Police arrested two people who allegedly held up a Gilroy household at gunpoint, stole the victims’ BMW and led authorities on a chase through Morgan Hill. At least two other suspects are still on the run, police said.
About 12:35am Jan. 30, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a home invasion in the area of the 9100 block of Paseo Tranquillo. At least four suspects, wearing masks, had entered the home armed with handguns, the sheriff’s office said. The suspects stole personal items from the home and fled in the victims’ BMW.
Investigators tracked the stolen vehicle using the South County network of Flock license plate readers. As the vehicle fled through Morgan Hill, MHPD officers initiated a pursuit with assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Gilroy Police Department.
The car was stopped after police used spike stripes and a mobile PIT maneuver to disable the stolen vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
Two suspects were arrested, and officers found a loaded firearm, stolen property and drugs—including a “large amount of methamphetamine”—in the vehicle, police said. The arrested suspects are identified as Steward Nagata, 45, of Merced, and Sophia Torres, 28.
They were booked on suspicion of robbery, carjacking and recklessly evading police, according to authorities.
At least two additional suspects remain at large, the sheriff’s office said.
