Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Hollister resident for carjacking
a truck-load of people in San Juan Bautista Sunday night, however
no one was injured during the incident, according to deputies.
San Juan Bautista – Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Hollister resident for carjacking a truck-load of people in San Juan Bautista Sunday night, however no one was injured during the incident, according to deputies.
Jaime Ruiz Rosales, 20, was arrested for carjacking, causing harm to a child and battery, among other charges, after he fled from a deputy attempting to pull him over for running a stop sign and carjacked a group of people as an attempt to escape arrest, said Lt. Pat Turturici.
Deputy Jack Smiley witnessed a white Ford Tempo run a stop sign at Muckelemi and Monterey streets and attempted to pull it over around midnight, Turturici said. The vehicle turned into a parking lot, came to an abrupt stop and Rosales jumped out of the car and ran toward Third Street, he said.
A passenger was also in the car and was immediately detained, Turturici said.
Rosales was spotted in the backyard of a residence in the 700 block of Third Street, and as Smiley patrolled the area he saw Rosales run past his car on San Jose Street, toward Muckelemi Street, Turturici said.
Smiley got out of his car and started chasing Rosales on foot, he said.
He was about 25 feet behind Rosales when he saw him run up to a white Chevy pick-up truck in the 100 block of Muckelemi Street, open the passenger door and grab a 17-year-old girl by both arms and yank her out of the truck, he said.
“He said, ‘Go, go, the cops are after me’ to the driver,” Turturici said. “(The driver) was in fear for his and his passengers’ safety so he drove away.”
No weapon was used in the carjacking, but deputies later discovered a razor blade in Rosales’ pants pocket, Turturici said.
The driver was a 28-year-old male San Juan Bautista resident, and the two girls in the truck with him were 16- and 17-year-old females from San Juan, Turturici said.
Deputies Tom Keylon and Jason Lei spotted the pick-up leaving the area at a high rate of speed and followed the truck, he said. The pick-up turned onto Monterey Street from Muckelemi Street, pulled over, and Rosales again jumped out and tried to escape, he said.
But the deputies were able to apprehend Rosales after pulling their guns and instructing him to stop and lie down on the ground, Turturici said.
By the time Rosales was taken into custody, five sheriff’s deputies were at the scene and several officers from the California Highway Patrol, Turturici said.
The entire chase lasted about eight minutes from start to finish and Rosales was identified by the victims as the person who jumped into the truck, Turturici said. No one was injured during the chase, he said.
After he was apprehended, deputies located the razor blade, a meth pipe and found him to be under the influence of suspected methamphetamine, Turturici said.
Rosales also had two warrants out of San Benito County, he said.
Rosales was booked into the San Benito County Jail in lieu of $300,000 for causing harm to a child, carjacking, possession of an illegal weapon, felonies, battery, possession of a meth pipe, being under the influence of a controlled substance and resisting arrest, misdemeanors.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
