Police arrested a San Juan Bautista man Friday for attempted
murder in connection with an October gang shooting that sent a
19-year-old Hollister man to the hospital with a shotgun wound to
his abdomen.
Hollister – Police arrested a San Juan Bautista man Friday for attempted murder in connection with an October gang shooting that sent a 19-year-old Hollister man to the hospital with a shotgun wound to his abdomen.
Hollister police, with assistance from San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies, arrested 29-year-old Ramiro Villagomez for attempted murder and shooting from a moving vehicle, both felonies, at 6:45am Friday, according to a police-issued statement. Police stated Villagomez was taken into custody after witnesses to the crime identified him.
Officers searched Villagomez’s residence after he was arrested and discovered items that indicated gang-involvement, but did not find any weapons, according to police. Police believe Villagomez, who they say is a known Sureno gang member, participated in the shooting of a Norteno gang-member but are still searching for other suspects thought to be involved in the incident.
Police offered little information Friday, however stated the investigation into the October shooting – along with related shootings that occurred five blocks away and six days earlier – is ongoing.
Villagomez’s arrest stems from an incident on Oct. 27 when police responded to Hazel Hawkins Hospital, where a 19-year-old Hollister man was seeking medical attention for a shotgun wound to his abdomen. The man told police he was shot while walking in the 1600 block of Central Avenue earlier that night. Witnesses to the incident later told police they saw a white car, possibly a Honda, pull up to the victim and ask, “What do you claim?” The inquiry refers to a common territorial question frequently asked by gang members to determine if someone is a rival gang-member, according to police. Witnesses told police that the victim was shot and the car sped away.
Two other 19-year-old men were shot six days earlier in front of a resident in the 1100 block of Central Avenue. In that incident, the two males were sent to a San Jose-area hospital also with shotgun wounds to their torsos after unknown gunmen shot each man one time in the chest. At the time, police did not know whether the two incidences were related, but Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller said gang officers would be increasing the amount of time they spent on patrol throughout the city in an attempt to abate any further gang violence.
While Villagomez faces up to nine years in prison if convicted of the attempted murder charge, he will not be able to plea to a lesser charge under San Benito County District Attorney John Sarsfield’s new zero-tolerance policy – which prohibits those accused of gun or gang-related crimes from striking plea bargains. The policy is aimed at curbing those types of offenses, Sarsfield has said.
The trio of gang-related shootings, along with a gang-related drive-by shooting last month that put 15 bullet holes in a Sherwood Drive home and injured one resident, has law enforcement officials concerned about a region-wide spike in gang violence. County officials recently announced they’re working on plans to curb the problem and are looking at creating a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement team to solely combat gangs and possibly declaring a state of emergency in the county.
Villagomez is being held at the San Benito County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
