Two Fremont Men Arrested Amid 'Nuisance' Home Investigation

Fremont CA

20 January, 2021

7:17 PM

Description

FREMONT, CA — Two Fremont men were arrested on suspicion of multiple charges after police opened an investigation into a home in Fremont. The had long been a source of criminal activity, police said in a Tuesday statement. Special operations detectives opened an operation at the "nuisance" house on Ellsworth Street, that was negatively "affecting the entire community," police said. "The majority of the occupants were on probation with significant criminal history." In early January, undercover detectives began following one of the residents. After the resident drove to the Probation Department in Hayward for an appointment, he was detained for a search warrant. Detectives found that the man had arrived in a stolen vehicle from Pleasanton. Valentino Esparza, 37, of Fremont was arrested and booked at Santa Rita Jail. After his arrest, detectives returned to Ellsworth Street to carry out a search warrant. There, detectives uncovered a stolen AR pistol, which was converted into an assault weapon. They also found identity theft material and what they suspect to be fentanyl. The pistol was also stolen from a home in Pleasanton, police said. Esparza was reportedly booked for "felon in possession of a firearm/ammunition, possession of a loaded/stolen firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a stolen vehicle," police said, adding that he has numerous prior arrests for: "robbery, burglary, theft, possession of stolen property, possession of drugs for sales, possession of drugs, possession of stolen vehicles, criminal threats, identity theft, resisting arrest, and providing false information to a peace officer." Another man who was at the home, James Robinson, 39, of Fremont, was also arrested in connection to three separate warrants: possession of a stolen vehicle, identity theft and possession of drugs for sale, police said. Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation was urged to call the Major Crimes Task Force at 510-790-6660.