A former tow truck operator charged with a multitude of felonies
in Santa Clara County could now face gun possession charges in San
Benito County.
A former tow truck operator charged with a multitude of felonies in Santa Clara County could now face gun possession charges in San Benito County.
The Hollister Police Department helped the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office search Vincent Cardinalli Sr.’s business in the 700 block of San Felipe Road on Dec. 20, said officer Rosie Betanio, spokeswoman for the department.
Cardinalli Sr.; his son, Paul Stephen Greer; and three others face a total of 169 felony charges in Santa Clara County stemming from hundreds of lawsuits filed in hopes of collecting towing and storage fees.
In the latest instance of potential trouble for the family, officers recovered seven rifles and shotguns, which were in plain view on the northwest wall of an office in the back of the business, Hollister police Capt. Richard Vasquez said Thursday morning.
Authorities believe Cardinalli Sr. had access to the weapons, Betanio said.
Earlier this month, it was revealed in a San Martin court that Cardinalli Sr. was convicted in 1979 of two counts of felony arson, a violent crime. It is illegal for a violent offender to possess firearms, according to the California Penal Code.
The San Benito County District Attorney’s Office has not filed charges against Cardinalli Sr., 64, who is being held in a Santa Clara County jail without bail while his case is pending there.
The police department sent the case to prosecutors for review on Dec. 28, Betanio said.
Deputy District Attorney Patrick Palacios said he could not comment on case details.
“I’m reviewing charges on Mr. Cardinalli,” Palacios said Wednesday afternoon.
Palacios said he expects a decision within a week on whether to charge Cardinalli.
Cardinalli Sr.’s attorney, Mike Pekin, declined to comment late Wednesday afternoon.
“I don’t talk about that case,” Pekin said.
If convicted of any new felony, including those he faces in Santa Clara County or any new charges that could be brought in San Benito County, Cardinalli Sr. would face 25 years to life in prison because of California’s Three Strikes law.
