Crime

Monday’s trial date for four of the five suspects accused of killing Morgan Hill teen Tara Romero in a Nov. 4, 2011 drive-by shooting was continued, according to Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Peter Waite. The new trial date for Fernando Mateo Lopez, 21 of Gilroy; Ricardo Diaz, 20 of Morgan Hill; Esmeling Bahena, 19 of Morgan Hill; and Primitivo Hernandez, 24 of San Jose was rescheduled for an April 1 trial date at the Hall of Justice in San Jose, Waite said. The fifth suspect, Ramon Gutierrez, 18 of Morgan Hill, was found incompetent to stand trial for the charges against him at a hearing earlier this year, and remains in a mental hospital for treatment until he is able to face the charges, authorities said. The five suspects are charged with murder and five counts of attempted murder for their alleged involvement in the Feb. 4, 2011 drive-by shooting near the intersection of Cosmo and Del Monte avenues. They are also charged with special enhancements for carrying out the crime for a criminal street gang, according to authorities. Romero, a 14-year-old freshman at Sobrato High School, was killed in the incident. Three of her friends and former classmates were also shot and injured during the attack which took place while the teens were standing outside the Village Avante apartment complex awaiting a ride home. The teens had been out celebrating the birthday of another teen friend who was standing with them when a Chrysler 300 occupied by the five suspects drove slowly through the intersection and opened fire without stopping, according to authorities. The five suspects - identified by police as associates of the Sureno street gang - were arrested just hours after the drive-by shooting, police said.All five suspects have been in custody in Santa Clara County Jail since their arrest. During a preliminary hearing in June 2013 at the Hall of Justice, Morgan Hill officers testified Bahena, Gutierrez and Diaz told police after their arrest that on the night of Nov. 4, 2011, all five suspects were traveling together in the Chrysler when someone in the vehicle opened fire on the group of teens standing on the corner of Cosmo and Del Monte avenues.Those three suspects denied pulling the trigger, and insisted they did not go out that night planning to shoot anybody, officers testified.They also told officers that the shooting might have been the result of an ongoing “beef” with rival Norteno gang members at the Village Avante apartment complex. This feud, which started weeks before the incident that led to Romero’s death, included incidents of vandalism and even an Oct. 31, 2011 drive-by shooting outside the apartments that did not result in any deaths or injuries. The victims in the Nov. 4, 2011 shooting were not involved in any gang activity, and were likely mistakenly targeted by the five suspects, police said. 

Police arrested a man early Sunday morning who allegedly hit another man in the head with a shovel following a drunken altercation, according to authorities. Morgan Hill police responded to the 90 block of Bisceglia Avenue about 12:15 a.m. Sunday and located the adult male victim who had been struck in the face and head with a shovel, according to a press release from MHPD. The victim was transported to San Jose Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Officers canvassed the south Morgan Hill neighborhood and gained information from a witness that led to the arrest of Juan Martinez, 24 of Morgan Hill. Martinez had been hiding on the roof a nearby residence, police said. During the investigation police determined that Martinez and the victim had gotten into a physical altercation after a night of “heavy drinking,” authorities said. Martinez was booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, police said. Anyone with information about this incident can contact MHPD at (408) 779-2101, or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867. 

The Gilroy Police Department responded to an attempted murder and domestic violence incident at approximately 11:54 p.m. Saturday near the 8000 block of Church Street, according to GPD Sgt. Pedro Espinoza.

A two-year investigation by Santa Clara County authorities has uncovered an elaborate identity theft scheme, resulting in the arrest of a southern California family and the recovery of a cache of contraband including a kilogram of cocaine, assault rifles and even a grenade launcher, according to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office.The investigation by the DA’s Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) began in 2012 after Gilroy Police arrested two of the six suspects for using counterfeit credit cards to purchase luxury Rolex watches, according to authorities. On Friday, the DA’s Office announced that the six suspects - who are allegedly members of a vast identity theft organization - were recently arrested and charged for their involvement in the scheme, authorities said. The suspects are accused of secretly installing electronic “skimming” devices into gas station pumps to steal credit card information, the press release said. The “skimming crews” implanted the devices on gas pumps throughout the Bay Area and elsewhere, siphoned credit card information, created counterfeit credit cards and then bought more than $500,000 in merchandise - mostly Apple computers. REACT investigators think that three of the suspects are members of a single family. The suspects are in custody on felony identity theft charges. Mother and son - Petra Vaca, 53 of Ontario, and Luis Gomez, 33 of Yucaipa - were scheduled to be arraigned at the Hall of Justice in San Jose Friday afternoon. Facing similar charges is Lupe Castelar, 35 of Fontana - Vaca’s daughter - who will appear in court at the Morgan Hill courthouse March 4, authorities said. “The motivation of thieves remains the same, but they are becoming ever more sophisticated, using technology instead of crowbars and handguns,” DA Jeff Rosen said. “REACT investigators are combining high-tech forensics and old-fashioned police work to protect the community against a new generation of tech-savvy criminals.”Following the arrest of two of the suspects in 2012, authorities identified them and the other suspects as residents of southern California who had been using counterfeit credit cards created from information skimmed from local gas pumps, authorities said. In December 2013, investigators tracked two crews who drove from southern California to Sunnyvale to buy more than $80,000 in merchandise with fake credit cards. The ensuing investigation determined the credit cards were created from information stolen from credit card skimmers secretly placed in gas station pumps in San Jose, San Francisco, Los Altos, Fremont and Redwood City. During the arrests and searches in Ontario, Fontana, Whittier, and Yucaipa, California earlier this month, REACT investigators confiscated hundreds of counterfeit credit cards, dozens of fraudulent California drivers’ licenses, over two dozen credit card skimming devices, credit card manufacturing lab equipment, a kilogram of cocaine and multiple weapons, including assault rifles and a grenade launcher, authorities said. 

Burglary

The Gilroy Police Department responded to a variety of crimes this week, including “loud and unreasonable noise,” trespassing and battery. Arrests were recorded in this week's GPD blotter from Feb. 10 through 18.

Vehicle strikes pedestrian in downtown MHA pedestrian suffered major injuries after he was struck by a vehicle in downtown Morgan Hill Wednesday night, police said. The accident was reported at 8:47 p.m. on the northbound side of Monterey Road, just south of Third Street. Officers arrived and found an unconscious 27-year-old man lying in the eastern lane of traffic, just in front of the speed hump near Third Street, according to police. The man had suffered major trauma to his head and body, and was transported to San Jose Regional Medical Center, police said. The police investigation, based on witness testimony, determined the pedestrian had been walking in the roadway, and for an unknown reason he laid down in the eastern lane of traffic just prior to being struck, police said. The driver of the vehicle that struck him was not injured and remained at the scene of the collision, police said. The driver did not appear to be intoxicated and was cooperative with authorities. Police: Auto burglar caught red-handedMorgan Hill police arrested a young suspect in a string of burglaries after an “alert citizen” reported suspicious activity in a west Morgan Hill neighborhood, according to a press release from MHPD. Early in the morning Wednesday, a witness reported seeing a suspect break into her vehicle on the 16000 block of Glen Canyon Road, police said. Officers arrived in the area and located a male juvenile sitting in the back of a vehicle on Spring Avenue, according to a press release. The juvenile was determined to be the primary suspect in five vehicle burglaries that occurred overnight, police said. The suspect’s name was not released due to his age. Anyone with more information about these incidents can contact Morgan Hill Police Department at (408) 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867. 

Last week’s fatal shooting in Las Animas Veterans Park – initially reported by police as an attack on a 68-year-old Gilroy man depicted by friends and family as “helpful” and “loving” – is now being examined in an entirely new light, according to court files detailing the event as an act of self defense in the face of violence and racism.

A local restaurant owner was scammed out of nearly $1,000 Feb. 9 after she received a threatening phone call, according to Gilroy Police Department records.