| Community - Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Manhunt suspect found in garage, pleads not guilty
by Sandy Brundage
A manhunt last week ended with an arrest by Menlo Park police, who found their suspect hiding in a Madera Avenue garage.
After an officer attempted to pull him over for a traffic stop on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 1, Valentin Arias Jimenez, 29, allegedly crashed a stolen green Honda Accord into a police car, and then fled on foot near the Facebook campus.
Menlo Park police kicked off a search for the suspect, setting up a perimeter around Carlton and Hamilton avenues, Ivy Drive and Willow Road. Helping out: East Bay Regional Park's helicopter, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and Palo Alto police. Residents were asked to stay indoors.
Officers found the East Palo Alto resident in a garage in the 1300 block of Madera Avenue, police announced. He was arrested on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon, felony hit and run, and resisting/obstructing a police officer.
Mr. Jimenez pleaded not guilty in San Mateo County Superior Court on Nov. 2. Charges stemming from the Menlo Park chase are not the only legal problems he faces at the moment; the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service also plans to deport the man back to his native country of Mexico, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Deputy Rebecca Rosenblatt.
The Menlo Park Police Department asks that anyone with information about the incident call them at 330-6300 or the anonymous tip line at 330-6395.
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