FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Suspect Daniel Pena	Suspect Mario Munoz-Hernandez
IN-CUSTODY	ARRESTED

In January of 2025, Officers from the Violent Crimes Enforcement Team (VCET) conducted follow up on a tip they received of gang activity in the area of Ocala Avenue and S. King Road. During the course of the investigation, Officers observed surveillance footage of a male suspect in possession of a firearm in public. The suspect was later identified as Daniel Pena, who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Officers also discovered that Suspect Pena had been identified as the primary suspect responsible for an unrelated armed robbery that occurred later that month in the city of San José which was being investigated by the SJPD Gang Investigations Unit (GIU).

Officers obtained a warrant for Suspect Pena's arrest and a search warrant for his residence. 

On March 20, 2025, VCET Officers and GIU Detectives, with the assistance of the Covert Response Unit, apprehended Suspect Pena in the city of San José. During the search of the residence, Officers located two privately manufactured firearms belonging to Suspect Pena. He was later booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail for firearm related crimes and armed robbery. Additional illegal firearms were located inside of a locked safe, which belonged to a separate suspect identified as Mario Munoz-Hernandez. 

In the safe, Officers seized a privately made firearm, handgun manufacturing parts, an unserialized AK-47 short-barrel rifle, a completed upper and lower receiver for an assault rifle, three unregistered loaded handguns, multiple cryptocurrency wallets, over $20,000 in cash, multiple rounds of ammunition, and narcotics.

After locating the illegal firearms, VCET Officers obtained an arrest warrant for Suspect Mario Munoz-Hernandez. On April 4, 2025, VCET Officers located and apprehended Suspect Munoz-Hernandez in the city of San José. He was later booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail for possession of illegal firearms.

Anyone with information about this case or similar cases is asked to contact Officer Cortez #4526 of the San José Police Department Violent Crimes Enforcement Unit via email: 4528@sanjoseca.gov.

Submit crime tips and remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or on www.siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org. If the information you submit leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.