Police say three suspects remain at large after robbing, carjacking and kidnapping a man Saturday afternoon in downtown Gilroy.
Sometime between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., two men armed with handguns robbed a 30-year-old man as he sat in his car on the 7600 block of Monterey Road near Fourth Street before forcing him, at gunpoint, to ride with them as far as Monterey County before leaving him unharmed on the side of the road, according to the Gilroy Police Department.
Now police are asking for the public’s help in finding those responsible for the brazen series of crimes.
“Given the time of day and the location, we’re encouraging people who have information to contact the police department,” GPD Sgt. Chad Gallacinao said.
“We take these crimes very seriously,” Gallacinao added. “This was not just a property crime. There were weapons involved, and that makes this much more dangerous. We hope people come forward with information in a timely manner.”
Gallacinao said police would not disclose how much money was stolen.
An employee at the El Charrito Market at 7638 Monterey Road told the Dispatch the victim had visited the store twice within the last month to collect money from ticket sales for Primer Baile 2012, a March 3 concert in San Jose sponsored by Marquez Brothers Entertainment, described as “top promoters of Latin music and sporting events” on their website. El Charrito is one of 15 Bay Area locations individuals can buy tickets to the concert.
The employee said the man came by to collect the cash on Saturday – though she couldn’t remember how much – just before the alleged robbery, carjacking and kidnapping occurred. She said she didn’t see the crimes take place, however, adding the store was “really busy” at that time. She said she didn’t learn the man had been the victim of a crime until the next day.
Police say one suspect got into the victim’s car, brandished a black handgun and forced the victim to drive. After driving a short distance, the victim was forced to pull over on the side of the road near the intersection of East 10th Street and U.S. Highway 101. The second suspect then arrived in a black car, and the victim was ordered to get into the backseat of his own vehicle. The second suspect got into the victim’s car and drove the trio onto southbound Highway 101. The victim was driven to an unincorporated area of Monterey County, where he was dropped off on the side of the freeway, according to police.
The victim was not injured, according to GPD.
The suspects drove away, but abandoned the victim’s car a short time later near the intersection of Highway 101 and Sanborn Road in Salinas, where it was later recovered. The vehicle was impounded to allow police to search it for evidence.
Two of the suspects are described as white males in their early to mid-20s, weighing 140 pounds and measuring around 5-feet-5-inches tall, according to police. Both were reportedly wearing dark hooded sweatshirts, black gloves and were armed with black handguns, police say. Police have not released a description of the third suspect, and an investigation is ongoing, Gallacinao said.
“Circumstances regarding the arrest are being withheld as to not compromise any potential arrest or prosecution,” he said.
Any person who may have witnessed the crimes or has information on this case should call the GPD at 846-0350 or anonymously at 1-800-782-7463.
