Redwood City police arrest kidnapping suspect

Redwood City police search for solutions after man’s fourth arrest in nine days

in Crime

Following a man’s fourth arrest and his fifth police contact in nine days, Redwood City police said they are working with the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office and other local agencies to explore additional supportive service options to address his “consistent erratic behavior.”

About 4 p.m. Tuesday, officers were dispatched to a business in the 1400 block of El Camino Real on a report of a man, later identified as 36-year-old Vincent Montano, “demonstrating erratic criminal behavior,” police said.

The behaviors included taking a basketball from a group of children passing him on the sidewalk, throwing objects at passing vehicles, attempting to push a bicyclist off a bicycle, attempting to open the doors of several parked vehicles and, after police responded to detain him, nearly getting struck by vehicles while running in the middle of traffic on El Camino Real.  He was eventually detained in the parking lot of Pet Food Express at Sequoia Station, but not before biting an officer twice, police said. The antics didn’t end there.

Montano was transported to San Mateo Medical Center for a physical and emotional health assessment, police said. After being cleared by medical personnel about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, Redwood City police officers went to the hospital to transport him to jail and found him unrestrained in the Emergency Room. Montana attempted to flee officers again, but was ultimately detained, handcuffed and transported to jail using a WRAP leg restraint device, police said.

Redwood City police say they are now taking additional steps to get to the bottom of how to address Montoya’s behavior.

“Four of these events involved varying levels of resistance against police personnel, including two events which required officers to request emergency police assistance to contain the aggressive resistance presented by Montano,” police said. “Redwood City Police Department personnel are coordinating with the District Attorney’s Office and other local agencies to explore additional supportive service options to assist with or identify the cause for Montano’s consistent erratic behavior.  As with all use of force incidents an administrative review will be conducted to determine if the actions of the involved personnel were consistent with the law and department policy.”

A community member sent a video recording of Tuesday’s event to the Redwood City Police Department, which is asking anyone with additional information regarding this incident to contact Lt. Donovan at 650-780-7103, or the Redwood City Police Department’s tip line at 650-780-7110.