A convicted felon attempting to flee police allegedly threatened a
woman and her child and tried to force them to hide him, Gilroy police said
today.
Officers spotted Fernando Gomez Perez, a 37-year-old Gilroy resident with a history of frequent contact with police, driving near West Eighth and Hanna streets shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday, according to police.
Police attempted to stop Perez because his license has been suspended, but he allegedly abandoned his car and fled into a nearby home.
Inside the house, a 32-year-old woman was home with her 10-year-old and 14-year-old sons.
Perez allegedly threatened the woman and the 10-year-old, who was working on his homework, with what they thought was a knife.
The two were so frightened that they initially told police Perez wasn't there while he hid inside a bedroom, police said.
Officers found him during a search, however, and took him into custody.
The woman was so upset she required medical treatment to calm her, and her son clung to a female police officer when he saw Perez being taken out of the house, police said.
Perez was found in possession of a replica handgun and items used
to conceal narcotics, as well as a screwdriver. He was booked on suspicion of
false imprisonment for purposes of protection from arrest, criminal threats,
burglary, resisting arrest and driving on a suspended drivers license.
