Crime

The search for Sierra LaMar, 15, will expand to San Martin and Gilroy Thursday, nearly three weeks after the missing Morgan Hill resident was reported missing. 

The City of Gilroy could have to pay as much as $1.25 million in damages after a federal civil jury Tuesday found a Gilroy police officer was negligent when he fatally shot a 33-year-old man four years ago on Pacheco Pass.

Two renowned experts who have spent their entire careers profiling violent, shady criminals and analyzing human behavior say that Sierra LaMar’s likely kidnapper – or kidnappers – probably stalked the missing teen before grabbing her from the street outside her home, and that the victim’s personality is likely the polar opposite of her captor’s - an attribute that could end up saving her life. 

As the search for Morgan Hill resident Sierra LaMar, 15, moves into its 18th day, the KlaasKids Foundation announced two more upcoming volunteer search opportunities and urges the community to continue to help in the efforts to find her.

This past week, Gilroy Police responded to several cases of methanphetamines, both influence and possesion, home burglaries, and someone trying to shoplift coats. Here are a few noteworthy incidents.

A man in his 50s suffered a superficial stab wound when an unknown suspect cut him with a knife north of Morgan Hill Sunday afternoon, police said. 

The KlaasKids Foundation is asking users of social media Internet sites to participate in a 24-hour online vigil for Sierra LaMar, the Sobrato High School sophomore who has been missing from her north Morgan Hill home for 17 days. 

Four juveniles and one adult were transported to the hospital with what Gilroy police described as minor injuries after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Day Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard about 3:40 p.m. Friday. Traffic was partially blocked until tow trucks arrived and removed both vehicles involved, and the road was cleared by 4:30 p.m.