Five arrested in connection to string of home invasion robberies in San Jose
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Top: Armando Manzano (L) and Daniel Mendez (R)
Bottom: Eduardo Santiago (L) and Israel Mejia (R)
San Jose police have arrested five suspects in connection to a string of home invasion robberies in late May and early June.
The investigation began when officers responded to a reported home invasion on North Capital Avenue on May 31. An elderly couple had allegedly been bound at gunpoint and violently assaulted by “five or six” individuals who then stole various items — including bank cards and jewelry — and fled in the victims’ vehicle, police said.
The stolen vehicle was reportedly then used to commit a second home invasion robbery on Summerdale Drive a short time later. The suspects allegedly held a man and his 1-year-old child at gunpoint, threatening to shoot the child unless the man did as he was told. The suspects then allegedly kidnapped the victim, forcing him to drive to his bank and withdraw money from his account.
Upon their return to the man’s home, the suspects then allegedly stole personal items — again, jewelry and bank cards — before fleeing. This time, however, the victim’s wife arrived home just in time to capture the suspects fleeing on her vehicle’s dash cam, police said.
About a week later, on the afternoon of June 7, two male suspects allegedly assaulted and tried to rob an elderly couple at gunpoint on Bolero Drive. This time, one of the victims was able to break free and contact police, who responded in time to arrest the two suspects — identified as Armando Manzano and Daniel Mendez, both 19. The two were booked at the Santa Clara County main jail on suspicion of robbery, police said.
Not long after the third robbery, investigators identified two more suspects — Eduardo Santiago (23) and a 17-year-old juvenile male. Arrest and search warrants were obtained and served, resulting in the apprehension of both suspects without incident. Investigators learned that Santiago had been arrested on an unrelated charge of evading on the night of June 5, and had been released form jail just the day before the Bolero Drive robbery, police said.
On August 16, investigators arrested a fifth suspect identified as Israel Mejia (24), whose charges include home invasion robbery, burglary, and false imprisonment.
