News

Here's your weekly digest of criminal happenings in Gilroy, including a vehicle theft, child abuse, assault, sale and transportation of narcotics and an auto burglary.

Live Oak High School alumna Kassandra Pena, 24, will compete for the title of Miss California Latina 2013 Dec. 1.The competition will take place at Hotel Westin in Pasadena, and the winner will go on to represent California at the 2014 Miss Latina US, according to a press release from the Miss California Latina Pageant. Pena’s family moved to Morgan Hill in 2007, when she graduated from Live Oak, she said. Now a San Jose resident, Pena graduated from San Jose State University in 2011 with a degree in broadcast journalism. She was also a member of Lambda Theta Nu sorority at SJSU. Pena’s platform is gang prevention, according to the press release. She currently writes for LatinitasMagazine.com, an online digital magazine empowering Latina youth through the use of media and technology.Pena is the current title holder of Miss San Jose Latina 2013. Some of her sponsors are DryBar - Santana Row, and Mexico Lindo Restaurant, the press release says. Her parents still live in Morgan Hill, and Pena said she visits them every week. 

After six months of negotiations, City Council voted 5-1 during its regular meeting Monday night to approve a half-percent pay raise for local firefighters.

The Stuttering Foundation has put together a special DVD entitled, “Stuttering: For Kids By Kids,” to help children who stutter overcome their varying challenges in life.

Three drivers suffered injuries in a three-car collision at the intersection of Tennant Avenue and Butterfield Boulevard Thursday afternoon. Police and paramedics responded to the accident about 3:30 p.m., Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Ray Ramos said at the scene. A white Honda Civic was traveling westbound on Tennant Avenue when it rear-ended a Ford pickup that was stopped at a red light at Butterfield Boulevard, also facing westbound, police said. As a result of the impact, the Ford rear-ended a tan Toyota Corolla that was stopped at the same light in front of the pickup. The drivers of all three vehicles were transported to area hospitals with “moderate” injuries, Ramos said. None of the vehicles contained any passengers.Westbound Tennant Avenue remained closed as of about 4:30 p.m. between Juan Hernandez Drive and Butterfield Boulevard, while police and tow trucks cleared the scene. The cause of the accident remain under investigation, Ramos said. 

The Gilroy Police Department responded to a variety of crimes in the last week including loitering, battery and cruelty to a child with possible injuries. Arrests were recorded in the GPD blotter from Oct. 14 through Oct. 21.

GILROY — Christopher’s game against Everett Alvarez may have been its toughest one thus far — not only on the field, but off it as well.

A gas leak at a construction site in east Morgan Hill prompted brief evacuations from the area, but no injuries were reported, authorities said. CalFire responded to the gas leak on Murphy Avenue south of San Pedro Avenue about 11 a.m., according to CalFire Battalion Chief Jim Crawford. The gas leak was resulted from a ruptured gas line due to construction crews excavating in the roadway on Murphy Avenue, Crawford said. Fire authorities and PG&E responded to the scene and mitigated the gas leak a few minutes after it was reported, Crawford said. Nearby residences were evacuated, and students at the nearby Nordstrom Elementary School were sheltered in place as a precaution. “PG&E responded very quickly and took care of the issue right away,” Crawford said.