On Thursday, April 17th at approximately 9:37pm, Campbell Police Officers responded to a report of a hit and run, at 260 E Campbell Ave. The reporting party advised CPD Dispatchers of a black BMW driving erratically, striking a male adult victim, and driving off after. Responding Officers determined that the two had been involved in a verbal dispute prior to the driver of the BMW getting into his vehicle and intentionally running into the victim. The victim was transported to Valley Medical Center and was released from the hospital in good condition on April 18th.
Utilizing surveillance footage from the area and Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR), CPD detectives were able to trace the BMW back to Mardin Gevargiz, 24 years old of San Jose. The victim was also able to identify Gevargiz as the driver out of a photo line up.
On April 25th, CPD officers contacted Gevargiz at his home where he was arrested without incident on charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury. While CPD officers were executing a search warrant of Gevargiz’s home they also located a semi automatic rifle. It was determined that Gevargiz's rifle met the definition of an assault weapon by having a detachable magazine as well as a pistol grip. As such, Gevargiz was also arrested on a charge of illegally possessing an assault weapon. CPD officers have since served Gevargiz with a gun violence restraining order which prevents him from having, owning, or buying any firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, or magazines. As of Monday, April 28, Mardin Gevargiz remains in custody.
“This case demonstrates the effectiveness of our technology and the dedication of our detectives in quickly identifying the suspect.” Chief Gary Berg explained, “Our priority is always the safety of the community, and we are committed to holding criminals accountable for their actions.”
