Crime, Fire & Courts

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,...

Santa Cruz County on Monday named Sandra Mendez as its next chief probation officer, selecting a veteran corrections administrator with more than 20 years of experience in community-based justice programs. Mendez will take over leadership of the county’s Probation Department on Feb. 2, county officials...

Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested two subjects for conspiracy to commit a felony and being in possession of a stolen tractor.  One subject was also found to be a convicted felon in possession of methamphetamine and ammunition. On April 20 Sheriff’s Deputies got a report of...

A 70-year-old Watsonville woman suffered major injuries Sunday evening in a two-car crash on Highway 1 near Watsonville.  California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said the woman was driving a silver 2017 Ford Fusion northbound on Highway 1 north of Mar Monte Avenue Sunday. At 5:52pm...

A Watsonville man was sentenced to 25 years and 8 months in state prison for human trafficking, sexual assault and drug crimes, Santa Cruz County District Attorney, Jeffrey Rosell announced Monday. Luis Alberto Salas pleaded no contest on Aug. 29 to multiple counts of human...

Monterey County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Castroville man Wednesday during a car stop for possession of a stolen handgun and a half pound of methamphetamine. Around 12:24pm a deputy conducted a car stop for vehicle code violations in the 10700 block of Merritt Street in...

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 have identified the suspect who was arrested Oct. 3 after he holed up inside a vacant home on Clifford Avenue.  Javier Diaz Baruc, 30, was charged with burglary, resisting arrest, and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, along with multiple outstanding warrants for...

North Monterey County Fire officials join American Medical Response paramedics in treating the male driver of a pickup who veered off of Hall Road Jan. 6 in Las Lomas. The California Highway Patrol said the man lost control of a GMC around 2:30pm while...

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...