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Watsonville
January 18, 2026

Sheriff’s office identifies teen whose remains were found in 1995

Skeletal remains found in 1995 off of Highway 129 near Aromas have been identified as 13-year-old Laura O’Malley from Queens, New York, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday. On March 22, 1995, partial skeletal remains were discovered in a riverbed off Highway 129...

Homicide suspect arrested in Switzerland

A Santa Cruz man was arrested recently in Switzerland in connection with the death of his father, 90-year-old Robert Smallwood.

Photo story: Handgun, stolen vehicle recovered in traffic stop

Watsonville Police process evidence Thursday night following a car stop on Hushbeck Street just after 7:30pm. While police managed to take the driver into custody, two people fled down Center Street on foot. Police found a handgun at the scene and recovered a stolen...

One dead after van plunges off Santa Cruz Wharf

A Scotts Valley man died Sunday morning after his minivan plunged into the ocean from the Santa Cruz Wharf. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as William Westerman, 65.  Santa Cruz Police said Westerman was driving a white Toyota Sienna minivan with his...

Watsonville Police chief nabs armed suspect

Watsonville Police Chief David Rodriguez on Nov. 25 arrested an armed Watsonville gang member carrying a backpack with drugs and ammunition after a brief chase. Issac Sigala, 18, is facing several felony charges including illegally possessing a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang and...

Monterey County DA investigating fatal shooting by CHP officer

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni has begun an investigation into an officer-involved shooting on the Highway 101 northbound at Ralph Lane in Prunedale on March 15.  The California Highway Patrol was dispatched to a report of a solo vehicle collision with a guardrail on...

Fake parking tickets in Santa Cruz

Two tickets side by side
Santa Cruz Police are warning the public of a string of fraudulent citations issued to parked vehicles near the beaches.

Suspect arrested in double homicide in Boulder Creek

A Boulder Creek man is in custody after a month-long investigation of a double murder in the Santa Cruz mountains. The investigation began when the bodies of two men were found in the back of a pick-up truck on Highway 35 on March 24.  On Sunday...

Man walking on trail injured by e-bike

An 84-year-old Bay Village resident was injured Tuesday morning after he was struck by a man on an electric bike on the Salsipudes Creek levee. Michelle Pulido of Watsonville Police said the victim was struck on a wide pedestrian path around 10:45am. The suspect...

K9 helps nab suspect, find drugs, cash, gun

A man was arrested Dec. 4 after Monterey County Sheriff's deputies found drugs, cash and a loaded gun in a vehicle. Around 3:15pm, detectives with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Greenfield Police Department and a K9 officer, served a search warrant...
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New leadership, shared priorities: Investing in the future of public safety

As we begin a new year, I want to reflect on the direction of public safety in Watsonville and the leadership helping guide that...