The BMW that was stopped was headed in the direction of the party.
During the stop, Barrera surmised that the three occupants were smoking marijuana, police said. When Barrera saw a dagger, he decided to search the car, which resulted in him finding another concealed knife and a gun with an obliterated serial number. Two of the three occupants were arrested on suspicion of possession of a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm in a vehicle, possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number, and possession of concealed dangerous weapons. Read more about the traffic stop.
More on this story and gang violence in Gilroy will be posted later this afternoon.
Anyone with information regarding this case can call the Gilroy Police Department’s Anti-Crime Team at (408) 846-0350. Parties wishing to remain anonymous may call (408) 846-0330.
