A 31-year-old Hollister man was arrested Tuesday for possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools and driving on a suspended license, according to a press release from the Gilroy Police Department.
Daniel Patrick Tanner was taken to the Santa Clara County Jail, where he was booked on multiple charges stemming from alleged theft of two vehicles – one in Gilroy– and leading officers in multiple pursuits, police say.
At approximately 12:49 a.m. Tuesday, GPD responded to the 8100 block of Murray of Avenue, following up on a report of a stolen 1995 Honda Civic. Officers spotted the stolen vehicle at roughly 2:45 a.m. near the intersection of 10th Street and U.S. 101, occupied by Tanner.
Authorities say officers attempted an enforcement stop but Tanner failed to yield to police officers. He then led officers in a pursuit through numerous Gilroy streets and ultimately into San Benito County.
The GPD said officers terminated the pursuit “in the interest of public safety” and later located the vehicle, then-abandoned and ablaze, in an unincorporated area of San Benito County.
A second stolen vehicle report came in at roughly 4:30 a.m., this time for a Dodge truck, which was reported to the California Highway Patrol. The GPD said the truck was stolen from the same general area where the Honda Civic had been set on fire.
GPD responded near the intersection of Monterey Road and U.S. 101 at approximately 6:54 a.m. after the stolen truck was spotted. Officers located the vehicle, attempted to stop the driver, but Tanner again led authorities in a pursuit.
“The driver drove with complete disregard for public safety,” said Sgt. Pedro Espinoza with the GPD. “He led police officers to the City of San Martin, where he abandoned the truck and fled on foot. With the assistance of California Highway Patrol officers and Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies, the driver was taken into custody after a coordinated search of the area.”
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is urged to contact Officer Cooner with the GPD at (408) 846-0350. Parties wishing to remain anonymous may call We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 (1-800-78-CRIME).