Gang member arrested after raid in Greenfield
Monterey County Sheriff’s SWAT officers raided a Greenfield home early Monday and arrested a suspected gang member wielding an AK-47, officials said.
Officers served an early-morning search warrant on the Larson Lane residence, eventually using a Taser stun gun on Leo “Spanky” Garza.
Garza has been described by police as a well-known Norteño gang associate. He was found to be in possession of the AK-47 and another firearm when he was arrested in the usually quiet neighborhood, a sheriff’s official said.
It was unclear late Monday what prompted the search warrant or what charges Garza faces. According to sheriff’s office records, he is lodged at Monterey County Jail.
Bicyclist injured in Marina accident
A bicyclist was injured in Marina on Monday after a collision with a vehicle.
Marina police said the victim was lying in the street when officers arrived at the scene on Imjin Parkway near Preston Park about 10:30 a.m.
Witnesses were already rendering aid to the victim, police said.
It appeared that a vehicle struck the cyclist, whose body hit the windshield. The driver and a passenger were uninjured, police said.
The bicyclist was taken to a local hospital for treatment. No word was available Monday on the victim’s condition.
Two arrested after vehicle vandalized
Two men were arrested after they allegedly damaged a car and beat the owner during a drunken rage.
Salinas police said Michael Varela, 22, Rafael Mendoza, 24, and two women went to the home of Varela’s grandmother to pick up his children about 8:50p.m. Saturday.
The grandmother refused to allow the children to be taken because Varela and Mendoza were “extremely intoxicated,” police said.
The men began to damage a Ford Mustang parked nearby in the 400 block of California Street and beat the owner when confronted, police said. Police said the man’s wallet and cell phone were taken.
Varela and Mendoza fled before officers arrived, police said.
Varela, who was on parole, was taken into custody after he was found hiding in the backyard of a residence in the 400 block of Soledad Street, police said.
Mendoza was arrested Sunday after police found him at a woman’s apartment. Police said Mendoza went to the apartment Saturday and stole a TV. A restraining order forbids him from having contact with the woman, police said.
Varela was booked into Monterey County Jail for suspected robbery, vandalism and parole violation; Mendoza, on charges of robbery, vandalism, burglary and violation of probation, police said.
Teen arrested on gun possession
Salinas police arrested a teenager Saturday after officers allegedly found a loaded gun in his pants pocket.
Police said gang member Giovanni Pacheco, 18, was stopped about 11:50p.m. in the 1500 block of Duran Street while officers investigated a report of loud music from vehicles.
A second male ran away as officers arrived, police said.
Pacheco was searched because he was “behaving suspiciously,” according to officers.
Police said he was was arrested and booked at Monterey County Jail for suspected possession of a loaded firearm, possession of marijuana and gang enhancements.
Driver arrested in gas station accident
A suspected drunken driver was arrested Saturday after Salinas police say he crashed into two cars and a pump at a gas station.
Police said that about 11:20a.m., Mario Rodriguez, 64, was driving in the parking lot of the USA Gas Station at 33 S. Sanborn Road.
After crashing into two cars, police said, Rodriguez tried to back up and smashed into a gas pump. Police said the car came to a stop and a witness pulled Rodriguez from the car and detained him until officers arrived.
Rodriguez was too intoxicated to complete a breath test, police said.
He was on parole for prior drunken driving convictions and was booked at Monterey County Jail, police said.
Suspected car burglar arrested in Salinas
A man suspected of breaking into a car was arrested Saturday after he was seen prowling the parking lot of an apartment complex on Hacienda Place, Salinas police said.
Officers were called to the complex after the suspect was seen looking into cars about 3:45 a.m., police said.
As officers arrived, Arturo Alcaraz, 24, used a hammer to break a window on a vehicle, police said. After seeing officers, he hid behind the vehicle.
Police said that when Alcaraz began to walk away, he was warned that a police dog would be sent after him if he ran.
Alcaraz surrendered and was booked at Monterey County Jail on attempted burglary charges.
Police dog helps nab burglary suspect
A police dog nabbed a man suspected of breaking into the same Salinas gas station twice in one week.
Police said that about 10:45p.m. Friday, officers responded to an alarm at Amerigas, 131 N. Main St.
A window panel on a roll-up door had been forced off, and with the help of a police dog, David Phillips, 19, was found hiding in the station’s back room.
Phillips was kneeling behind a door and was ordered to show his hands; he did not comply and the dog was released, police said.
The dog bit Phillips on the right arm, pulling him to the floor, and the suspect was taken into custody, police said.
Phillips was booked at Monterey County Jail on two counts of burglary, resisting arrest and violation of probation after he was treated for his wound.
Police said he is also a suspect in a Nov. 29 burglary at the station.
Funny smell in truck leads to pot, guns
Salinas police said the smell of pot inside a pickup led officers to find two loaded handguns and marijuana.
Police said that at 7:35p.m. Friday, officers were driving in the 1300 block of Garner Avenue when they stopped to speak to several males standing near a parked Chevrolet truck.
The officers, members of the county’s gang task force, searched the truck after smelling marijuana inside, police said.
A loaded handgun was found under the seat where Jose Perez-Para, 20, sat, and marijuana packaged for sale was found in the truck, police said.
A more extensive search revealed a hidden compartment where a second loaded handgun was found, police said.
Armando Fabian, 20, was also arrested. Police said he and Perez-Para were booked into Monterey County Jail for possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana for sale and gang enhancements.
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