Crime, Fire & Courts

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...

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...

Watsonville Police investigate a four-vehicle crash on South Green Valley Road Tuesday morning. Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for Watsonville Police, said an unlicensed teen male was traveling southbound on Green Valley in a Ford F350 pickup around 10:30am when he plowed into a Ford F150...

Local law agencies found a large stash of illegal firearms ammunition following a routine car stop. According to the California Highway Patrol, officers in April stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation in Santa Cruz County. The officers learned that the driver had a suspended...

A man living in a homeless encampment in the Arana Gulch area was arrested Tuesday after he was found with illegal drugs, cash, police scanners and a passel of high-end stolen bikes totaling more than $30,000. Joshua Morris, 35, was charged with grant theft, possession...

Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputies on Wednesday—with the help of a Belgian Malinois K9 officer named Rocket—arrested a Watsonville man after he was found with a large stash of illegal drugs. Rodrigo Roy Marquez, 45, was charged with possession of narcotics for sale, driving on a...

A man suffered at least one stab wound Thursday afternoon in Capitola. Capitola Police, aided by Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies and the California Highway Patrol rushed to the 1800 block of 44th Avenue where they located the victim suffering from a stab wound to...

NEW STOP A new four-way stop is now in place at Tuttle Avenue and Lake Village Drive. Watsonville Police say the change will help slow traffic and make the intersection safer for everyone, whether driving, walking, or biking.

At an upcoming meeting, the Watsonville City Council will consider renewing a contract with Atlanta, Ga.-based Flock Safety, which has installed 20 license plate reader cameras throughout the city. Watsonville signed a two-year contract with Flock in 2023 for $132,000. In the past six months, the...

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...