Monday morning turned frantic in Gilroy as police officers
responded to a bank robbery and the death of a city worker almost
simultaneously. Police and emergency crews hastened to a 11 a.m.
report of a struck pedestrian on Farrell Avenue just west of
Monterey Road. At 11:04 a.m., police received a 911 call that a
Bank of America branch on Monterey Road was being robbed.
Monday morning turned frantic in Gilroy as police officers responded to a bank robbery and the death of a city worker almost simultaneously.
Police and emergency crews hastened to a 11 a.m. report of a struck pedestrian on Farrell Avenue just west of Monterey Road, according to a City of Gilroy press release. The victim was city maintenance employee David Vogel, who was struck and killed by a vehicle as he performed routine street inspections. Vogel, 40, was declared dead at the scene.
At 11:04 a.m., police received a 911 call that a Bank of America branch on Monterey Road was being robbed. As of press time, the suspect, described as an Asian male between 30 and 40 years old, had not been apprehended.
According to the GPD, the man walked into the bank, slipped a teller a note demanding money and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. A portion of the money was later recovered on a Valley Transportation Authority bus in Morgan Hill, said GPD Officer Amanda Stanford.
The suspect is described between 5 feet 8 and 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing between 160 and 180 pounds. During the robbery, he was wearing a gray jacket with black sleeves, a tan baseball cap and blue jeans.
GPD Sgt. Chad Gallacinao said no arrests related to the robbery have been made. The bank was closed for several hours following the robbery.
“We are still currently investigating. (The suspect’s) current whereabouts are unknown,” Gallacinao said.
Members of the GPD and Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office blocked southbound lanes on Monterey Road between First and Howson streets, diverting traffic in front of the Longhouse Restaurant.
Police were seen interviewing three handcuffed males behind the King’s Rest Motel directly south of the restaurant, though all three were soon released from custody. One of them appeared to be a cab driver.
A restaurant employee who did not give her name said she thought the cab driver was being robbed when she walked outside and saw another man pointing a gun at him.
“He pointed the gun right at him,” she said, making a mock firearm with her thumb and forefinger.
She said she couldn’t tell if the armed man was a police officer or a possible suspect because he was not in uniform. Once she saw the gun, she said she became frightened and hurried back inside. She said customers wanted to walk outside to view what was happening, but she cautioned them to stay in the restaurant. She said she did not hear any gunshots.
A motel employee who asked not to give her name said she saw police outside the motel but thought they were “just looking for drug people.” She said the motel didn’t have many tenants at the time, adding there had never been any problems at the motel before.
While police presence along Monterey Road between the bank and the restaurant dispersed shortly after 12 p.m., Farrell Avenue remained dotted with police officials into the late afternoon. As of 3:45 p.m., access to Farrell Avenue from Monterey Road was closed.
Vogel’s death is being investigated by the GPD’s Major Accident Investigation Team, according to the city. As of press time, no information regarding the driver had been made available by the city or the GPD.
To his knowledge, Kline said Vogel was the first city employee to die in the line of duty, including police officers and firefighters.
“None others come to mind,” said Kline, who has lived in Gilroy for 50 years and worked with the city for 11.
He added, “We’ve had a rough day at City Hall. We’re just very shocked over here.”
Javier Hernandez, a resident who lives near the scene of the accident, said police told him to stay in his home for roughly five hours because of his proximity to the sectioned-off crime scene.
Hernandez said he could see a pair of eyeglasses lying on the street near his driveway. He said he was told to stay inside because “maybe we might step on something.”
Vogel’s body was located in front of 90 Farrell Ave., and was covered with a yellow tarp. A number of concerned residents had ventured from their homes and gathered on surrounding street corners.
“During this time of day, it’s pretty quiet here, but they (drivers) have a habit of speeding,” said resident Bernie Keeling. “We have a lot of people that walk up here to the corner store or bus stop.”
Vogel was hired by the city as a part-time employee in April 1997, and as a full-time employee in January 1998, according to a city press release. He held a bachelor’s degree in business and human resources from Sonoma State University.
“David was a valued and dedicated employee who will be sorely missed by all those who knew him. The Gilroy Police chaplains are attending to David’s family and public works employees today,” Kline wrote in the press release.
Staff Writer Blair Tellers contributed to this story.
