Man captured Tuesday night after brief pursuit
A Morgan Hill man apparently despondent over dealing with the aftereffects of chemotherapy for the treatment of lupus was taken into custody shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday following a brief pursuit by the California Highway Patrol.
About two hours earlier, a SWAT team entered the man’s townhome in the Creekside Village development after he allegedly fired one round from a shotgun, damaging an upper stairwell wall.
Police searched the two-story residence and located three weapons: a .30-06 scoped hunting rifle, a 10/22 semi-automatic rifle and one 12-gauge shotgun.
The SWAT team, dressed in camouflage uniforms, had assembled a short distance away in the parking lot at Frank’s Plumbing on Dunne Avenue at the northwest corner of the intersection with Butterfield Boulevard at about 5 p.m. The presence of the special team and numerous police cars attracted the attention of many motorists at the heavily traveled intersection during the evening commute hours.
Michael Morales, 34, of 17185 Creekside Circle, was arrested without incident in the area of Condit Road and Murphy Avenue near East Dunne Avenue after a short chase on foot by CHP and police. CHP had attempted to stop Morales driving on U.S. 101 near Tennant Avenue.
CHP told Morgan Hill police that Morales was pulled over as a suspected drunken driver.
Morales faces charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and possession of illegal weapons – two canes that concealed knives, said Police Sgt. Dave Swing.
Police Lt. Joe Sampson said Morales had not been taking medications prescribed after the latest round of chemotherapy.
Officers also discovered that Morales had been involved in a child custody dispute with his ex-spouse in Gilroy last week.
Morales’ mother, Hortensia, was at home when the shotgun round was fired shortly before 5 p.m.
“He told his mother he was ready to go,” Sampson said.
Morales advised her to leave the home because he wanted to end his life and would not be taken into custody by police, Sampson said.
Between the time the shotgun was fired and Mrs. Morales notified police after leaving the home, the son apparently drove off in his 2001 GMC pickup.
Morales called his ex-wife, Patty Salcedo, in Hollister twice during the incident prompting Hollister Police to respond to her residence for her protection and that of the couples’ 3-year-old child.
Salcedo was not at home when Hollister officers attempted to contact her. They left several messages on her phone. She later called Hollister police to say she had been notified of the incident and was at a safe place away from her residence.
Hollister police, concerned that Morales would head for their town, stationed officers on San Felipe Road and San Juan Road, the main entrance into the city from Bolsa Road (Highway 25).
MHPD had alerted all county law enforcement agencies via teletype to be on the lookout for Morales’ vehicle and to consider him armed and dangerous if contacted.
The mother and son talked to each other on cell phones while police assembled in the plumbing shop’s parking lot. Several attempts by police negotiators to talk Morales into surrendering were unsuccessful.
The Morales’ next-door neighbors said it was evident the suspect had been despondent in recent days.
Morales was referred to the county jail psychiatric ward for counseling. He was still in jail on a $50,000 bond Thursday and scheduled for arraignment today.
