A lengthy stretch of Freedom Boulevard was shut down Tuesday evening after Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies discovered a pipe bomb in a car.
The incident started around 4pm when deputies conducted a traffic stop near the 2600 block of Freedom Boulevard. The deputy’s K9 then alerted him of suspicious material aboard the vehicle and a search was conducted, the Sheriff’s Office said.
That’s when the suspect attempted to flee on foot.
After a brief struggle, he was detained without further incident. During the search, a loaded gun, suspected narcotics and a pipe bomb were found.
Deputies got help from the California Highway Patrol in shutting down Freedom Boulevard from Bowker Road in Watsonville to Corralitos Road while members of the Bomb Team responded to help dispose of the device. After the bomb was safely detonated, the road was reopened around 8pm.
