GILROY
Gilroy firefighters discovered a dead man inside a burning home Friday night, and arson investigators are looking into possible foul play, according to police. The possible arson capped a night of primarily gang-related incidents that were apparently unrelated, police said.
About 11:15 p.m. Friday, firefighters responded to a structure fire at an abandoned property at 7347 Monterey Road. While extinguishing the flames that eventually destroyed the home, they found the body of an adult Hispanic male whose identity has been withheld. An autopsy later this week will determine the cause of death, police said, and arson investigators from the police and fire departments will continue to look for any clues.
An hour earlier, about 10 p.m., a 28-year-old woman was sitting a in a car in the parking lot of the Gilroy Apartments, 500 IOOF Ave., when two young men opened fire on her with what police believe was a sawed-off rifle, police said. The assailants, 20-year-old Jose Gorgua and a 15-year-old male whose name was withheld, were hiding in the bushes and one of the two yelled gang slogans. The two males then ran into an apartment in the complex that they regularly occupied. The unidentified victim was not injured, police said.
When officers arrived on scene, they ordered the two males out of the apartment without incident and arrested them for assault with a deadly weapon and doing so for the benefit of a criminal street gang, according to police. During a search of the apartment, officers found a .22 caliber sawed-off rifle.
Despite the apparent connections to gangs, Sgt. Jim Gillio cautioned that victim may not have any criminal ties.
“There is no indication at this time that the victim is involved with gangs,” Gillio wrote in a press release.
And earlier Friday night, about 6:15 p.m., police arrested three teenagers for allegedly trying to rob a man at knifepoint.
The 37-year-old victim called police shortly after the incident and said three suspects, two of whom reportedly brandished knives, tried to rob him along the 7300 block of Alexander Street. The three failed and eventually fled, and officers detained them based on the man’s descriptions, police said. The three included 19-year-old Victor Betancourt and two 17-year-old males. Police reported that at least one male had gang ties.
Anyone with information on these crimes can contact Detective Stan Devlin or Arson Investigator Stuart Jaquez at 408-846-0300.
