(Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies maintain an investigation Monday near Monte Vista Drive where several men wearing ski masks burst into a home, attacked three teen males with hammers and made off with several items. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Pajaronian)
APTOS — Three teen males suffered injuries, one of them seriously, in an alleged home invasion robbery Monday in a quiet neighborhood in the Aptos Hills known as Rolling Green Estates.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Cleveland said several masked suspects entered a garage about 1:40 a.m. on the 100 block of Monte Vista Drive in Aptos and assaulted three teenage boys with a hammer while two of them were sleeping. The teenagers, ages 16, 16 and 17, all suffered head injuries. After the assault, the suspects stole several items and fled the area in an unknown vehicle.
The 17-year-old victim was taken to a trauma center for a significant head injury and is still in critical condition, Cleveland said. The other two victims were taken to a local hospital for treatment and have since been released.
Sheriff’s Office detectives began their investigation immediately after the attack and Crime Scene Investigators processed the home for forensic evidence. The surrounding area was canvassed for surveillance video that may have captured the suspect’s vehicle fleeing the area.
The suspects could only be described as men between the ages of 18-20. The motive for the targeted attack remains unclear and Sheriff’s detectives are following up on potential leads.
Anyone with information regarding this attack is asked to call Person’s Crimes Sgt. Dee Baldwin at 454-7635.
