Kristen Fuller looked out on a sun-soaked stretch of Ortega
Circle late Monday morning in Gilroy, which on many summer days is
a street teeming with the chatty gabbing of local children.
Kristen Fuller looked out on a sun-soaked stretch of Ortega Circle late Monday morning in Gilroy, which on many summer days is a street teeming with the chatty gabbing of local children.
“Usually by this time of day, you hear quite a bit of kids’ conversations,” Fuller said around a quarter to noon.
On Monday, however, the block stewed in silence five days after the second of two recent suspected kidnapping attempts prompted some residents to keep their kids indoors and at least two Gilroy streets to take a serious look at organizing neighborhood watch programs.
“You can see there aren’t a lot of kids out (in front of homes). There’s a lot of kids playing in backyards today,” said Fuller, whose 11-year-old son was one of three children police say a man tried to lure with promises of a trip to a local restaurant around 2:49 p.m. Wednesday in the 900 block of Ortega Circle.
Police are also searching for a second suspect from what is believed to be an unrelated incident July 26, when a man driving a “dirty” black and white Honda vehicle in the 7600 block of Miller Avenue told a 10-year-old girl to get into his car.
The children refused the suspects’ advances in both incidents and were not harmed, police said. The reported locations are a half-mile from one another are located in close proximity to El Roble Elementary School.
The Gilroy Police Department has released a sketch of the Miller Avenue suspect, who is described as a Hispanic male approximately 30 years old with a goatee and short, balding hair or a possible crew cut.
Police said the suspect from Wednesday’s incident is believed to be a Hispanic male, 20 to 25 years old, 5-feet-8 to 5-feet-9 inches tall and approximately 160 pounds. He is described as having shaved dark brown hair, a mustache and brown eyes.
Fuller’s son, along with two females ages 9 and 15, walked away from the advances unhurt, but neighbors remain shocked and extremely cautious, she said.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” said Fuller, who has lived on the street four years and has two other children, ages 5 and 13. “We’re a little on edge because this person’s out there still.”
Fuller said her and other neighbors are looking to form a neighborhood watch program, an idea Miller Avenue residents will also pursue, according to one resident there.
“Certainly we’re looking out for each other,” said Miller Avenue resident Edward, who wouldn’t give his last name. “I don’t let my kids play out in the street. A lot of other people feel the same way.”
Edward said the suspect was “lucky” he didn’t approach any children outside his home.
“I’d blow his brains out,” he said.
When asked if the street had an organized neighborhood watch program, he said yes, but added, “Not as organized as it’s going to be.” He said there were some children living on the street but laughed there were “mostly dogs.”
GPD Sgt. Chad Gallacinao said local police would stand by residents’ efforts to form neighborhood watch groups, especially since that portion of the department’s budget has been all but cut due to financial woes.
“Absolutely it’s something we support,” Gallacinao said, adding people were still urged to contact the GPD during emergencies.
Residents on Miller Avenue described the street Monday morning as mostly quiet, adding police activity was rare.
“I think it’s safe around here,” Frank Figueroa said, shrugging off the occasional “gunshots a few blocks away.”
He added, “It’s a nice, relaxing street to walk on,” and said it was mostly adults and teenagers, not young kids, living there.
David Martinez, who lives with his parents on Miller Avenue, said he did sometimes see children playing in front yards and usually didn’t question their safety.
“This is probably one of the safer neighborhoods,” said Martinez, whose family has lived in Gilroy for about 30 years.
Resident Larry Depew, who has lived on Miller Avenue for 22 years, said the only major crime-related event he could remember was a night-time robbery at a neighbor’s house on Filice Drive across the alley way. He said hadn’t heard much about kidnapping attempts over the years.
“I think it’s pretty rare,” he said.
