Morgan Hill police call off search after several hours in
pursuit of second car thief
Morgan Hill – One man was arrested, but a second man is still at large after Morgan Hill police – with the help of Gilroy police and Santa Clara County Sheriff deputies – stopped a man driving a stolen vehicle.
Jerry Ulna, 18, of Morgan Hill was arrested on suspicion of grand theft of a vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle and a probation violation and taken to Santa Clara County Jail Monday.
MHPD Sgt. David Swing said the incident began when MHPD Cpl. Ray Ramos spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen. He and other officers watched the vehicle, which was parked at Hillhaven Mobile Home Park in north Morgan Hill.
Eventually, Swing said, Luna and another man came out of a residence and got in the vehicle. Meanwhile, agents from the Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATTF) had been notified and joined MHPD officers watching the vehicle. They followed the vehicle to East Dunne Avenue, where it stopped at the Chevron gas station. Luna was “surprised” by officers and arrested.
The other man, Robert Candelaria, 18, of Morgan Hill jumped out of the vehicle and ran from officers, possibly going through the lot at the Courtesy Chevrolet and the lot west of the dealership, police said. Officers set up a perimeter and called for backup. They were assisted by Gilroy officers and Sheriff’s office deputies. No canine units were available in the south county, Swing said, so the Sheriff’s office helicopter was brought into action, using infrared technology in an attempt to locate Candelaria.
After several hours, the search was called off, Swing said. RATTF will take over the investigation and pursue an arrest warrant for Candelaria.
