Crime

While Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, in California it is also a time when friends and family celebrate by attending parties and barbecues where alcoholic beverages are served abundantly, which means some of those party-goers end up driving home in an impaired state, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.For that reason, the sheriff’s office will join with police agencies throughout the county comprising the Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force to remind Cinco de Mayo celebrants that drunk driving should never be a part of the party plans, according to a press release from the task force. As part of a weekend Avoid the 13 crackdown on impaired driving, DUI saturation patrols will be deployed in Morgan Hill, Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale, police said. Officers will be looking to identify and stop suspected drunk drivers. “Cinco de Mayo has unfortunately become one of the most dangerous days of the year, all because of drunk driving,” said Sheriff Laurie Smith. “Some people have this misconception that they can drink a little, and drive safely, but that’s just not true. Everyone needs to remember that buzzed driving Is drunk driving, and there’s never an excuse for it.” From 2011 to 2012, the number of people killed in drunk driving crashes on Cinco de Mayo more than doubled, according to the press release. In all fatal crashes in 2012, 71 percent of the drunk drivers involved had blood alcohol concentrations of almost twicethe legal limit. Authorities remind Cinco de Mayo revelers to plan your ride ahead of time by designating a sober driver before the party begins, calling a friend or taxi for a ride or using public transportation. Sober motorists can report drunk or reckless drivers by calling 911, police said. And friends are encouraged to prevent each other from driving drunk by taking their keys and helping them make other transportation arrangements. “It’s a real tragedy that 10,322 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in our nation in 2012,” Smith added. “We’ve got to put a stop to it.”The Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to authorities. The next countywide DUI task force deployment will be for the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend, May 23 to May 26.

The Gilroy Police Department recently responded to a variety of crimes this week, including robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and embezzlement. Arrests were recorded in the GPD blotter April 22 through 28. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office has completed its investigation into a vague threat of violence and has determined that there is no threat to the campus, according to an message from Gavilan administrators posted Thursday afternoon. The online comment, left on a Facebook page Wednesday night, was taken out of context, the message reads.

The Gilroy Police Department recently responded to a variety of crimes this week, including aggravated sexual assault against a child, first-degree burglary and inflicting bodily injury on a spouse or cohabitant. The arrests were recorded in the GPD blotter April 15 through 22. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

Auto theft

The Gilroy Police Department recently responded to a variety of crimes, including first-degree burglary, felony infliction of bodily injury, child endangerment and driving under the influence. The arrests were recorded in the GPD blotter April 3 through 10.

The following narratives were compiled from public records, obtained through the Gilroy Police Department, detailing arrests and unsolved crimes from April 3 through 10.

Burglary

The Gilroy Police Department has classified what was originally a suspicious death of a 74-year-old Gilroy woman at a residence on the 1400 block of Bristlecone Court Tuesday night as a homicide, police said Friday.