Crime, Fire & Courts

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...

A routine traffic stop turned into a chase late Tuesday night that ended with the arrest of a 17-year-old suspected gang member and the recovery of a loaded gun, according to Watsonville Police. Around 11pm, a silver Honda Civic was stopped near West Sixth and...

Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies on Saturday arrested two women who were allegedly running an unlicensed daycare center after a 3-month-old infant died in their care. Maria Marquez, 62, and her daughter, Johanna Marquez, 35, both of Royal Oaks, were charged with involuntary manslaughter, felony child...

A 51-year-old male bicyclist died early Tuesday morning in a hit-and-run crash at the intersection of South Green Valley Road and Carey Avenue.  Watsonville Police said the bicyclist, who has not been identified, died at the hospital Wednesday night. The crash happened shortly after 6am. The...

Watsonville Police teamed up with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office in helping locate and impound one of five vehicles related to the illegal sideshow event that took place Feb. 2.  A joint enforcement operation took place that night with multiple law enforcement agencies. Based on...

An arrest has been made after a six-week investigation into the murder of a 34-year-old Watsonville man behind the Chipotle Restaurant on the 1300 block of Main Street. Watsonville Police said the 16-year-old suspect was taken into custody Saturday night in connection with the Oct....

A 19-year-old Watsonville man has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting an underage girl.  Christopher Medina Amezquita was arrested in Capitola with help from Capitola Police, the Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. He was booked into Santa Cruz...

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...

CLOSE CALL Firefighters douse hot spots in a brush fire that erupted on the 300 block of Amesti Road Friday. An official from CalFire said the 3:20pm brush fire climbed to two acres before firefighters from Pajaro Valley Fire District, Watsonville and Central Fire...

A Castroville man is facing kidnapping charges after he allegedly grabbed a 10-year-old girl who was walking home Friday. Salvador Hernandez-Saldivar, 61, was charged with kidnapping, assault with intent to commit a felony, child endangerment and annoying or molesting a minor under 18, Monterey County...