Police officers responded to two incidents involving firearms
over the weekend.
Morgan Hill – Police officers responded to two incidents involving firearms over the weekend.
On Friday at approximately 10:30pm, Morgan Hill police officer Sara Viale, who was training with officer Rod Krewson, stopped a vehicle because it had only one working headlight. The driver, a 17-year-old female, did not have a valid driver’s license, so a tow truck was called for the vehicle.
The girl, a San Martin resident, was cited and released to her grandmother for alleged possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license.
Her passenger, Rusty Lopez, 24, of Los Banos, was booked into Santa Clara County Jail for alleged possession of a deadly weapon and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
As officers were conducting an inventory of the items in the vehicle prior to having it impounded, they found a sawed-off shotgun. There were no shells in the gun, according to Morgan Hill Police Cmdr. David Swing.
Officers also found a glass pipe and items that police believed could have been used in a robbery.
“There was no indication that they committed a robbery,” Swing said.
But, he added, detectives will contact the Los Banos and Gilroy police departments in case there have been robberies involving a sawed-off shotgun.
Besides the shotgun, officers found two ski masks and some rubber gloves. Swing said Lopez told the officers the shotgun and the masks and gloves were to be used to help the 17-year-old.
“Evidently, Lopez and the minor were dating at some point, and he purchased the weapon to help defend her in some sort of confrontation that she might have had in Los Banos, but never used it,” he said. “The other items were to help hide his identity if he were called upon to help defend her.”
The girl told officers that she knew he had the weapon but not why, Swing said.
The pair were arrested without incident.
Early Sunday morning, at approximately 12:45am, officers responded to Markross Court to a report of shots fired in the area.
Officers had been out there earlier for a loud party call. The party was still going on when they arrived the second time, but no one was outside. Four bullet casings believed to be from a .45 handgun were found in the street, but there was no sign that anyone had been injured or any buildings struck by the bullets, Swing said.
Officers talked to the partygoers, but no one supplied any information about the gunshots.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at
md****@*************es.com.
