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Update: At about 2:50 p.m. July 6, MHPD posted on Facebook that Palafox has been arrested. More details on his arrest and allegations will follow as they are available. Police are looking for a man they say tried to kill his girlfriend at a home in east Morgan Hill, according to a post on the MHPD Facebook page.On July 1 just after midnight, Morgan Hill Police responded to the area of Pine Way on a report of domestic battery, according to police. The victim told officers that her boyfriend, Gage Palafox, assaulted her and tried to drown her in the swimming pool. The woman was able to escape and call 911.Officers have been unable to locate Palafox since the initial report, the Facebook post reads. He was last seen driving a 2004 Suzuki Verona, with a license plate of 5RLE959, according to police.Palafox also has an active felony warrant for his arrest in relation to another case, according to police.Anyone with information about this case can call MHPD at (408) 779-2101.

Stolen vehicleSomeone stole a dark green Honda Civic from a spot on the zero block of West Edmundson Avenue. The vehicle was later recovered in east Morgan Hill. The crime was initially reported 8:15 p.m. June 26.A thief or thieves stole a black 2016 Volkswagen Passat from Oak Park Drive. The theft was reported 11:42 p.m. June 23.A 2015 Honda Civic was stolen from a hotel parking lot on Condit Road. The crime was reported 1:52 p.m. June 24.Someone stole a 1996 Honda from a parking spot on San Ramon Court. The theft was reported 6:42 a.m. June 19.Auto burglaryA thief or thieves broke a window on a black Kia Sol parked on the 18400 block of Butterfield Boulevard, and stole a portable speaker. The crime was reported 6:40 a.m. June 27.Someone broke into a Ford Focus on Condit Road and stole a Nintendo DS, Windows tablet, iPod Touch and other items. The burglary was reported 11:19 a.m. June 25.A thief or thieves smashed the window of a Honda Accord on San Pedro Avenue, and stole a coffee cup. The break-in was reported 8:32 a.m. June 26.TheftTwo suspects stole a tent and three sleeping bags from Big 5 Sporting Goods, 150 Cochrane Plaza. The suspects are described as white male adults in their 20s. The crime was reported 10:54 a.m. June 27.Petty theftThree female adults stole clothing and cosmetics from Target, 1061 Cochrane Road. The crime was reported 9:41 p.m. June 27.Someone stole a rear license plate from a vehicle parked on Del Monte Avenue. The theft was reported 5:48 p.m. June 24.FraudA local woman purchased tickets to a concert in San Francisco by responding to an ad on Craigslist. She met the seller to pick up the tickets and later realized they were fake. The crime was reported 5:47 p.m. June 29.Municipal code violationMultiple reports of illegal fireworks have been reported in Morgan Hill neighborhoods since late June. A resident reported illegal fireworks on West Dunne Avenue. The violation was reported 9:13 p.m. June 29. On Glenn Canyon Court, loud noises and flashes of light associated with fireworks were reported about 9:20 p.m. June 29. On Espana Way, a resident reported hearing fireworks about 9:40 p.m. June 24.Wallet missing, recoveredA woman reported her wallet missing or stolen after she lost it at Safeway Fuel Center about 12 p.m. June 30. An MHPD officer later called the woman to tell her someone had found her wallet and turned it in at the police department on Vineyard Boulevard. The woman picked up her wallet without further incident.DisturbanceSeveral juveniles jumped the fence to a community pool near Yosemite and Venetian Ways, and assaulted a female resident. The juveniles did not reside in the area. Witnesses also reported the youths tried to break windows and fight with residents. MHPD officers arrived and cited the teens. The incident was reported 8:15 p.m. June 23.BurglaryA resident of Via Castana watched on a remote screen while the home was burglarized. The resident reported the crime to police 9:20 p.m. June 23.A burglar or burglars broke into a home on Calle Mazatan and ransacked the residence. The suspect or suspects entered the home by breaking a rear glass sliding door. The burglary was reported 11:31 a.m. June 24.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

Morgan Hill Police Department “pulled out all the stops” in enforcing illegal fireworks violations on Independence Day, deploying undercover vehicles and dozens of officers to cite more than 20 people for possession or discharge of fireworks, according to a July 5 press release.  The need for such a special enforcement effort was identified earlier this year, when MHPD reached out to the community and asked what issues were important when reflecting on the quality of life here in Morgan Hill, the press release continues. One of the top areas of concern cited by residents in this survey was “illegal fireworks,” and how it affects the community’s safety each year during the Fourth of July holiday celebrations.The Morgan Hill City Council subsequently amended its fireworks ordinance so that fireworks related fines were tripled during the week Independence Day. Prior to enforcement, the department sent out information through multiple formats including print, email, social media, television and word of mouth, reminding people about illegal fireworks and the police department’s plan for enforcing a zero-tolerance policy, according to police.On July 4, MHPD in conjunction with Cal Fire had specific teams patrolling the city, focused on people and places where illegal fireworks were discharged from, the press release states. The teams spent the night conducting proactive enforcement and responding to calls for service regarding the discharge of fireworks.At the end of the night, officers issued 20 citations and collected a large amount of unspent illegal fireworks, police said. MHPD Sgt. Carson Thomas added that dispatchers received more than 40 calls from residents reporting illegal fireworks throughout Morgan Hill.This was an especially busy day for the department as it staffed multiple events during the 36-hour period and two significant events simultaneously: the fireworks show at the Outdoor Sports Center on Condit Road and the fireworks enforcement detail throughout the evening.“I am especially proud of the dedication of our entire team—civilian and sworn, paid and volunteer—for their sacrifice away from their families and friends so that others can enjoy a fun and safe Independence Day celebration. Their efforts are truly commendable,” said Morgan Hill Police Chief David Swing.Thomas, who coordinated the special enforcement effort for MHPD, thanked residents who reported illegal fireworks in their neighborhoods, and encouraged others to continue to make such reports.“Please know that your MHPD works proactively to ensure safety through the abatement of crime and addressing quality of life concerns,” Thomas said. “The enforcement of fireworks violations enhances the quality of life for our residents and their pets, ensuring safety for all.”To report illegal fireworks or other possible municipal code violations, call MHPD at (408) 779-2101.

City officials posted a new website containing interactive maps, meeting and workshop schedules and information devoted to the upcoming switch to a by-district election system for electing city council members.The website, found at drawmh.org, allows residents and voters to participate in the effort to create four council districts within the city limits. The section titled “Draw a Map” allows voters to propose their own preferred district boundaries that reflect the area or areas they think should be represented by a single elected official.An “Interactive Map Viewer” features layers of data such as the boundaries of individual U.S. Census population units within the city limits, and the number of residents within each unit. Draft maps, to be created in the coming weeks with input gathered from the public and a professional demographer, will be posted to the website.The site, which can be viewed in English and Spanish, also gives voters instructions on how to draw a proposed district map—on paper or electronically—and submit it to city officials.“The primary goal when drawing council election districts is to draw lines that keep neighborhoods together. So the council wants to know: what do you consider the boundaries of your neighborhood?” reads the “Welcome” section of the website.The next chance for voters to interact in person with city officials regarding the effort to draw new council districts will be at a July 10 community workshop, from 7 to 9 p.m. at City Council meeting chambers, 17555 Peak Ave.Under the by-district election system, each district will be represented by a single council member who resides within that district. Voters within each district will elect only one council member to represent them.This is a stark change from the at-large system that has elected council members for the last 100-plus years. Under that system, all voters throughout Morgan Hill could vote on every council seat that was up for election, regardless of where in the city each candidate lived.The council voted June 7 to make the change to a by-district system, in response to a “demand letter” from an Oakland law firm denouncing the at-large system as being in violation of the California Voting Rights Act. By adopting the change, the council is taking advantage of legal protections that limit the damages and costs that can be claimed in a potential civil rights lawsuit.The by-district system will start November 2018, when two seats—currently occupied by Councilman Rich Constantine and Councilwoman Caitlin Jachimowicz—will be up for grabs. The other two seats—now held by Mayor Pro Tem Larry Carr and Councilman Rene Spring—will be subject to the by-district change when they next appear on the ballot in November 2020.The mayor of Morgan Hill will continue to be elected at large under the change, according to city staff and drawmh.org. The mayor serves a two-year term.The May 2 demand letter from Oakland law firm Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho, alleges that the current at-large system results in “vote dilution” and prevents under-represented groups such as Latino voters from “influencing the results of elections.”The city council has held two public hearings—on June 21 and June 28—on the election system change since it was adopted.At the June 28 meeting, Douglas Johnson, President of the National Demographics Corporation, gave a presentation about NDC’s proposal to offer mapping and demographic services to the city during the transition to a by-district system.Public meetings and workshops on the subject will continue until Aug. 23, when the council is expected to adopt official district maps created with input from the voters and NDC.NDC has recently offered similar services to the Morgan Hill Unified School District, when its seven-member board of trustees voted to change to a by-district election system in 2015, also under threat of a lawsuit. It has also offered redistricting services for the Santa Clara Valley Water District.The company’s contract with the City of Morgan Hill cost $43,000.