Police arrested a suspect who stole a vehicle with three children inside from a Morgan Hill drug store, and later crashed the automobile on U.S. 101, according to authorities.
About 6:30pm March 8, Morgan Hill Police responded to Walgreens drug store, 745 East Dunne Ave., on a report of a possible kidnapping. Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim who said an unknown suspect stole his truck with his three children inside.
The children’s ages were 13, 9 and 8 years old, according to police.
Just before the vehicle theft, the victim left the truck parked and running near the front of the store while he went inside, according to authorities. As the owner of the truck exited the store, he saw his truck driving away on East Dunne Avenue toward northbound U.S. 101.
MHPD began an investigation and notified surrounding agencies of the kidnapping and stolen vehicle. Soon after a countywide alert went out, San Jose Police reported they had located three children unhurt near Hellyer Park, police said.
A delivery truck driver had found the missing children and called police. Investigators learned the suspect had dropped off the children at the park and fled the area in the stolen truck.
The children were later reunited with their parents at the Morgan Hill Police station.
Officers continued to search for the suspect, and developed information based on surveillance video obtained just prior to the theft, police said. During the investigation, MHPD learned that California Highway Patrol officers were responding to a vehicle collision with injuries in the area of southbound Highway 101 and Coyote Creek Drive.
A truck matching the description of the vehicle stolen in Morgan Hill had left the roadway and rolled multiple times, police said. Officers responded to the collision scene and located the stolen truck and the wanted suspect, identified as 24-year-old Caleb Holderfield.
Holderfield was arrested without further incident and transported to a nearby hospital, according to police. He will be booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of three counts of kidnapping and child endangerment, vehicle theft, driving under the influence and driving while his license was suspended.
