Suspect surrenders after 3 days
Patrick Barraza in a photo released when he was wanted, and his current booking photo. (Hollister Police)
SAN BENITO COUNTY—An early morning raid last Monday at a home on McCloskey road yielded a large arsenal of firearms and ammunition. Authorities were searching for 47-year-old Patrick Barraza, who was not home at the time, but three family members were there during the search. Barraza later turned himself in to police on Thursday.
An investigation lasted over several weeks, while the Hollister Police developed leads on information that a large number of firearms were being stockpiled and stored in the Hollister area. The weapons were reportedly being used by criminal street gangs.
On Monday May 4, at 8 pm. the Hollister Police Department, with the assistance of the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, the San Benito County Probation, the UNET team, and the United States Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, served the warrant.
The weapons found at Barraza’s home.
Authorities had to use forced entry to serve the warrant at the house on the 1500 block of McCloskey Road in Hollister. Officers located three other family members in the house at the time of the raid but their main suspect, Barraza, was not at the home.
The search warrant revealed 15 rifles, and included three AK-47/SKS assault rifles, three handguns, three ballistic vests and several bags filled with high capacity magazines. One of those magazines was a high capacity unit that could hold 100 rounds. Police estimate that a total of over three thousand rounds of ammunition were recovered.
Patrick Barraza surrendered to police at the office of his attorney. He was arrested by Hollister police detectives, and transported to the San Benito County Jail. He was booked on felony charges involving the firearms, ammunition, and other unspecified illegal items found during the search of his home.
