Police are continuing to search for a Morgan Hill man officers
say kidnapped, strangled and hit his 19-year-old girlfriend with a
hammer late Tuesday night at his home just outside the city limits.
Joseph Varelas, 32, of Morgan Hill, reportedly forced his
girlfriend into a car at Main Avenue and Calle Mazatan. Police said
he physically assaulted her while they were driven by a relative to
the suspect
’s home at 250-B W. Edmundson Ave.
Police are continuing to search for a Morgan Hill man officers say kidnapped, strangled and hit his 19-year-old girlfriend with a hammer late Tuesday night at his home just outside the city limits.
Joseph Varelas, 32, of Morgan Hill, reportedly forced his girlfriend into a car at Main Avenue and Calle Mazatan. Police said he physically assaulted her while they were driven by a relative to the suspect’s home at 250-B W. Edmundson Ave.
While at the residence, Varelas continued to abuse her by punching her in the face and kicking her, police said. He reportedly strangled her and hit her with a hammer while threatening to kill her.
Authorities were alerted to the incident at about 11:30 p.m. when a resident near the Edmundson Avenue home called 9-1-1 to report a screaming woman.
Varelas had left the area when Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Morgan Hill police arrived. A team of five officers, six deputies and the Sheriff’s Office helicopter were unable to locate him.
The woman, whose name is being withheld to protect her identity, declined medical treatment for the injuries.
Varelas may have fled in a light-blue Toyota sedan. He is described as Hispanic, about 6 feet tall, weighing 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. His head may be shaved, and officers said Varelas had numerous tattoos.
Varelas is currently on parole for domestic violence from a previous relationship, police said.
The police department is pursuing multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, domestic violence and violation of a restraining order against Varelas.
Morgan Hill Police Lt. Joe Sampson said the woman and the suspect had an off-and-on relationship for the past year.
On Oct. 16, police were called to the woman’s residence because they were having a dispute that, according to Sampson, was “not a felony domestic, a lot of shoving and pushing and some scratching, a mutual kind of thing.”
Sampson said the misdemeanor domestic assault charges were returned by the District Attorney’s office because the woman recanted what had happened and Varelas also had visible scratches.
Police said the extent of the driver’s involvement in Tuesday’s incident has yet to be determined.
Sampson said officers brought in a suspect Wednesday night for questioning and ruled him out as the driver. Police are still investigating, Sampson said, but “it is a large family, and there were quite a few people present” at the time of the incident.
Sampson said police are looking at the driver as a possible accomplice.
Because Varelas had worked in the past in Gilroy, and has been known to frequent San Jose police in both cities have been notified.
Sampson said Varelas is to be considered armed and dangerous, and if he is located, he should not be approached and the police should be called.
Anyone with information regarding Varelas’ whereabouts is asked to call the Morgan Hill Police Department at 779-2101 or Crime Stoppers at 778-STOP (7867) for those who wish to remain anonymous.
