News

Watsonville Police on Tuesday arrested a murder suspect after an hours-long standoff in a strawberry field near Trafton and McGowan roads, just outside Pájaro. Hector Rocha, 44, of Watsonville, has been charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail, where he...

UPDATE, AUG. 9: Watsonville murder suspect arrested after standoff ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Watsonville Police are looking for a suspect after a man was shot to death Monday night on the 100 block of West Beach Street.    At about 8:45pm, officers responded to the area for reports of a...

Tommy Moffitt of Santa Cruz was proud of himself Saturday morning, a big smile on his face as he carried six backpacks—one on his back, one on his front and two each on his outstretched arms—through Kaiser Permanente Arena to be filled with school...

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to beware of a scam in which someone pretending to be a sheriff’s employee asks for payment for non-existent infractions. The department has received several complaints over the past two weeks about someone claiming to be...

The Watsonville Strawberry Festival kicked off Friday downtown for its three-day run. The annual event continues Sunday from 11am to 7pm, featuring strawberry-infused treats, live music, a carnival and more.

A man was killed Friday morning when he was shot multiple times on the 800 block of McKenzie Avenue. According to Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido, dispatchers received multiple 911 calls about gunshots being heard in the neighborhood at about 10am.    Officers responded and found a...

Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials have replaced Watsonville High Principal Clara Fernandez, three years after she took the helm of the school. In her place, Chrissy MacLean will step in as interim principal, says interim Superintendent Murry Schekman. “MacLean was a teacher and Assistant Principal...

As students across the state prepare to return to the classroom from their summer break, school districts are faced with a vexing problem: declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism—both of which have been growing every year—are combining to take a bite out of annual revenues,...

Santa Cruz Supervisor and current Board Chair Zach Friend announced Friday that he will not seek a fourth term on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.  Friend was first elected in 2012, and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2016 and 2020. His current term ends...

A Watsonville man with an extensive criminal record was arrested Monday after he allegedly exposed himself to several women in a laundromat. Joel Navarro, 27, was charged with assault with intent to commit mayhem, rape, sodomy, oral copulation, sexual battery, attempted sexual battery and indecent...