Gilroy police are searching for a 35-year-old man suspected of stabbing another man during an argument earlier this month, leaving the victim with a serious stomach wound that required emergency surgery. Detectives have identified the suspect as Jose Antonio Mateo Ruiz, but say his current whereabouts remain unknown.
According to the East Bay Times, the stabbing happened just before 9 p.m. on October 2 in the 7300 block of Church Street near West Seventh Street in Gilroy, a detail the paper attributes to the Gilroy Police Department. Officers who responded found the victim, a 45-year-old man, suffering from a serious stab wound to his stomach. He was taken to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery, per police.
Suspect and Victim Knew Each Other, Police Say
Police told the outlet that Mateo Ruiz and the victim were acquaintances who had spent time together earlier that day before the confrontation turned violent. An argument between the two men preceded the stabbing, according to the report. Authorities have not released further detail on what sparked the dispute.
An arrest warrant has since been issued for Mateo Ruiz on a charge of attempted murder. The report notes that his exact location is unknown, and detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward.
License Plate Readers Point to Santa Cruz County
Detectives used automated license plate reader technology to track Mateo Ruiz's vehicle, which they say was located in Santa Cruz County following the stabbing, according to police. Based on that trail, detectives believe Mateo Ruiz may have fled across the border into Mexico, though the article notes investigators have not confirmed his current location.
California law requires public agencies using automated license plate readers to adopt a usage and privacy policy and protect the information they collect; the policy must address authorized uses, access, sharing and data retention. Gilroy’s posted policy says the department may use ALPR technology only for official law-enforcement business and assigns department administrators responsibility for managing access and retention. The State Auditor’s summary of the requirements and Gilroy’s ALPR policy set out those safeguards.
Automated license plate readers record a vehicle’s passage at a particular place and time; they are not, by themselves, proof of who was driving or where anyone in the vehicle went afterward. The California State Auditor describes ALPR records as including plate images and location and time information. So the reported sighting in Santa Cruz County may help investigators trace the vehicle, but does not alone confirm that Mateo Ruiz crossed into Mexico. The State Auditor’s description of ALPR data explains what such records can establish.
Mateo Ruiz is described as Latino, standing 5 feet tall and weighing about 155 pounds, with short dark hair and brown eyes. Gilroy Police Detective Cat Fraide is asking anyone with information about his whereabouts or the case to reach out at [email protected] or 408-846-0335.
