Police wait for link to arson fire
Gilroy
Police have weeks of waiting to determine if evidence collected from a stolen Gilroy car links an alleged car thief to a recent arson.
Joseph Jacob Uvalles, 21, of San Jose, was driving a silver Ford F150 pickup truck in Amador County when sheriff’s deputies arrested him Oct. 17 for a number of crimes. Deputies found burglary tools and evidence that could connect Uvalles to an Enterprise car rental burglary earlier that morning in Martell – about 40 miles northeast of Stockton. Gilroy police also collected evidence of a possible connection to an Oct. 16 burglary and arson of Budget Rent A Car from the car and submitted it to the Santa Clara County crime lab, which takes an average of 39 days to return results.
