The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 29-year-old Joshua Timothy Holtzclaw for voluntary manslaughter after the Sheriff’s Dive Team recovered a man’s body in Moss Landing Harbor Wednesday following a fight aboard a boat.
The body was identified as 26-year-old Trenten Paul Black of Aptos, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Just before 9am Wednesday, Sheriff’s deputies and California State Parks officers were notified of an incident where two boats collided in the harbor. Witnesses reported seeing one boat operator climbing onto the other’s boat and a physical confrontation occurred.
At one point, one subject was reported to have fallen into the water while the other assaulted him with a stick. Witnesses then reported one of the men exited the water with his boat. That man, identified as Holtzclaw, was detained by deputies for questioning and arrested Thursday.
Witnesses reported that Black had not exited the water and could no longer be seen. The Sheriff’s Dive Team, with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and a SONAR device were able to find a body in the water in the area.
At 1:20pm, Black’s body was recovered and taken to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Sheriff’s Detective Josue Ramirez at 831.253.6068. You can remain anonymous when providing information.
