Victim Was Forced To Drive Out Of Town
SALINAS—Salinas Police arrested two carjackers after they forced a man to drive out of town and relieved him of his vehicle on Monday morning, January 26. They were identified as 25-year-old Juan Rivera and 19-year-old Ruben Martinez.
On Monday, at 3:15 in the morning, Police were called about a carjacking that had occurred on East Market Street and Pearl Avenue. The victim told police two suspects carjacked him by gunpoint. He went on to say that the two men got into his car and forced him to drive to an unincorporated area just outside of Salinas. Once there, the suspects let him out of the vehicle and drove away.
After police put out a ‘Be on the Lookout’ (BOL) bulletin, an alert officer spotted the stolen vehicle parked in the 700 block of Elton Place, at Rivera’s residence. The Officer parked his vehicle nearby and began to watch the vehicle.
Soon, the officer noticed two young men approach and enter the vehicle, and then drive away. The driver, Rivera, noticed that police were following him, so he immediately parked the vehicle and fled on foot, while holding a handgun.
Rivera tried to hide in a shed right around the corner on Filice Street, but he was soon found.
Martinez, who was the passenger, stayed behind in the vehicle and was detained. Police began to search for Rivera in the area. They eventually found him hiding in a shed in the 100 block of North Filice Street, right around the corner from his Elton Place home.
Rivera had discarded the handgun, which was recovered. Police also found a small amount of narcotics and stolen property in the vehicle.
Police were also able to determine that the two were also suspects in another carjacking that happened the night before. Both Rivera and Martinez were transported and lodged into Monterey County Jail.
Both suspects had a history of vehicle thefts prior to these incidents. Records show that Rivera had been arrested in December of 2014 for vehicle theft, driving without a license, and probation violations. Martinez was arrested several times in 2014 for vehicle theft, possession of burglary tools, and possession of controlled substances and paraphernalia.
