You might have thought that passing the budget (approved unanimously)—or perhaps the signing-off on new housing units—would’ve proved the most intense part of the June 3 Los Gatos Council meeting.
However, a little after 9pm, during an intermission, Councilmember Rob Rennie made a comment in the foyer about a suspect with a “rifle” and a knife being sought by police not far away.
A Jewish couple—who were literally in the middle of doing an interview with the Los Gatan about how scared they were about violent incidents after members of an organization they’re part of, in Boulder, Colorado, were attacked days earlier—thought he must be kidding.
(Drew Penner / Los Gatan)
“I’m not joking,” Rennie said, heading back into the meeting, where Mayor Matthew Hudes shared his opinion that a revenue measure to boost funding for the police department might be a good idea in the future.
Police officers had responded, at 8:40pm, along Main Street by the Los Gatos Creek Trail entrance, to a report of a male suspect seen with a weapon.
“Our officers began to search for the subject to the rear of Old Town shopping center and the nearby wooded creek trail area,” a Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department spokesperson wrote on social media.
Campbell Police Department and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office also joined the hunt.
Town Manager Chris Constantin provided guidance to people leaving the meeting about which way to go to avoid the potential danger.
Around 9:40pm, City Ventures’ housing project was approved unanimously by Council.
“I’m glad the partnership worked out with the Town of Los Gatos,” said Pamela Salas Nieting, the company’s vp of development.
But by 9:52pm, the suspect had begun heading in the direction of the Civic Center, and Police Chief Jamie Field, with a helmet on and a rifle strapped to her front, locked down the building.
The Council meeting was just coming to an end.
Councilmember Mary Badame put an upbeat spin on the tense situtation.
“We love our meetings so much that we wanted to extend it,” she said.
Just before 10pm, the Town Manager got a phone call with good news.
“He was caught by officers on this side (of Highway 17),” Constantin said of the suspect, looking relieved. “No injuries. No shots fired.”
Los Gatos-Monte Sereno police said the man was located near the Forbes Mill footbridge and taken into custody.
“At this time, there is no further threat to the community,” a spokesperson wrote on Instagram.
On Wednesday afternoon, LGMSPD spokesperson Sgt. Katherine Mann said, via email, there was no indication the incident was motivated by racial or political factors.
The firearm in question was an airsoft gun designed to look like a rifle (including a scope).
It was unclear if it was in working condition or not, she added.
The suspect was also carrying an illegal knife, Mann said.
Mason Torgerson, a 25-year-old unhoused man, was booked for PC 21310, “Carrying a dirk or dagger concealed,” Health & Safety Code 11377(a), “Possession of Methamphetamine,” and PC 12556(a), “Display of a Replica Firearm in Public.”
He was released from custody the morning after his arrest.
*Article updated June 4, 2025 at 5:10pm with additional information from the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department
