Gilroy home likely rigged as ‘explosive booby trap,’ investigators say

(KRON) — A Gilroy man was charged in a bizarre case that began as a drunk driving crash, according to prosecutors. When police officers went to Markus Beck’s house on Mockingbird Lane last week, it appeared to have been “rigged as an explosive booby trap,” investigators said.

Propane gas was spewing out of a kitchen stove and the house was at severe risk of exploding and catching on fire, the Gilroy Police Department said. Beck’s house is located close to Luigi Aprea Elementary School.

“Officers were nauseated by the smell of gas. Oven unlit burners were on high. Firefighters turned the gas off and investigators found numerous cell phones strewn around the home, in a possible attempt to remotely ignite a fire. The chimneys and fireplace were plugged,” the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office wrote.

Investigators said the 46-year-old German national works as a software engineer. Beck is now being held in jail without bail.

“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 first fell under law enforcement’s radar around 4:30 a.m. on February 28. That morning, he drunkenly crashed his BMW into a car that was parked on Mantelli Road, and then side-swiped another car, according to police and prosecutors.

A witness led police to the car, where Beck was sitting with a loaded gun at his feet. Officers at the scene determined that Beck was under the influence of alcohol, and a search of the trunk revealed a loaded AR15-style assault rifle, police said.

Two days before Beck’s alleged DUI, he entered the front office of Luigi Aprea Elementary School to contact a female staff member who he believed worked there, police said.

School staff followed district protocols and told Beck to leave the campus. Beck, however, continued walking around the school and peering into classroom windows, one student’s parent told KRON4.

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The Gilroy Police Department wrote, “Beck left the office then loitered around the perimeter of the school. Once again, school staff directed him to leave then notified the Gilroy Police Department. Officers contacted Beck at his residence a short distance away and he was advised to stay away from the school.”

Based on Beck’s troubling actions on February 26 and 28, officers obtained a gun violence restraining order to seize any additional firearms and ammunition from his residence in the 9200 block of Mockingbird Lane.

“Incidents involving intoxicated drivers and illegal possession of firearms pose serious threats to public safety, and swift action was taken to address this matter,” the Gilroy Police Department wrote.

Officers who entered the house quickly realized that “a gas stove had been emitting gas within the residence, posing a significant risk of fire or explosion,” GPD wrote.

This triggered a lockdown at Luigi Aprea Elementary School and nearby homes were evacuated. Parents of Luigi Aprea students told KRON4 that they are upset over a lack of communication from school officials, and they are concerned about their children’s safety. Beck lives across the street from the school, parents said.

No one was hurt in the crash, the arrest, or at the gas-leaking home, according to the DA’s Office.

A protest organized by Advocating For Gilroy Students will be held at the Gilroy Unified School District office at 7810 Arroyo Circle at 6 p.m. Thursday. The group said it represents hundreds of Gilroy families who want more transparency from the school district over student safety matters, including the Beck incident.

The group told KRON4 on Wednesday, “Gilroy Unified School District and Luigi Aprea Elementary School failed to notify families about an incident on 2/26 in which police were called to the school following a man peering into windows and not leaving school grounds. On 2/28, Luigi Aprea was placed on lockdown due to a gas leak at neighboring home and residence of the man. Gilroy parents believe errors were made during those events.”

The DA’s Office said it is working closely with city and school officials in the wake of the incident.

Beck is scheduled to appear in court on April 10 at the South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill. Prosecutors said he is facing a series of weapons charges, and additional charges may be filed.

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