GILROY – A man who was shot to death while confronting a car thief Tuesday morning in Gilroy has been identified as Jeffrey Dempler, 32, of Gilroy, according to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office.
Officers were initially called to the 1300 block of Pheasant Drive around 12:25 a.m. for a report of an injury hit-and-run collision, the Gilroy Police Department said in a statement. They arrived to find Dempler with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his chest.
Dempler was taken to an area hospital, where he died of his injuries, according to police.
A preliminary investigation revealed Dempler had confronted a person who was