Burglary suspects found with machete in Morgan Hill
Two burglary suspects out of Morgan Hill were found in possession of a machete, drugs and so much stolen property in the vehicle it had to be impounded.
An alert citizen called Morgan Hill Police Sunday, around 12:44 p.m. and said two suspicious men were sitting in a car and smoking something out of a tin foil while parked at the Chevron Gas Station on Cochrane at Madrone Parkway.
MHPD officers noticed drug paraphernalia as they approached the suspects car.
Sgt. Troy Hoefling said, “Officers observed a handgun between the passenger door and floorboard.”
The suspects were arrested and identified as 27-year-old Tyler Del Vecchia, and 30-year-old Justin Holderfield of Morgan Hill.
“The handgun was determined to be a BB gun and almost impossible to ascertain real from fake without manipulating the weapon,” said Sgt. Hoefling.
During a search of the vehicle, officers found several weapons, stolen credit cards, gift cards, stolen license plates, a machete, and military discharge papers that belonged to someone else. Officers also recovered smoking pipes, tin foil with drug residue and .71 grams of heroin.
Investigators believe they’ll identify at least 30 more burglary victims.
Both suspects admitted to burglarizing “so many vehicles that they could not even remember all of the locations.”
Vecchia and Holderfield were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on charges of: Possession of Stolen Property, Auto Burglary, Under the influence of a Controlled Substance, possession of Paraphernalia, possession of Heroin, Possession of an expandable baton, and possession of an imitation firearm.
“We can’t solve these crimes without you, our Eagle-Eye citizens! If you See Something – Say Something!! ” said MHPD.
If you are the victim of a recent auto burglary or had your unlocked vehicle ransacked. Please contact the Morgan Hill Police Department. Detective Corporal Burdick at 669-253-4960 or Detective Price or 669-253-4985.
