What was supposed to be a routine beer run to 7-Eleven Friday
night turned into a gang-related assault that ended with police
arresting five people, including two men involved in an earlier
robbery.
What was supposed to be a routine beer run to 7-Eleven Friday night turned into a gang-related assault that ended with police arresting five people, including two men involved in an earlier robbery.
About 10 p.m. Friday, an unidentified 22-year-old male purchased a six-pack of Modelo Especial from the 7-Eleven near First and Princevalle streets, police said. As the man exited the store, a group of five adults and juveniles hanging out in the area assaulted him and stole his beer.
With a bloody nose, the victim returned to his nearby home and met up with a friend to vent about the incident, police said. The two then got into a car to look for the suspects and found them loitering in the 7-Eleven parking lot. They got out and the 22-year-old asked for his beer back. One of the suspects, 19-year-old Jesus Valenzuela, was drinking the victim’s beer and swung the plastic bag of glass bottles at him. The victim avoided the bag, but the suspects then went after the 22-year-old’s friend, a 28-year-old male. At least one suspect yelled a gang slogan during the assault, Sgt. Jim Gillio said.
As the fight broke out, three Gilroy gang investigators drove by and noticed the commotion and recognized some of the men, police said. They rolled up and told everyone to freeze, but three of the suspects fled while two lay down to comply with police. The victims also complied.
After a brief foot chase, officers used an electronic stun gun on Jonathan Fernandez, 18, as he attempted to hop a nearby fence, Gillio said. Officers also chased down a 17-year-old male involved in the attack but did not use an electronic stun gun to subdue him. Police charged Fernandez with resisting arrest and arrested the 17-year-old for robbery and resisting arrest. Police also arrested a 16-year-old male for robbery and committing a felony in connection with a criminal street gang. Police arrested Asante Ruiz, 19, for robbery, and a 17-year-old female for giving false information to police, Gillio said. Officers charged Valenzuela for robbery and possession of stolen property after a search of his person revealed a cell phone linking Valenzuela to a robbery one hour earlier at Las Animas Veterans Park, 350 Mantelli Drive.
About 9:15 p.m. that night, Valenzuela, the 17-year-old male, and two other outstanding suspects approached a 15-year-old male riding his bike near the skate park, police said. The suspects demanded the victim empty his pockets or face assault.
After initially resisting, the victim complied, police said. The suspects stole his wallet, which contained $40, a back pack, cell phone and debit card. One suspect even took his bike before another said to leave it. One of the suspects then allegedly punched the victim in the head and darted off, Gillio said.
No weapons were used in either incident, but police are treating both as gang-related and referred them to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s gang investigation unit, Gillio said.
