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It was cold, windy, getting dark, dust was everywhere and did I mention cold?

Sobrato had just battled to keep the ball alive in a long volley only to see Harker’s Jarrett Anderson score a kill to go up 19-17 in a bid to take Game 3 and force a fourth.

Alice (Kiyoko Okamura) Matsumura passed away peacefully in her home on April 18.

BrandishingA man in a lifted white or silver pickup pointed a handgun at another motorist on Cochrane Road at the U.S. 101 on ramp during a road rage incident. The driver of the pickup first threw a milkshake at the other motorist before pointing the weapon. The incident was reported 9:34 p.m. May 3.FraudA suspect tried to pass a fraudulent prescription for Oxycontin pain killer at CVS, 16995 Walnut Grove Drive. The crime was reported 9:16 a.m. May 4.Stolen vehicleA 2015 Toyota Tundra was stolen from a location on Monterey Road. The crime was reported 7:04 a.m. May 3.A thief or thieves stole a Jeep Patriot from the area of West First Street and Monterey Road. The crime was reported 12:59 a.m. April 29.Someone stole a green 1999 Honda Civic from Jade Lane. The crime was reported 3:02 p.m. April 29.A black Honda Civic was stolen from a parking space on West Dunne Avenue. The crime was reported 8:37 a.m. April 30.Petty theftA white male with a “husky” build, partly shaved head and a hair bun stole two 18-packs of beer from the AM PM Mini Mart, 18605 Monterey Road. The crime was reported 3:45 a.m. April 30.A man with a blue macaw bird on his shoulder entered Big 5 Sporting Goods, 150 Cochrane Plaza, with no shoes on, and left wearing a pair of stolen work boots. Store employees reviewed security video footage, which showed the man putting on a pair of boots from a box that was later found empty inside the store. When contacted by police, the man said he intended to go back and pay for the boots, and he had an arrangement with the store manager. The incident was reported 11:50 a.m. May 2.Animal controlAt least two dogs, possibly pit bulls, broke into a neighbor’s yard on Rose Lane and attacked a smaller dog. The victim dog was “in bad shape” after the attack and was later euthanized, according to police reports. The dog attack was reported 8:44 p.m. April 30.AccidentA pickup truck crashed into a parked car in the area of Juan Hernandez and San Vicente Drive. No significant injuries were reported. The accident was reported 9:01 p.m. April 30.Hit and runA white Volkswagen Jetta ran up onto the lawn of a property on Concord Circle. The driver left the scene, but left the car there. The accident was reported 6:45 a.m. May 1. BatteryA woman told police a man in the downtown parking garage, 50 E. Third Street, tried to assault her while she was entering her parked vehicle. The woman was walking alone when the man, described as “clean cut” and Hispanic, walked up to her and said he would walk with her to her vehicle. The woman tried to “joke it off,” but the man grabbed her chest and tried to kiss her as she approached her vehicle. She was able to honk the horn of her car and scare the man away. Police did not locate the suspect. The incident was reported 11:18 a.m. May 2.Auto burglaryA thief or thieves broke into a Ford Edge parked at Bank of the West, 206 Tennant Station, and stole a purse. The suspect or suspects also slashed a tire on the vehicle. A witness saw the theft and provided a description to authorities. The crime was reported 9:22 a.m. April 26.TheftTwo men stole a power saw out of a Ford F150 pickup parked at The Home Depot, 860 E. Dunne Ave. The crime was reported 8:36 a.m. May 4.The father of a man who died in November 2016 reported that $27,000 worth of gold was stolen from his son’s safe. The theft was reported 3:58 p.m. April 26 from a home on Ril Marianna Court.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

Sierra LaMar’s family along with dozens of volunteers who have been searching for her the last five years let out a collective gasp of relief May 9 when they heard the jury found Antolin Garcia Torres guilty of the Morgan Hill teen’s murder.

Without a body or murder weapon, the prosecutor in the Sierra LaMar murder trial used his closing rebuttal to urge the jury to “reject the unreasonable, accept the reasonable” explanations for her disappearance, fingerprints, DNA traces and other evidence that connects Antolin Garcia Torres to the crimes he is accused of.“Sometimes, to support a weak argument, (people) use gimmickry to distract you from the facts,” Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney David Boyd said.He was likely referring to statements made the previous day by defense attorney Al Lopez in the Hall of Justice courtroom. According to various news reports, Lopez displayed a “bucket of shame” to the jury during his closing argument to illustrate the reasons Garcia Torres is not guilty.Garcia Torres, 25 of Morgan Hill, is on trial for the murder of Sierra LaMar, who disappeared from her home off Dougherty Avenue March 16, 2012 at the age of 15. Garcia Torres is also accused of three attempted kidnapping incidents in the parking lots of two Safeway stores in Morgan Hill in 2009.He has been on trial for these crimes—totaling four felony counts—for the last 13 weeks. The murder charge is a capital offense, as he faces a possible penalty of death if found guilty.The prosecutor and defense attorneys wrapped up their closing arguments May 4. Superior Court Judge Vanessa Zecher sent the jury of six men and six women into the deliberation room shortly after these arguments were over.Sierra’s father, Steve LaMar, gave a brief statement to reporters outside the courthouse.“It’s been a long trial, but it’s just a blink of an eye compared to how much time we haven’t had Sierra with us,” Steve LaMar said May 4. “Now the justice for Sierra is in the hands of the jury.”He extended his thanks to Boyd and the D.A.’s office, as well as sheriff’s deputies and numerous volunteers who helped search for Sierra’s remains, which have not been found.“Now we wait and we pray, and we hope for justice for Sierra,” he added.Boyd told the jury May 4 that, according to the law, they have to “consider the totality of the facts” when deciding on a verdict. He argued that Lopez was asking them to consider each fact in isolation, which could persuade the jurors to accept the “innocent” explanations for certain evidence.For example, defense attorneys argued the reason Garcia Torres’ thumbprint was on a 9-volt battery found in a stun gun used in one of the Safeway attacks was because, as an employee at the store, he had repackaged the item and placed it back on the shelf for sale when its packaging was damaged.Boyd noted, however, that Garcia Torres’ Safeway colleagues testified during the trial that they had never seen the defendant perform such a task while employed at the store.“Is that innocent explanation reasonable?” Boyd asked rhetorically.Lopez also argued that Sierra ran away from home, and she might not even be dead. He cited previous arguments with her mother, her recent move to Morgan Hill—away from her longtime friends in Fremont—and even a handwritten note found in her school notebook that allegedly indicates she wanted to run away.Boyd, however, said these circumstances do not consider “the whole of the facts,” which also include Sierra’s vast social media footprint, her dependence on her parents for basic needs and her love for her father and her cat, Chester.He added that the three kidnapping attempts in 2009, in which he attacked three women as they were walking out to their cars after shopping at Safeway, were Garcia Torres’ practice for the murder of Sierra. He continued to attack women until he was able to kill one, Boyd argued.“This was planned. This was premeditated. This was cold and calculated,” Boyd said. “It takes time to find a girl that fits the bill.”He also responded to Lopez’ claims that there should have been more of Sierra’s DNA in Garcia Torres’ Volkswagen Jetta if he had kidnapped and struggled with her. Boyd argued that the vehicle was not thoroughly searched until Garcia Torres was arrested about three weeks after Sierra’s disappearance. An expert testified during the trial that DNA deteriorates when exposed to sunlight, humidity or moisture, and that could be why there wasn’t more of Sierra’s genetic material in the car.Sierra disappeared as she was walking to her school bus stop at the intersection of Palm and Dougherty avenues in north Morgan Hill. She was a sophomore at Sobrato High School.Boyd concluded his rebuttal, “He silenced her so she could not say what happened to her. He silenced her body so it could not say what happened. Please find the defendant guilty.”Zecher advised the jury they can set their own deliberation schedule, which could include Fridays even though court is typically not in session that day.Search volunteers respondAfter Sierra disappeared, hundreds of people throughout the Bay Area responded to a call for volunteers to help search for her remains in and around Morgan Hill. As the years passed, those numbers dwindled to a handful of regular volunteers, but they remained committed to supporting Sierra’s family.“I’m glad it’s finally come to this point,” said David Arocha of Sunnyvale, who has attended the trial almost every day since it started Jan. 31. “Mr. Boyd is doing a wonderful job with this. I’m glad he’s the prosecutor.”Roger Nelson, a coordinator of the search volunteers, said outside the courtroom that Boyd delivered a “strong performance” during closing arguments and the rebuttal.“He gave just enough detail where he was able to accomplish his goals and not lose the jury,” Nelson said.

The City of Morgan Hill, with support from the Library, Culture and Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission, is sponsoring a call for artists to submit proposals for the design, fabrication and installation of public art at three planned new downtown parks.This effort seeks to add new elements of distinctive public art to the new Downtown Park Space and provide an opportunity for the community to think creatively and imaginatively about public park spaces, according to an email from city staff.Construction began last week on three new downtown parks: Depot Park on Depot Street; Creek Park on West Second Street and Hilltop Park/Trail at the top of the hill where West Third Street and Del Monte Avenue intersect.Submissions are due June 30. For details about the process, qualifications, criteria and submission, visit morganhill.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21178.For questions about this project, contact Chris Ghione at (408) 782-9154 or [email protected].

The fate of the man accused of kidnapping and murdering Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar could be in the hands of the jury by the end of this week.Attorneys for the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and defendant Antolin Garcia Torres delivered closing arguments at the Hall of Justice in San Jose starting May 2, after three months of testimony in the capital murder case.Sierra disappeared from her home off Dougherty Avenue in north Morgan Hill March 16, 2012. Garcia Torres, 26 of Morgan Hill, was arrested in relation to her disappearance a few weeks later, even though authorities have not found Sierra’s remains or a murder weapon.Deputy D.A. David Boyd spent all day May 2 reviewing the weeks of testimony and boxes of photos and videos presented in the trial since Jan. 31. He submitted to the jury of six men and six women that Garcia Torres abducted Sierra, killed her and disposed of her remains in a remote area somewhere in wilderness of South County—an area the defendant knows well.But he made some mistakes along the way that point to his guilt, Boyd argued.“Dead people don’t speak—that’s what the defendant wanted,” Boyd told the jury. “The only trace of her body was found in this man’s car. He had a plan with Sierra’s body.”He referred to traces of Sierra’s DNA found in Garcia Torres’ car—a lynchpin in the prosecutor’s case against him. This includes a hair that belonged to Sierra, stuck to a rope found in the trunk of Garcia Torres’ Volkswagen Jetta, as well as the teen’s DNA found on a pair of the defendant’s gloves and on an armrest inside the vehicle, Boyd said.At one point in his closing argument, with dramatic flair Boyd held up each item of clothing Sierra was wearing the day she disappeared, still wrapped in investigators’ evidence bags. He displayed each article to the jury—San Jose Sharks sweatshirt, jeans, under garments—and said, “He took this off her, and discarded it.” He then tossed each item on the floor in front of the jury box.“I was shocked at how small Sierra LaMar was when I saw these jeans,” Boyd commented while holding up the garment. The teen was just over five feet tall and about 105 pounds.Her clothing was found by sheriff’s deputies, discarded off the side of the road not far from her home just days after she disappeared. The items were inside Sierra’s handbag when they were found.Boyd panned defense attorneys’ “absurd runaway theory” alluded to during the trial’s testimony, noting that Sierra was a typical teenage girl who broadcast her entire life on social media and was wholly dependent on her parents for food, clothing, transportation and spending money. She “adored” her father, Steve LaMar, and loved her friends in Morgan Hill and Fremont, from where she and her mother moved just months before she disappeared.He showed the jury a video of Sierra being a “goofy” teenager, dancing and making faces in the camera of her Macbook laptop computer. “You would have to accept that Sierra LaMar was mature and sophisticated beyond her years” to believe she ran away, Boyd added.He referred back to “the note,” a handwritten message scribbled in one of her school notebooks stating she was thinking about running away. Boyd reminded the jury that a handwriting expert testified that the note was not written by Sierra. The note was presented to the Sobrato High School principal by an “unknown” classmate of Sierra’s, several days after she disappeared.“It was a stupid prank by one of her classmates,” Boyd said.Sierra was a sophomore at Sobrato when she disappeared. Boyd and investigators think she disappeared while walking to her school bus stop at the intersection of Palm and Dougherty avenues.Boyd reminded the jury that Garcia Torres’ whereabouts are unaccounted for during a six-hour period the morning Sierra disappeared—from about 7 a.m. to 12:47 p.m. “That gives the defendant a lot of time, for which he has no alibi,” the prosecutor said.Boyd mocked the defense attorneys’ theory that DNA evidence found by investigators was misplaced due to indirect cross-contamination. He labeled this “the six degrees of separation of Kevin Bacon defense,” because it claims that the DNA was transferred through a chain of incidental contact among several people.“They’re desperate to explain away this DNA result,” which shows strong statistical probabilities that Sierra’s DNA was found in Garcia Torres’ vehicle, and his genetic material was found on her clothing, Boyd explained. This DNA was analyzed by the D.A.’s crime lab.Boyd urged the jury to find Garcia Torres guilty of felony murder.Safeway incidentsGarcia Torres is also accused of three attempted carjackings in the parking lots of two Safeway stores in Morgan Hill in 2009. Boyd reviewed the testimonies of the three female victims during closing arguments May 2.He reminded the jury that Garcia Torres’ fingerprints were found on a stun gun and the battery inside. The weapon was found at the scene of one of the carjacking attempts, and Boyd said the defendant used the stun gun to subdue his victims.He called these fingerprints a “conspiracy of improbabilities” as he limned the defense attorney’s attempt during testimony to offer an innocent explanation for the evidence.Boyd wrapped up his closing argument the morning of May 3.Al Lopez, attorney for Garcia Torres, began his closing immediately afterward.According to online reports from news outlets inside the courtroom, Lopez began his closing argument listing the top 10 reasons why Garcia Torres is not guilty. He also held tight to the theory that Sierra ran away from home voluntarily.If convicted, Garcia Torres could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.After the attorneys finish their closing arguments, the jury will deliberate on a verdict, which they must reach unanimously.

Auto burglaryA thief or thieves smashed a window of a Ford Explorer on Oak Park Drive and stole a purse that contained house keys. The crime was reported 6:02 p.m. April 20.Someone stole a generator from a locked RV that was parked on the 17600 block of Butterfield Boulevard. The crime was reported 9:05 a.m. April 25. Recovered stolen vehicleA stolen gray Honda Civic was abandoned on La Alameda Drive. The vehicle was reported 1:49 p.m. April 21. DisturbanceTwo motorists who got into an argument over a parking spot in front of Chipotle restaurant, 775 Cochrane Road, had a confrontation inside the store. As a female was attempting to turn into an empty parking spot, a male motorist approaching the same spot honked at her. The woman flipped him off. The man then followed the woman inside Chipotle and began “harassing her,” according to a police report. The woman called police to report the disturbance at 6:29 p.m. April 18.Animal controlA resident of Shadowbrook Way reported his neighbor’s goats entered his yard through a hole in the fence, and destroyed his yard. The incident was reported 3:34 p.m. April 14.Hazmat spillThe intersection of Butterfield Boulevard and East Dunne Avenue was closed for several hours after a truck accidentally dropped a load of chlorine in the roadway. Emergency crews cleaned up the spill. The incident was reported 5:04 a.m. April 13.Defraud innkeeperSomeone skipped out on an $85 fare for a taxi when the driver dropped the two passengers off at Morgan Hill Inn, 16250 Monterey Road. The crime was reported 12:43 a.m. April 13. Petty theftSomeone stole about $500 worth of baby formula and other items from Safeway, 840 East Dunne Ave. The crime was reported 4:45 p.m. April 15.RobberyThree suspects entered a property in the area of Monterey Road and Fourth Street, assaulted a man inside and stole his phone and wallet. The men left in a black four-door vehicle. The crime was reported 6:09 p.m. April 15.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.