7 suspects arrested in wild San Jose sideshow
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose police announced on Monday that they have made seven arrests tied to a wild and illegal sideshow.
The San Jose Police Department previously announced the arrests of two suspects but has since increased that figure.
The sideshow erupted on the evening of June 15 at South Winchester Boulevard and Olin Avenue. During the spectacle, an onlooker was struck by a car that was part of the sideshow. A uniformed reserve officer responded to the scene to render aid to the victim, but his patrol vehicle was overwhelmed by multiple people, which prevented the officer from reaching the unconscious spectator, the police department said.
The suspects got on top of the patrol vehicle, stomped on the windshield, struck the side windows, and attempted to pull open the doors. At least one suspect threatened the officer, saying they had knives, officials said. The officer sustained minor injuries due to the incident. The spectator suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
All the suspects fled the scene. However, investigators were able to identify 24-year-old Aidan Rheault of Sunnyvale as the suspect responsible for striking the spectator with his vehicle.
Investigators also identified 22-year-old Tyler Durbin of Salinas; 22-year-old Gabe Durbin of Yucca, Arizona; 21-year-old Jason Auby of San Francisco; 18-year-old Sean Auby of San Jose; and 20-year-old Matthew Nolan of San Mateo as additional suspects. A juvenile was also arrested.
"When I said every effort would be expended to hold each and every suspect accountable---I meant it," stated Acting Chief of Police Paul Joseph. "SJPD and the City of San José will not tolerate these blatantly illegal and violent sideshows."
Police say they're using social media as well as video from body-worn cameras, and license plate readers to track suspects down. They're also using data science to track sideshow trends and a collaboration with the University of Chicago Crime Lab to establish best practices in dealing with them.
"We are setting a very clear expectation in San Jose that we're not going to tolerate sideshows. We've passed laws that are indicative of that. It is illegal to promote or spectate at sideshows, not just be the one driving the vehicle," says San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.
The hope is that these arrests and felony charges will keep sideshows out of San Jose.
"Part of how you deter this kind of crime is by showing people that there are real consequences for doing it," says Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen.
