Prosecutors say it was “sheer luck” that no shoppers were struck by the flying bullets that led to a lockdown of a popular South Bay shopping mall in the lead-up to Christmas.
Three people have now been charged in connection with the Dec. 20 incident, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
“Clearly this was the most serious type of crime that can be committed,” said Michael Vidmar, Deputy District Attorney with the Crime Strategies Unit, commending the officers who responded to the call. “This is a scenario where they ran to the mall to help people and confronted a situation that was really unknown at the time.”
Vidmar said an 18-year-old man, from San Jose, was taken into custody and charged with firing a machine gun inside Westfield’s Oakridge Mall at two suspected gang members.
“People were returning back to the malls after days of Covid restrictions,” he said, adding that’s when—out of nowhere—”a nightmare scenario unfolds.”
‘We want to make sure that our Santa Clara County Citizens Are Feeling Comfortable Going Out’
—Michael Vidmar, Deputy District Attorney
While the suspect, identified by police as Naylen Hobson-Plattner, didn’t hit anyone, hundreds of shoppers endured hours of chaos, as San Jose Police Department—and other agencies—rushed to the regional commercial hub, authorities said.
“It was a holiday miracle that no one was killed that day in the mall,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “Now we will prosecute this incredibly reckless act of gun violence.”
Investigators say around 6pm that day, two suspects, identified as Ulises Jimenez, 19, and Paul Lebeau, 18, stole jewelry from the suspected shooter and his girlfriend. San Jose Police gang investigators say they believe both of the robbers belong to a gang.
The suspects have already been arraigned: The two suspected robbers are out of custody pending their next hearing. Hobson-Plattner remains in custody and is due back in court April 18.
Vidmar said Hobson-Plattner used a handgun that was modified to become a fully automatic weapon.
“Those are not legal firearms to buy or possess,” he said. “Here’s a situation where—in a very public setting—one was used.”
The suspects benefitted from the commotion at the mall to make their getaway, but police kept following leads until they were able to hunt them down, according to Vidmar.
“This wasn’t just a scenario where the incident happened and they forgot about it,” he said, adding it’s important to hold those involved accountable for the safety of the public. “We want to make sure that our Santa Clara County citizens are feeling comfortable going out.”
