18-Year-Old, 4 Juveniles Arrested In San Jose Crime Spree
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Police arrested five teens who allegedly committed a series of thefts and an attempted homicide Wednesday night and Thursday in San Jose.
At 9:55 p.m. Wednesday, three suspects entered the Walgreens store at 1130 Bird Ave. and stole merchandise. An employee who tried to stop them was knocked to the ground and suffered minor injuries, police said.
According to police, the suspects fled in a dark-colored Jeep with paper plates.
At 10:52 p.m., four suspects tried to enter a home in the 2500 block of Cottle Avenue. The homeowner armed himself with a gun and confronted the armed suspects in the front yard, police said.
The homeowner was shot at least once and the suspects fled in a dark-colored SUV. The homeowner was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, police said.
At 11:05 p.m., officers received a report of multiple suspects rummaging through a vehicle a few blocks away in the area of Mary Lee Way and Woodmont Drive. Officers arrived and located an unoccupied, stolen black Jeep with multiple bullet holes in it.
Around 3 a.m. Thursday, a residential burglary occurred in the 1200 block of Norval Way. A green Kia was stolen from the home, police said.
At 4:30 a.m., another home burglary occurred in the 500 block of Hyde Park Drive. The suspects stole a white Mercedes-Benz and a black Range Rover, police said.
At 4:43 a.m., police arrested one of the suspects, 18-year-old Michael Velavalencia, on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle. An investigation revealed that he was also involved in the previous crimes and he was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of numerous offenses including burglary, resisting arrest and evading police, police said.
At 9:30 a.m., a carjacking occurred at the Tamien light-rail station at 499 W. Alma Ave. Police said the three suspects had arrived at the scene in the stolen white Mercedes and forcefully took the victim's vehicle.
Police identified the three suspects as boys aged 14, 15 and 17 years old. At 3:40 p.m., they were arrested on suspicion of numerous offenses including carjacking, burglary and possessing a stolen vehicle, police said.
At 11:18 p.m., the suspect who shot the homeowner the night before on Cottle Avenue was contacted by police at his home. The 16-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide, robbery and carjacking.
According to police, all five suspects are San Jose residents. The four juveniles were booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall and their names are being withheld because they are minors.
The case remains under investigation and police are seeking the public's assistance in identifying additional victims.
Anyone with information can contact San Jose police Detective Tedro Habib at (408) 277-4166. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (408) 947-7867.
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