Police suspect one incident is gang-related; Say they are on
heightened alert for gang activity
Gilroy – Two separate stabbings left both a 39-year-old male and a 16-year-old male in serious condition Monday afternoon. Police believe the teen’s stabbing is gang-related.
According to police, the San Jose teen was walking on the sidewalk at the intersection of Bolsa Road and Garlic Farm Way when a maroon SUV pulled over and three Hispanic males got out.
A verbal altercation may have occurred between the four.
According to witnesses, another man may have been walking with the 16-year-old. However, police could not confirm the man’s relationship to the teen.
“The victim believed he got punched a couple of times and realized he got stabbed,” said Gilroy Police Sgt. Kurt Svardal. “We believe it is gang-related and we have our (Anti-Crime Team) investigators actively working on it.”
The teen was stabbed in the midsection at about 11:55am. Firefighters blocked off Monterey Road after for about 30 minutes to allow a Calstar helicopter to land.
A handful of onlookers watched as the teen was treated by paramedics. He lay on the sidewalk, wearing black sneakers, dark pants with red shorts underneath as they tended to his wounds. He was speaking to emergency personnel and holding the Intravenous bag to his chest when he was airlifted to a San Jose Regional Hospital.
Witnesses told police they saw three Hispanic males in their 20s take off in the SUV.
“It’s very scary, especially when it happens in the middle of the day,” said Londa Fugate who lives nearby. She was folding laundry when she saw the helicopter flying overhead and came to see what had happened.
At 2:25pm Monday, Saint Louise Regional Hospital officials called police reporting that a 39-year-old male was dropped off at the emergency room with stab wounds.
A 12-inch butcher knife may have been used during the attack, police said.
“We believe that it happened in the 500 block of Fairview Avenue,” Svardal said. “This one we do not believe was gang-related.”
An acquaintance dropped the victim off and investigators have several leads they are following.
The victim underwent surgery for his injuries. His condition was unavailable as of press time.
The two stabbings Monday are the third and fourth in just over a week.
On Feb. 5, an 83-year-old man was stabbed at his Church Street home when he answered a knock on his door about 9pm.
“We don’t know if that one’s gang-related or not,” Svardal said.
The previous evening, on Feb. 4, a roommate dispute turned bloody when a 40-year-old slashed his 26-year-old housemate.
Police could not confirm whether gang activity is on the rise, but said they are on heightened alert.
“We definitely have concerns just because we’ve had a couple of stabbings occur,” Svardal said. “It always brings up our awareness level.”
