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NEWS
> CRIME & COURTS
Police arrest three on drugs after bizarre hotel scene
| | | | | | | | |  | | | | | From left to right: Herbert Merida, Jessica Jones and Stephanie Alexander. All three were arrested after an apparent auto burglary went wrong and police later had an odd encounter with the three people at a hotel. | | | | | Photo by: Special to The Times | | | | | | | | | |
Three people were arrested Tuesday morning when police tried to arrest one of them in connection with an apparent auto burglary.
A San Jose man allegedly tried to steal stereo equipment and other items from a car and fled as the victim chased him. Officers later talked with two women, one of whom made an allegedly false report to police that the man stole her car and was arrested on drug charges.
Herbert Merida, 34, of San Jose, was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance, alleged grand theft, violation of parole and an outstanding warrant for being a parolee at large. He is on parole for assault with a deadly weapon, according to Morgan Hill police Special Operations Sgt. Jerry Neumayer.
Stephanie Alexander, 27, of San Jose was cited and later released on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance, alleged possession of marijuana, alleged possession of drug paraphernalia and making a false report to police. She is on probation in Oklahoma for transporting narcotics, Neumayer said.
Jessica Jones, 19, of Gilroy, was cited and later released on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and alleged possession of drug paraphernalia.
The incident began after 10 a.m. as a man, not one of the suspects, was taking a walk in the North Coast Medical parking lot on Sutter Boulevard when he allegedly saw Merida in his car.
He yelled at Merida, who then got into a car parked next to the victim's car and drove away. The victim got into his car and drove after him. Merida crashed into some bushes in the parking lot behind the former Target store in the Cochrane Plaza shopping center and left the car, running away on foot.
Neumayer said officers were searching the area when Alexander came out of the Extended Stay America hotel on Jarvis Drive and told officers she wanted to report her car as stolen and told them the car Merida was driving was hers.
Morgan Hill police detectives went to the room where she was staying, and Jones answered the door. While officers were talking to Jones, Neumayer said, a hotel manager came to the room and told detectives that the suspect, Merida, just ran out side the hotel.
Officers chased after Merida, who went into Mervyn's and apparently hid inside a storage room. He was ordered to come out of the room, and was arrested without incident. He did not have any weapons, Neumayer said.
Merida had allegedly stolen nearly $600 in stereo equipment and other items from the victim's vehicle, and as officers chased Merida, the victim was able to see him run past and identified him as the man who took the items from his car. All of the stolen property, including the vehicle registration and personal documents from the glove compartment, was recovered, Neumayer added.
Nearly all officers on the day shift Tuesday morning, as well as Special Operations detectives, were involved in the chase and subsequent arrests, including Dets. Kevin Beilmann and Rod Krewson, School Resource Officer Josh Norris, Officers Mario Ramirez and Curtis Berlin and Cpl. Mindy Zen.
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Marilyn Dubil
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or send her an email.
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