7 arrested, including 5 juveniles, after violent South Bay crime spree

Officials: Teens led police on pursuit from Santa Clara to San Jose

Five juveniles and two adults suspected of embarking on a five-hour crime spree Monday night across three South Bay cities were arrested after leading police on a chase and crashing an SUV into a guardrail, according to authorities.

The seven people arrested, all from San Jose, are suspected of committing three robberies, three attempted robberies and an assault with a deadly weapon in Santa Clara, San Jose and Campbell, according to Santa Clara police.

The two adults who were arrested were identified as Alejandro Mendoza and Jonathan Barrigaramirez, both 18. The juvenile suspects were not identified, but two are 17 years old and the others are 14, 15 and 16 years of age.

In one of the crimes, the suspects pointed a gun at a man, who grabbed the weapon during the attempted robbery. The man was assaulted by the suspects, and was eventually rushed to a hospital with “major injuries,” police said.

“Recently we have seen an increase of violent crimes committed by juveniles,” Santa Clara police Capt. Wahid Kazem said. Referring toMonday’s spree, he added, “These are all violent crimes, unprovoked attacks, almost for no reason. It’s almost like it’s fun and games to them.”

The first crime, an attempted robbery in a Target parking lot in Santa Clara, was reported just before 6 p.m. Monday. The final crime in the spree occurred about five hours later; in each case, a light blue Toyota RAV4 was driven by the suspects, police said.

The suspects were arrested early Tuesday morning after a Santa Clara police officer spotted the RAV4 on southbound San Tomas Expressway at El Camino Real. When the officer attempted to pull the Toyota over, the driver sped off at a high rate of speed and led the officer on a pursuit into San Jose.

The chase ended when the RAV4 crashed into a guardrail while getting onto northbound Highway 101 from Santa Clara Street in San Jose. All seven suspects who were arrested were inside the RAV4, which was a reported stolen vehicle, police said.

Regarding the decision to pursue the vehicle, Kazem said officers felt public safety was at risk.

“These folks were on a violent rampage to injure innocent people in our community,” Kazem said.

The following is an account of each crime, as detailed by Santa Clara police.

• At 5:50 p.m., a woman was walking through the Target parking lot at 2004 El Camino Real in Santa Clara when the suspects pulled up next to her in a light blue Toyota RAV4. A male suspect stepped out of the RAV4 and attempted to forcibly take the woman’s purse.

The woman struggled to hold onto her purse as she fell to the ground. The suspect got back into the RAV4 without the purse and fled. The woman sustained minor injuries.

• At 6:04 p. m., an elderly woman was walking through the parking lot of Safeway at 2760Homestead Road in Santa Clara when she was approached by a male suspect who pushed her to the ground and took her purse. The suspect(s) fled in the previously described Toyota RAV4. The woman sustained minor injuries.

• At 6:17 p.m., a woman was walking in the parking lot of the Safeway at 5146 Stevens Creek Blvd. in San Jose. The suspectswere driving through the parking lot when a male suspect got out of the RAV4, approached the woman and punched her in the head. The suspect grabbed the victim’s purse, which was in her shopping cart. The suspect fled in the awaiting RAV4. The victim sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

• At 6:40 p.m., the suspects committed an assault with a deadly weapon in the parking lot of Safeway, 2341 S. Winchester Blvd. in Campbell. The suspects confronted a security guard in the parking lot and hit him in the face with the muzzle of a rifle. The victim sustained moderate injuries and was treated at the scene.

• At 10:58 p.m., a man was walking in the area of Salsbury Drive and Toyon Drive in Santa Clara when he was approached by three suspects who demanded that he give them his wallet. One of the suspects produced a handgun and pointed it at the victim. The man grabbed the gun and a struggle ensued. The man was assaulted as he yelled for help.

The suspects ran to the awaiting Toyota RAV4 and fled the scene without taking the victim’s wallet. The man sustained major injuries and was treated at a local hospital.

• At 11:04 p.m., a man was walking in the area of Newhall and Maria streets in Santa Clara when he was approached by three suspects who pointed a handgun at him. The suspects demanded his property and fled after taking the victim’s cellphone.