Gilroy
– Police arrested four people on suspicion of stealing tools
from Sears, after a witness reported seeing them run into a nearby
apartment – the home of one of the suspects.
Two men and two women, all Gilroy residents, were taken into
custody at 870 B El Cerrito Way in the early morning hours
Thursday, after allegedly breaking into Sears, 835 First St., and
stealing mechanic tools worth about $1,600, though one was later
released.
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – Police arrested four people on suspicion of stealing tools from Sears, after a witness reported seeing them run into a nearby apartment – the home of one of the suspects.
Two men and two women, all Gilroy residents, were taken into custody at 870 B El Cerrito Way in the early morning hours Thursday, after allegedly breaking into Sears, 835 First St., and stealing mechanic tools worth about $1,600, though one was later released.
The suspects forced entry into the store about 11:30pm Wednesday, triggering the store’s alarm system. While Gilroy police officers were investigating the burglary with the owner of Sears, someone called the department to report that one of the suspects – later identified as Christopher Mirelez – was seen climbing over the brick wall behind Sears and into the driveway of 8470 El Cerrito Way and walk into apartment B. Police said the witness also told them Mirelez was carrying some of the items Sears’ owner described as missing.
Police obtained a search warrant for the apartment and when they got there just before 3am Thursday, they found the four suspects, along with what appeared to be most, if not all, of the stolen tools.
The apartment was the residence of Carla Marie Crispino, 40, who was arrested for possession of stolen property, a felony. Mirelez, 40, of 344 Walnut Lane, was arrested on suspicion of three felonies: burglary, accessory to a crime, and possession of stolen property. A third suspect, Jaime Enrique Alvarez, 42, of 11010 Center Ave., was arrested for violating his parole, a felony, and on a misdemeanor warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia. All three were being held in county jail Thursday.
The fourth suspect, Laura Diaz, 37, of 411 El Cerrito Way, was released pending further investigation, police said.
Hearing from the witness was critical in officers making the four arrests, said Sgt. Kurt Svardal, Gilroy Police Department spokesman.
“The (police department) is only as good as the citizens will help them be, because we are only in one place at one time,” Svardal said. “But the town’s big, and if people pay attention to stuff like this, it helps us solve crime.”
