Police Were Tipped-Off By Resident
HOLLISTER—Crime statistics say that 63 percent (2011) of residential burglaries occurred during the daytime while residents are at work. The Hollister Police Department is determined to make a dent in that percentage. On September 23 they did, by arresting two individuals who had committed a daytime residential burglary just two days prior.
7th Street in Hollister where Duniphin and Garza are accused of burglarizing houses.
On Monday, September 21, Hollister Police were called to the 600 block of Seventh Street at about 9:30 am to take a report of a burglary. During their investigation, police discovered that the resident had surveillance cameras located on his property. Somehow the suspects missed the cameras, or just did not care that they were being caught on video.
Hollister Police quickly identified the two suspects, as the surveillance footage showed them coming onto and leaving the property during the time frame of the burglary. Before police could get out warrants for the arrest of 20-year-old Austin Robert Duniphin or 18-year-old Joshua Garza, both of Hollister, they received a call from a resident on Seventh Street who was familiar with the burglary, and stated that the two had returned.
Both suspects fled the area shortly after being recognized, but were apprehended by officers responding to the scene. Hollister Police were able to recover some of the victim’s property, which was on the suspects when they were arrested. They later recovered more of the property from a local pawn broker.
Both Duniphin and Garza were booked into the San Benito County Jail on charges of burglary and conspiracy to commit a crime. Police are still investigating this incident.
Both suspects have a history with law enforcement, though not for burglary. Late Wednesday night on April 29 of this year, Austin Duniphin was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon (other than a firearm) likely to cause great bodily injury. He was arrested at his home and booked at 1:28 am Thursday morning. He was released on $30,000 bail that day. Further details of that incident were not available.
Joshua Garza had just turned 18 when he was arrested by Hollister Police for disorderly conduct – public intoxication on the night of Wednesday, October 22, 2014. But he faced a much more serious charge this year in August. Still 18, he was arrested for domestic violence – battery on a non co-habitant with whom he has had a relationship. He was picked up at or near the Dunne Memorial Park in Hollister the morning of Tuesday, August 25. (The park is just a block from the location of the recent burglary.)
Released that day on $6,000 bail, he didn’t waste much time before getting into trouble once again. Just over 2 weeks later, on Thursday, September 10, he was arrested by Santa Cruz police for vehicle theft. He was captured on East Cliff Drive, overlooking Seabright State Beach. Bail for that offense was set at $10,000. It was just another eleven days later when he was arrested again with Austin Duniphin.
