Police nab 21 year old and juvenile for stealing a minivan
Police close section of Lincoln Avenue to pull over stolen vehicle, and arrest its occupants
By Kate Carter
A man was arrested for felony auto theft and several other charges and a stolen van was recovered last week by San Jose police.
Sgt. Ed Escobar, who responded to the June 19 call, said Officer Robert Foster noticed "suspicious activity" by a 1988 blue Toyota minivan as it traveled down Curtner Avenue between Almaden Expressway and Lincoln Avenue at about 1:10 p.m. Foster ran a check of the van's license plate which showed the vehicle was stolen, Escobar said.
Foster radioed for backup assistance and began following the van as it turned north onto Lincoln Avenue. When extra officers responded, he pulled the van over without incident at the corner of Lincoln and California avenues, Escobar said.
Police officers closed the street between Michigan and Nevada avenues as a safety precaution, while they arrested, handcuffed, searched and moved the two suspects into police cruisers, Escobar said. The section was closed for less than a half-hour, he said.
The van was stolen from Race Street on June 12, and was released to its owner.
The driver, San Jose resident Erik Guensis, 21, was booked into Santa Clara County Jail for felony auto theft, driving on a suspended license and on several outstanding warrants, Escobar said. The passenger, a juvenile, was released, he said.
Escobar said the closure is procedure to protect citizens when police aren't sure what to expect from a situation.
"In our opinion, it wasn't a big deal," he said. "I'm sure it looks spectacular to residents."
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
