WATSONVILLE — The man who was shot Friday morning after a court dispute died from his wounds Saturday afternoon, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Cleveland said.
The man was identified as Victor Vasquez Lopez, 36, of Santa Cruz.
Miguel Castaneda, also of Santa Cruz, was arrested at the scene, and charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail.
It is unclear how the men knew each other.
Miguel Castaneda
According to Santa Cruz County Superior Court Executive Officer Alex Calvo, court bailiffs separated Lopez and Castaneda after a disagreement in the Watsonville branch of Santa Cruz County Superior Court.
The men were involved in an unspecified family court issue, Calvo said.
After bailiffs sent one of the men out and held the other back, the two got into an altercation on westbound Riverside Drive.
Witnesses said that a white Toyota pickup collided with a black BMW, and then the white pickup pulled in front of the BMW.
The men exited their vehicles, and the driver of the truck allegedly shot the other man several times, the witness said.
Castaneda remained at the scene, and was arrested without incident by a Watsonville Police officer.
Lopez suffered several gunshots, including one to the head. He was flown by CALSTAR air ambulance to an out-of-county trauma center.
Castaneda will be charged with murder when he is arraigned on Tuesday.
Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Baldwin at 454-7635.
