An attempted residential burglary in Gilroy Thursday ignited a citywide search for three suspects who split up and fled on foot and in a stolen car—all who were were ultimately arrested, police said.
Detectives are working to connect the dots to see if the three males arrested by Thursday evening may have committed other residential burglaries in the city, Gilroy Police Department Acting Capt. Joseph Deras said. The names and ages of the suspects were not immediately available.
The pursuit began in the area of Mantelli Drive and Welburn Avenue, after residents flagged down an officer on patrol describing suspicious people in the area. While talking to neighbors, the officer saw multiple males “jumping fences and taking off running,” Deras said, leading the officer to pursue on foot.
GPD received a call shortly after the chase began from a concerned neighbor who heard the smash of a nearby home’s back window. Heading in the direction of the call, the pursuing officer watched as one of the suspects took off in a getaway car and two others split up on foot.
One of the suspects who ran away from police was discovered hiding in a closet of a home near Luigi Aprea Elementary School, Deras said, and he was taken into custody after a tip from neighbors. Another was found in another resident’s backyard and also arrested.
The suspect who tried to evade authorities in the vehicle—which turned out to be stolen—bailed out and ran up into the foothills.
Police had nearly given up the search when an off-duty police officer called dispatchers, concerned about a man who tried to flag him and other motorists down for a ride in the area on Santa Teresa Boulevard and Day Road.
Detectives in plain clothes arrived on scene and chased the man back into the foothills, where he allegedly armed himself with a piece of lumber, but ultimately gave up from exhaustion when he “finally couldn’t run anymore,” Deras said.
“I’d say it was 80 percent good police work and 20 percent fate or good luck that one of the suspects tried to flag down the off-duty officer,” he added. “We had officers on patrol doing what they’re supposed to be doing in the neighborhoods—and that, preventative police work—is exactly what we want to do.”
Throughout the hunt for the suspects, which involved assistance from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and Morgan Hill Police Department, police said multiple residents called authorities with “helpful” updates on the suspects’ various locations.
This story will be updated when more details become available.
