Crime

The City of Gilroy and three developers, including the Filice family-owned Glen Loma Corporation comprised of longtime Gilroy residents, have settled a lawsuit filed by the company in 2012 involving a request to relief from more than $500,000 in “unjustified and excessive development fees,” according to court documents.

Recent regional news reports indicated that three teenage boys - one of whom now attends Christopher High School in Gilroy - pleaded guilty to felonies related to the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl who killed herself days after the incident.

The man charged with the Garlic Capital's third murder of 2013 - the Christmas Day homicide of a 21-year-old Gilroy woman who had a restraining order against her alleged attacker - is expected to submit a plea March 11 after his hearing was continued Tuesday afternoon.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office is warning that international scam artists are increasingly using dating websites to defraud victims with investment or loan swindles, according to a press release sent out today.

The Gilroy Police Department responded to a variety of crimes this week, including first-degree burglary, vandalism of more than $50,000 worth of property and battery against a peace officer. Arrests were recorded in this week's GPD blotter from Jan. 6 to Jan. 13.

San Leandro police have arrested the suspect in the robbery of Union Bank on New Year's Eve, according to a press release from the Gilroy Police Department.

A 36-year-old Sand City man was found dead Monday morning inside his vehicle which crashed on U.S. 101 at the Coyote Creek Bridge north of Morgan Hill, according to police. Some time between 10 p.m. Sunday and 5 a.m. Monday, the man, driving a 2004 Mercedes-Benz, was traveling south on the freeway when the vehicle swerved off the roadway for an unknown reason, according to a press release from the California Highway Patrol. The vehicle left the roadway just north of the Coyote Creek Bridge, which is just north of Burnett Avenue, police said. The vehicle left the freeway on the left side of the southbound lane and into the center median. The right front of the vehicle collided with the guardrail and a chain-link fence, and then became airborne. The Mercedes then collided with the shallow creek underneath the freeway over-crossing, and continued to roll over, police said. The driver, who has not yet been identified by the Santa Clara County Coroner’s office, was partially ejected, suffering fatal injuries. Police think the driver was not wearing a seat belt. No other vehicles were involved in the accident. A “call check” for a vehicle collision, reckless driving and possible intoxicated driver was broadcast to the CHP dispatch center around the time of the accident, but no accident was located at that time, police said. Pedestrians walking underneath the freeway overpass at 8:36 a.m. Monday saw the crashed Mercedes and called 911, police said. Police and paramedics arrived on scene, but the driver could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene. Alcohol and drugs are being investigated as a possible factor in the collision, police said. An inspection of the Mercedes was performed at the accident scene, and no mechanical defects were found. 

Police are looking for a suspect or suspects who allegedly stole about 2,700 feet of copper wire from more than a dozen street lights in a southwest Morgan Hill neighborhood last week.

The Gilroy Police Department responded to a variety of crimes recently including felony burglary in the first degree, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence. Arrests were recorded in the GPD's blotter from Jan. 2 through 9.

Drugs