Suspect in gunpoint carjacking in jail in lieu of $400,000 bail

Correction: This version of the story reflects the fact that the defendant is currently incarcerated in the San Mateo County Jail. An earlier version said he had been released.

BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer

A man accused of a gunpoint carjacking in downtown Redwood City had been released from jail in an earlier case because he wasn’t considered to be violent, authorities said.

Gerardo Santana, 38, of Redwood City, approached a 19-year-old in the passenger seat of a car parked at 1405 Marshall St. a little past midnight on Saturday morning, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Santana allegedly began knocking on the windows of the car. The 19-year-old was waiting for his cousin to get something from his apartment, so the driver’s side door was open, which Santana entered and pointed a gun at the teen and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t get out of the car, according to the DA.

The cousin had left his keys in the ignition, so Santana drove off on Marshall Street, Wagstaffe said.

The 19-year-old and his cousin called the police, who looked for the car.

At 2:46 a.m., Menlo Park Police spotted the car driving down Haven Avenue before Santana parked it behind a building along the street.

Police found Santana hiding under a trailer in the homeless encampment near Facebook and arrested him, Wagstaffe said. Santana had the key to the car in his pocket, but no gun was found.

Santana was in court yesterday (July 19) and was charged with carjacking and committing a felony while out of jail on other cases.

Santana is facing six other felonies, related to car theft and drugs that have occurred over the last two years, according to Wagstaffe.

He was out of jail because the sheriff wanted to keep the jail population low by releasing non-violent offenders. Now he’s being held in lieu of $400,000. He’s scheduled to return to court on July 30.