Jonathan Ruedas (L) and Jesus Casillas (R)
HOLLISTER — Police arrested two Hollister residents after nearly catching them in the act of loading stolen property into their van on Monday afternoon.
Jonathan Ruedas and Jesus Casillas, both 25 and residents of Hollister, were arrested on charges of burglary, possession of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
On Monday afternoon, while students were celebrating President’s Day, the two men decided to break into a storage unit at the school, in broad daylight. Naturally, the neighbor who saw them jumping the fence with a pair of bolt cutters called the police.
The two were soon discovered in an adjacent apartment complex. Ruedas was detained immediately but Casillas fled, though he was quickly apprehended after a search of the area.
An investigation determined that Ruedas and Casillas had broken into the storage unit on the school’s campus — loading about $1,500 worth of stolen tools and equipment into their vehicle — but ran and hid at the apartment complex once they realized police had arrived.
Both Casillas and Ruedas were booked into the San Benito County Jail on charges of burglary, possession of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit a crime. Casillas faces an additional charge of obstructing a peace officer.
