A wanted man slipped away from Gilroy police Jan. 26, only
blocks away from their Rosanna Street station.
Gilroy – A wanted man slipped away from Gilroy police Jan. 26, only blocks away from their Rosanna Street station.
An officer spotted Michael Anthony Perez, 18, at 2:11pm near the corner of Seventh and Church streets. Perez was recently identified as one of three suspects in an attempted homicide and robbery that occurred Jan. 17 in an alley north of Gurries Drive. Friends said the three men barged into a garage where Shawn Walker, 21, was hanging out with two teen friends, robbed them and shot Walker. His condition remains critical, police said, volleying “up and down” between police visits.
Perez ran to his father’s house on Church Street, but had vanished by the time officers arrived. Detective Stan Devlin said police have a felony affidavit for probable cause, the precursor to an arrest warrant, on file for Perez, a familiar face to Gilroy police. Police have yet to name the other two suspects, described as 19-to 20-year-old Hispanic men, wearing dark clothing and jackets. One suspect is “at least 6 feet tall” and “on the heavier side,” according to Sgt. Kurt Svardal.
The case was recently referred to the District Attorney’s Gang Unit in San Jose. If convicted of both attempted murder and robbery, the suspects could face anywhere from 12 years to life in prison, according to the state Penal Code.
Emily Alpert covers public safety issues for The Dispatch. She can be reached at 847-7158 or at [email protected].
