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Watsonville
October 14, 2026

WPD recovers 2 loaded guns, arrests teen

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police arrested a teen male and recovered two loaded handguns Tuesday evening after responding to a report of a group of teenagers smoking and drinking at a park in a quiet suburb.

Watsonville Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said police got a call about suspicious activity around 7:30pm regarding a group of teenagers smoking and drinking at Las Brisas Park on Nueva Vista Avenue off of Ohlone Parkway.

When officers arrived, the group ran away in different directions. One of them, a 14-year-old male, was holding a gun as he ran from the park, Pulido said. He eventually tossed the gun into a bush and stopped for the officer. The officer recovered the loaded firearm and arrested him.

Another officer searched the area and found a gun with a high-capacity magazine in the bushes, Pulido said. The rest of the group managed to escape.

The 14-year-old suspect was booked into Juvenile Hall.

This month alone, Pulido said, WPD officers have seized 16 illegally possessed guns.

Tarmo Hannula
Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

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