A Hollister woman has been arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime by hiding a shooting suspect, according to the Hollister Police Department.
Hollister police Thursday arrested Jovanna Ledesma, 38, and booked her into the San Benito County Jail with bail set at $10,000, according to police.
She was wanted on suspicion of hiding Humberto G. Sanchez, 34, in the days following a Nov. 13 gunfire exchange on Hollister’s west side. Sanchez and the other suspect in the reported shooting incident, Tomas Venegas Jr., 24, are facing related charges in court.
On Nov. 21, police arrested Sanchez after receiving information he had been at a residence in the 100 Block of San Felipe Road. Sanchez at the time had been wanted on a $210,000 warrant accusing him of discharging a firearm in public and assault with a deadly weapon. Venegas already had been in custody.
Police are reporting that when they came to her residence around 10:45 p.m. Nov. 21, Ledesma “denied that Sanchez was there and refused to provide consent to officers to search her home.”
Police and sheriff’s deputies surrounded the home and waited for a judge to sign a search warrant. Police allege that Ledesma left the area prior to officers finding Sanchez in her home “several hours later.”
According to a police statement:
“Hollister Police Officers warned Ledesma on that November night that assisting a fugitive to escape capture is a felony and she could be arrested. Officers obtained a warrant for her arrest and repeated attempts to contact her had been unsuccessful.”
Police found Ledesma at her home around 10:50 a.m. Thursday and arrested her without incident.
Anyone with information is requested to call Sgt. Don Magnuson at (831) 636-4330. People wishing to remain anonymous may call WeTIP at (800) 78-CRIME. Information provided to WeTip may result in an award of up to $1,000.
