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Watsonville
January 17, 2026

WPD: Three Watsonville shootings unrelated; two likely gang-related

Watsonville police
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police on Monday said that three separate shootings that occurred Saturday night—which left two people dead—were not related. Two of them, however, are likely gang-related, WPD spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said. The first shooting, which police believe is gang-related, occurred in the area of Marchant...

Watsonville police investigating two homicides

Watsonville shooting
UPDATE (12:57am, 10/25) Watsonville police say a third man was shot before midnight Saturday on Blackbird Circle behind Ramsay Park—a short walk from the scene of the night’s second homicide. The victim was in critical condition, Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said. It is unclear if...

Big winds on the way; Red Flag warning set for Sunday

About town Tarmo Hannula
Cooler temperatures continue to run the show, both along the coast and inland. Brayden Murdock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Monterey, said it will be, “quite a bit windier in the next few days and drier as well.” He added that...

Man arrested for running chop shop

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS—Law enforcement officials on Thursday arrested a man suspected of running a “chop shop” high in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Victor Guizar Avalos, 40, was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on charges of operating a chop shop and possessing ammunition. He was...

WPD: woman stole thousands from Watsonville business

Julie brooks felony grand theft charges
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police on Thursday arrested a Salinas woman accused of embezzling more than $75,000 from a Watsonville business located on Hangar Way. Julie Brooks, 50, faces felony grand theft charges. She was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on $100,000 bail, but was not in...

Watsonville resident takes to the sky on 92nd birthday

Marie Roberts was just 3 years old when she first started to dream of flying. Born in Nebraska in 1928, Roberts watched her father install a large, multi-unit birdhouse in their home’s yard. She was immediately transfixed. “I looked up at those creatures and I started...

Former Watsonville Police DARE officer dies

Mike Ciglar watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Mike Ciglar, a retired Watsonville Police Department officer and fixture in the local law scene for 30 years, died Oct. 15 at 62. A longtime Watsonville resident, soft-spoken and easy going, Ciglar, among other things, played a huge role in community involvement and served at...

Data privacy, cash bail system goes to voters in state props

Editor’s note: This is the final entry in a series that will break down the California Propositions going to voters in the Nov. 3 election. To read the first entry click here, to read the second entry click here and to read the third...

Watsonville High mural painted over during construction

Watsonville High mural
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville High School community is reeling from the recent loss of a much-loved mural that graced a wall in the school’s cafeteria for more than three decades. Construction workers refurbishing the cafeteria earlier this year painted over the wall after updating wiring and heating...

Lazy days | Photo Gallery

Do you have a recent photograph you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to [email protected] or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the name...
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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...