A dramatic carjacking in Morgan Hill ended in a police chase, arrest, and seizure of a firearm on Monday. The Morgan Hill Police Department reported that officers were called to the 17000 block of Monterey Road around 5:26 PM, where a woman reported a man had stolen her boyfriend's white Dodge Ram truck. According to her account, the suspect confronted her as she was walking toward the vehicle, forcibly took the keys, and drove off.
The stolen vehicle was swiftly located thanks to the city's license plate reader system, which detected it traveling north on Monterey Road near Cochrane Road. Officers attempted to pull over the truck near Monterey Road and Palm Avenue, but the driver, later identified as 29-year-old Robert Cordova of San Jose, sped away. Cordova, who is on probation for firearm-related offenses, led police on a chase before going off-road behind a home in the 9000 block, jumping out of the moving truck, which subsequently collided with a parked vehicle.
Following a brief foot pursuit, Cordova was apprehended by officers behind the residence. During the arrest, a single bullet was found in his pants pocket. An extended search uncovered a fanny pack hidden on the roof of a nearby home; inside was a loaded handgun. Home surveillance footage corroborated the officers' account, showing Cordova exiting the stolen truck and tossing the fanny pack onto the roof.
Cordova is facing multiple charges, including carjacking, evading police, probation violation, and illegal firearm possession. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail.
