Pursuit of wanted felon leads to school lockdown
A pursuit of a wanted felon by Morgan Hill Police around noon Tuesday led to a 40-minute lockdown of Barrett Elementary School.An officer was making a regular follow-up visit on an unrelated case at the Executive Inn on Condit Road in Morgan Hill when he recognized a suspect who had a warrant for his arrest, according to Sgt. Carson Thomas of the MHPD.The suspect was identified as Gerardo Betancourt, 37, of Morgan Hill, who was wanted for a violation of parole. Betancourt is described as a Hispanic male, 5-foot-8, 210 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes.Betancourt jumped into his vehicle and fled the scene with the officer giving chase. He turned northbound onto U.S. 101 before pulling over on behind the Executive Inn. He then exited his vehicle, ran across the highway to the southbound side and hopped the fence, according to Thomas.“He’s still outstanding,” Thomas said.As a result of the pursuit, Barrett Elementary School was put on lockdown from 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The district put out an auto-call message informing parents prior to the end-of-school pickup.Anyone with information regarding Betancourt's whereabouts should call the MHPD non-emergency line at (408) 779-2101 and ask for Det. Broyer.
Cornerstone Title celebrates ribbon cutting
A ribbon cutting was held March 4 at Cornerstone Title Company, 870 Tennant Station in Morgan Hill. In attendance were members of Cornerstone Title Company, Chamber of Commerce ambassadors and staff and Marilyn Liebers, Mayor Pro Tem. Marilyn welcomed Cornerstone to the city, and they were warmly welcomed into the Chamber of Commerce as well. For information on ribbon cuttings or to join the Chamber of Commerce, contact Erin Machado at (408) 779-9444.
Prep Soccer: 7 Mustangs, 3 Cougars earn All-League honors
Gilroy’s Andres Jimenez, Carlos Jimenez and Sean Kauffman all topped the list in the Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division honors.
Gilroy war veteran to receive Medal of Honor
Corporal Joe Baldonado, of Gilroy, a veteran of the Korean War, will be one of 24 Army Veterans awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama Tuesday during a White House ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Wells Fargo robbery suspect on the loose
Police are looking for a suspect who allegedly robbed Wells Fargo Bank in Morgan Hill Friday afternoon. Morgan Hill police responded to the bank located at 17590 Monterey Road at 1:53 p.m. Friday, on a report of a robbery, according to a press release from MHPD. A man entered the bank and told a teller he had a gun, and demanded money, police said. No one inside the bank saw a gun during the robbery. The teller gave the suspect an unspecified amount of cash, and the man fled the bank on foot with the money, police said. The suspect is still outstanding and Morgan Hill officers are working with the FBI, according to the press release. The suspect is described as a black male in his mid to late 30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 180 pounds, police said. Anyone with information about the crime may contact MHPD at (408) 779-2101.
Mystery illness befalls Morgan Hill department store customers
More than two dozen customers of a Morgan Hill department store were treated Saturday for symptoms consistent with an airborne contamination, but the exact cause of the illnesses remains a mystery, according to authorities. About 5:35 p.m., emergency responders received a call from the manager of T. J. Maxx, 401 Vineyard Town Center, reporting that several customers and an employee were getting sick inside the store, according to Morgan Hill Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Main. The subjects reported shortness of breath, strange taste in their mouths and facial numbing sensation, Main said. MHFD transported three of the patients to the hospital, and three others elected to go to the hospital on their own before leaving the scene. In all, 26 people who had been inside the store were evaluated for the symptoms and potential exposure to the unknown cause of the illnesses, Main said. Those people were triaged at the scene by paramedics, and those who went to the hospital were decontaminated before being transported, authorities said.Main added he heard from area hospitals after the incident was cleared that others traveled to Saint Louise Regional Hospital and Valley Medical Center for evaluation. The illnesses were isolated to the interior of T. J. Maxx, which was evacuated for several hours and did not affect businesses in the same shopping center, Main added. “The majority felt better after they came out” of the store, he said.Firefighters and Morgan Hill police “looked on every shelf in the store” and checked the roof and air conditioning units but could not determine what caused the symptoms, Main said. Authorities also checked for gas and carbon monoxide leaks, monitored the oxygen content inside the store and even looked for evidence of poison or foreign chemicals but could not identify anything harmful. “We didn’t find any sign of vandalism, terrorism or anything like that,” Main said. “We have no idea why this occurred.” Authorities instructed the store to contact their air-conditioning company to check the vents and circulation system for mold or other toxic substances, Main said. “My personal hope is they just need to clear their vents,” he said. A T. J. Maxx employee Monday referred phone calls to the store’s corporate public relations office in Massachusetts. That office was not aware of the incident Monday morning, but a representative offered to follow up with more information about the potential cause of the incident and store hours. Area fire departments sent two fire engines, a ladder truck and three ambulances to the scene, Main said. MHPD also responded with multiple officers.
