GILROY — A man arrested and charged with causing two drunk-driving collisions while carrying guns in his car is also accused of trying to rig his house to explode and injure or kill any visitors while he was in jail — including police officers looking to seize more of his weapons.
Markus Beck, 46, was arrested by Gilroy police following a series of alleged DUI crashes, the discovery of illegal firearms at his home, and allegations that he booby-trapped his home for police serving him with a gun-seizure warrant. (Photo courtesy of Gilroy Police Dept.)
The crimes alleged against 46-year-old Markus Beck are compounded by his bizarre behavior two days earlier, in which he was reportedly kicked off the grounds of Luigi Aprea Elementary School — which is located near his home — for loitering instead of following orders to leave after he tried to contact a female school employee on the campus.
“I am so thankful that the Gilroy police stopped this incredibly dangerous behavior before anyone was badly hurt or killed,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “We will hold this defendant accountable for the damage and dangerous behavior. The Gilroy community is shaken, and we are there to help.”
Beck, a German citizen, was arrested in the early morning hours of Feb. 28 after Gilroy police responded to a report of a hit and run near Mantelli Drive and Wren Avenue. Police said responding officers found that a BMW driver crashed into a parked car and sideswiped another vehicle.
The officers caught up to Beck, who was parked nearby sitting in his car. Police say officers determined he was driving under the influence. While searching his vehicle, they discovered a loaded gun at his feet and an AR-15 rifle in his trunk.
Beck was arrested and booked into the Elmwood men’s jail, where he is currently being held without bail.
Police had been alerted to Beck’s unwanted presence at the school earlier in the week. Combining that information with the DUI and weapons arrest, investigators obtained a gun-violence restraining order to temporarily seize any firearms he had at his Mockingbird Lane home.
According to police and prosecutors, when officers went to the home later on Feb. 28, they were immediately overwhelmed by the smell of natural gas. After evacuating nearby homes and locking down the school, firefighters were summoned to shut off the gas supply to the home.
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Once they could safely enter, police discovered that the oven was set to high but unlit, filling the home with gas, and that the chimneys and fireplace were plugged. They also “found numerous cell phones strewn around the home, in a possible attempt to remotely ignite a fire,” according to prosecutors.
While a fire ignited by a cell phone is theoretically possible, prevailing research and advisories have stated that the actual risk is remote.
Beck’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 10, and he will remain in jail at least until then, according to court and jail records.
Anyone with information for investigators about Beck can contact Detective Jason Greathead at 408-846-0373. Support resources for community members are being offered at the Mariposas Resiliency Center in Gilroy, which can be reached at 408-209-8356 or by email at Mariposas@dao.sccgov.org.