Kidnapping and narcotics suspects arrested after brief, sloppy
evasion through downtown corridor
GILROY
A brief, low-speed chase downtown kicked off the weekend, leaving three cars damaged and one suspect without a tooth, according to Gilroy Police Department Sgt. John Sheedy.
At 4:25 p.m. Friday, an undercover regional drug team requested GPD’s assistance in stopping a white compact station wagon because the driver, Francisco Granados, 39, and passenger, Alan Garcia Perez, 22, were wanted for outstanding kidnapping and narcotics warrants, respectively. But when a marked GPD cruiser tried to stop the vehicle near the intersection of Sixth and Monterey streets, Granados turned northbound onto Monterey Street and sped up to 35 miles per hour, according to Sheedy. The speed limit along Monterey Street downtown is 25 mph.
Granados then struck an unoccupied undercover vehicle – believed to be a part of the regional drug team’s investigation, according to GPD Sgt. Jim Gillio – and an unoccupied Ford sedan, according to Sheedy.
“The suspect (then) jumped out of the moving vehicle, leaving only the passenger (in the front seat) in the vehicle while it was still in motion,” Sheedy wrote. As the car continued north on Monterey Street, it eventually jumped over the east curb before hitting a metal sign pole at Monterey and Fifth streets, according to Sheedy.
The brief chase ended with Granados missing a tooth and receiving treatment at Saint Louise Regional Hospital before going to Santa Clara County Jail in downtown San Jose on the kidnapping warrant out of San Benito County and on six charges for resisting a peace officer, assaulting a peace officer, evading a peace officer, reckless driving, illegal possession of ammunition and possession of a weapon identified as a club. Granados also had five additional warrants for carrying a firearm in a public place, brandishing a weapon, threatening to commit a crime, possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Perez was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Los Banos for battery and the narcotics warrant out of Santa Clara County. He also went to downtown San Jose.
GPD did not have any additional details about the arrests or the circumstances, but plenty of people saw the incident downtown, according to Gillio.
Mark Colla is the task force commander of the region’s Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which called GPD to make the stop Friday afternoon, but he could not be reached for comment Monday. UNET is a part of the California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement and is comprised of agents from local law enforcement departments who work in south Santa Clara County and northern San Benito County.
