Three arrested in alleged spree of violent crimes
Trio suspected in string of shootings and carjackings
SAN JOSE » Three men have been arrested in connection with a series of violent crimes in a five-month span that investigators believe are gang related, according to San Jose police.
The allegations include at least 10 crimes between February and May encompassing shootings, carjackings, auto thefts and burglaries in the city linked to a street gang, police said. At least one person was injured in the shootings.
On Aug. 3, police arrested three men they linked to the crimes: San Jose residents Christopher Rosales, 19; Omar Harris Tabora, 22; and Nelson Vargas, 23.
According to police, search warrants carried out at the time of the arrests led to the seizure of several illegal firearms including a rifle and three pistols, illegal high-capacity magazines, a ballistic vest, illegal drugs and property suspected of being stolen. At least one of the guns was a “ghost gun,” or made from prefabricated parts that make it difficult to trace.
Accompanying the arrest announcements was a video clip portraying someone firing a pistol, modified to fire fully automatic, out of the driver’s side window of a moving car. Police said the video was posted on social media and is associated with one of the men arrested, but does not appear to be linked to any of the trio’s alleged crimes.
Detectives from the San Jose Police Department’s assaults, gangs and robbery units, along with other several specialized units, were involved in the investigation and arrests.
Anyone with information about the case can contact the SJPD robbery unit at 408-277-4166 or leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at svcrimestoppers.org.