Two Gilroy Armed Robbery Suspects Arrested

GILROY, CA — Two men with criminal histories were arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, the Gilroy Police Department said.

Richard Valenzuela, 40, and David Pena, 32, are accused of using a firearm in the commission of a Sept. 5 robbery at a motel on the 5500 block of Monterey Road in Gilroy, police said. Police said he suspects threatened to kill the alleged victim if they reported the incident to authorities.

Police found a stolen firearm when they arrested Valenzuela at a motel in the 600 block of Leavesley Road on Sept. 11. Pena was arrested the next day, police said.

Valenzuela had been released from prison in late April 2020 for an armed robbery conviction and was on parole, police said.

Pena was released from prison is late March 2020 for a conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm, police said. Pena was on felony probation for 2 counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of hit-and-run with injury.

The Santa Clara County Special Enforcement Team, the Morgan Hill Police Department, and the Gilroy Police Department’s Anti-Crime Team assisted with the case.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Jason Greathead at 408-846-0373.