SAN JOSE – San Jose Police records report that in 2014 there were a total of 3,665 car thefts and a total of 3,242 violent crimes committed during the year. Countywide, a total of 9,422 car thefts and a total of 11,718 violent crimes were reported for 2014. San Jose had the highest violent crime rate next to Gilroy, where a total of 630 violent crimes and 227 car thefts were reported.
In just one week, from April 16 – 23, 2015, 106 stolen vehicles were reported, with one carjacking that occurred near the 4100 block of Monterey on Sunday, April 19. A total of 77 vehicles were recovered during the same time in San Jose with reports of only three vehicles being recovered from neighboring cities, Campbell and Santa Clara. The trend is showing one carjacking for every six days from January to April 2015. Statistical trends are showing a possible robbery/carjacking for every 59th car stolen.
In one of those instances the San Jose Police filed charges against two teen drivers, who were arrested for second degree burglary under PC 211- 212.5(c), and for attempted carjacking under PC 664, while another minor was still inside the vehicle.
On Saturday, April 4, the victim of the robbery had been asleep in his car when he was suddenly hit with a rock, and then punched in the face. The two suspects demanded his wallet and cell phone, and were also trying to get the victim to step out of the car and hand them his keys. Officers responded one block away, near 1328 Palm Street in San Jose, where the suspects had fled on foot after a witness saw the teens attacking the male victim.
The Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office is considering the attack a strike offense, which means one of the teens, now only 17, is facing felony adult charges for a prior strike charge, while being charged as a juvenile, under PC 667(b) (special allegation for an adult conviction under a juvenile adjudication) and 1170.12 (special allegation for the second of 3 strikes.) Charging the juvenile with a second strike potentially adds a sentence of 10-years for each strike offense committed by the suspect under California’s three strikes law.
The next court date for both juvenile suspects has been scheduled for June 15, 2015 in Dept 34 at 9:00 AM.
Another carjacking incident occurred when the San Jose Police reported that on Wednesday, March 11 near the 4100 block of Barrymore Drive, “the victim arrived home in his vehicle, and as he got out of his car he was approached by unknown suspects who brandished a gun and demanded the car keys.” The owner of the vehicle complied, however the suspect was unable to start the vehicle, and then they fled the scene. No arrests were made.
Another carjacking incident the next day resulted in charges for two suspects with felony robbery, considered a felony strike offence under PC 211-212(c). According to NBC’s Bay Area News, on Thursday, March 12, two carjacking suspects were found hiding in an apartment at 7 am, and were arrested after being bit by police dogs, ending a seven-hour manhunt through the South Bay. Arrest reports identified one of the suspects as Luis Cisneros, 19, of San Jose. In addition to the felony carjacking charge, he was arrested for first degree burglary, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and probation violations. The other suspect was an unidentified minor.
The report of their arrests ended seven-hour manhunt for the suspects, who were considered “armed and dangerous”. The suspects caused police to block off one Sunnyvale neighborhood near Remington Avenue as police from San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Los Altos, Santa Clara and the California Highway Patrol searched the area for them.
