WATSONVILLE — A Capitola man was arrested on Feb. 15 for numerous felony sex crimes against a minor.
Brett Bartle, 42, was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail. He will be arraigned today.
Bartle was arrested in front of 345 Westridge Drive, the headquarters of Driscoll’s, where he is employed. His LinkedIn page lists his position there as an informatics manager.
Driscoll’s spokeswoman Frances Dillard said the company did not learn about the details of the arrest until the following day.
“We are surprised and shocked to learn of these allegations,” she said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families impacted by this investigation.”
Bartle’s employment is “under review,” Dillard said.
Online records show that Bartle has also lived in Watsonville.
Bartle faces eight counts of lewd acts with a child, three counts of rape by force or fear and eight counts of sexual battery, court records show.
He is due in court today at 8:15 a.m. for his arraignment.
In an online posting, a person who identified herself as a family member said the allegations stem from 2009, and were made by a victim who is now an adult.
This was not Bartle’s first brush with the law. He pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge in 2015 and was sentenced to 36 months of work release, court records show.
