WATSONVILLE — A Watsonville man was arrested Tuesday morning after investigators linked him to a vehicle that was stolen over the weekend.
According to California Highway Patrol officer Sam Courtney, a vehicle was reported stolen from the unincorporated area of Watsonville, and investigators from the Santa Cruz County Auto Theft Reduction and Enforcement Task Force (SCARE) were able to track it to a property on Silliman Road.
SCARE, along with the CHP, Watsonville Police, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s office, searched the property and residence, and identified 49-year-old Jaime Ortiz as the suspect. He was taken into custody at the residence for auto theft and possession of a stolen vehicle, Courtney said.
According to Courtney, investigators also found multiple other vehicles on the property that had their identification numbers removed, and police were determining if those had been stolen as well.
