5th South Bay Home Invasion Robbery Suspect Arrested: Cops

SAN JOSÉ, CA — A wanted suspect sought in connection with two South Bay home invasion burglaries was arrested Tuesday, San José police said.

Israel Mejia, a San José resident, was arrested on suspicion of home invasion robbery, burglary, and false imprisonment, among other charges, police said.

He is the fifth suspect arrested in connection with a spate of home invasion robberies that began May 31.

Armando Manzano, 19, Daniel Mendez, 19, Eduardo Santiago, 23, and a juvenile whose name was withheld were arrested June 30 in connection with the home invasion robberies, police said.

Five to six suspects invaded a home in the 600 block of North Capitol Avenue and assaulted an elderly couple. The suspects stole bank cards, jewelry, and the victims' car and fled before police arrived.

The same day, the suspects used the stolen vehicle for a second home invasion in the 1000 block of Summerdale Drive. Five suspects held a man and his baby at gunpoint, threatening to shoot the child and kidnap the man.

They forced him to go to a bank and demanded he withdraw money from his account. The suspects stole bank cards and jewelry when they returned to the victim's home. They were captured on a dash camera as they fled from the house when the victim's wife arrived home.

The third case occurred on June 7 in the 4000 block of Bolero Drive. Two suspects held an elderly couple at gunpoint and assaulted them. One of the victims contacted the police during the home invasion and officers caught two suspects as they fled the scene. The suspects, identified as Manzano and Mendez, were booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail.

During the investigation, police identified two additional suspects, Santiago and the juvenile male. Detectives obtained arrest warrants and search warrants for the suspects' residences. Both suspects were arrested without incident and various stolen items were recovered from their homes.

The investigation is ongoing and police request that anyone with information contact Detective VanBrande #4542 of the San Jose police robbery unit via email at 4542@sanjoseca.gov or by phone at (408) 277-4166.

— Bay City News contributed to this report