She’s Obviously Delusional Here
The 27 year old woman who was shot 3 times in the chest as she tried to run over a Santa Cruz County sheriffs deputy with his own vehicle entered a plea of “Not Guilty” this week. She made the plea on charges of attempted murder one month after she slipped out of handcuffs, got behind the wheel of a patrol car, and injured a deputy by striking him with the vehicle. The woman was shot three times in the chest by a deputy as he tried to stop the attack against his partner. Investigators shared body camera video showing the woman attempting to kill the deputy and being shot. A judge ordered her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. I would hope so. How the hell is she not guilty here? It’s all on body cam video. And she sure as hell isn’t insane. She knew exactly what she was doing. Clear a bed at the county jail and send her to PRISON.
Where’s the Dog When You Need Them
Around 10PM on Wednesday night, a woman who was 8 months pregnant was assaulted and kicked a couple times in front of Bonesio’s liquor store on Pacific and Laurel. Witnesses reported seeing 3 males suspected of the assault and battery walking near the Poet and Patriot and Foster Freeze on Laurel. SCPD got good descriptions of the suspects. Didn’t sound like they caught anyone or anyone was arrested.
Washington Sends Their Love
Thursday morning around 3:00AM, a Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Deputy was patrolling the parking lot of the Home Depot on 41st Avenue on when he found a man from Tacoma, Washington sleeping in a 2018 Dodge Challenger. The license plate on the vehicle belonged on a different car, so the Deputy used the VIN for a records check. The brand-new car was reported stolen out of Seattle. Inside the stolen car, deputies found meth and heroin, as well as identity theft materials such as blank credit cards, fake identification cards, and credit card making equipment. The man was arrested and booked on various felony charges.
Early Morning Fire at Torch Lite Inn
The irony isn’t lost on me about a fire at the “Torch Lite” Inn. Although “Lite” is just bad. What the hell is a “torch lite”? Half a light? Early Sunday morning around 2AM, a fire broke out at the Torch Lite Inn on Riverside Avenue. 30 rooms were cleared and 69 occupants were evacuated. First responders found heavy smoke pouring from the roof and eaves of the two-story motel, as multiple people were seen running from smoke filled rooms as SCPD began evacuations. Fire crews cut holes in the roof, allowing hot gas to escape from the attic. The fire was extinguished in about 45 minutes. Fire officials say it may have been caused by an electrical malfunction in the attic. The Red Cross helped displaced guests with overnight housing, along with food and water. Damage was estimated at $120,000. Nobody was hurt.
Sandbagging It
Last Friday, a man was taken into custody after climbing onto a roof and throwing sandbags and rocks at Watsonville police officers. This all went down in an alley near the 100 block of Elm Street. As officers went to the home to make contact with the man, he climbed on the roof of a home and refused to come down, throwing sandbags and rocks at police. After officers were able to talk the man down from the roof, he was taken to the hospital and was later booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail.
The Dog Days of Summer in Scotts Valley
Last Thursday night, Scotts Valley Police stopped a vehicle for a moving violation. When they noticed the driver acting erratically, they had K9 Atlas perform a sniff test of the vehicle. And Atlas knows when something stinks and doesn’t smell right. A search of the vehicle turned up a loaded sawed off shot gun with the serial number removed, a loaded dart gun, over 5 ounces of marijuana, various packages of cocaine, multiple narcotic prescription pills, a large sum of cash, as well as paraphernalia and documentation associated with the sale of controlled substances. A Watsonville man was arrested and booked on various charges including possession of controlled substances for sale, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a modified firearm with serial number removed and possession of prescription pills without a prescription.
Just a Couple of Drunk Women Fighting in Public
Thursday night around 10PM, two apparently drunk women were brawling in front of the former Caffe Pergolesi, with witnesses reporting that one might have bitten the other one. When SCPD arrived, everyone took off and nobody wanted to press charges or cooperate.
Prowler Arrested on Chestnut Street
Thursday night around 10PM, reports came in about a possible prowler on the 100 block of Chestnut street. SCPD sent multiple units and quickly apprehended a male, who was arrested in a back yard for trespassing and resisting arrest and was taken to county jail.
Hand Meets Window and Loses
Wednesday night around 10:30PM, reports came in about a man who needed medical attention near Maple and Pacific after he punched his hand through a window and broke his hand. Probably lacerated it pretty good too. Unfortunately, I don’t have more of the back story about why he punched his hand through a window. I’m guessing he was angry or drunk or both.
Driver Takes a Flying Leap in Santa Cruz Mountains
Around 9:30PM on Wednesday night, California Highway Patrol responded to the area near Locust and Aldercroft Heights in the Santa Cruz mountains to reports of a car going off the road. When officers arrived they found the car, nose down, stuck in a tree with the driver trapped inside. Firefighters had to secure the car to the tree and use the Jaws of Life tool to extract the driver. He was then pulled by rope up to the roadside in a special basket. CHP says he was taken to Valley Medical Center with moderate injuries. Officers are investigating whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
Great White Shark Washes Up on Local Beach
Law enforcement officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating the death of a great white shark that washed up near the Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos on Sunday. Experts believe the shark was a juvenile, weighing about 500 pounds and eight feet in length. The shark was found with cuts and wounds around it’s body.
UCSC Holds Active Shooter Training on Campus
UC Santa Cruz held an active shooter training program on campus on Wednesday, where multiple local law enforcement agencies and volunteers recreated scenarios they could face in an active shooter situation. The school shut down a portion of the campus on Wednesday for the large-scale training. About 50 firefighters and police officers participated. This is the sixth year the campus has put on this type of training. Over 40 agencies from local ones to San Francisco police joined together to sharpen their skills and improve their response times. The training continued into Friday.
RIP Koko
Koko, the 46 year old gorilla who mastered sign language and became an international star, peacefully passed away Tuesday in her sleep at the Gorilla Foundation refuge in the Santa Cruz mountains, according to The Gorilla Foundation. Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo in 1971 learned sign language at an early age. Researchers moved her to Stanford in 1974 and established The Gorilla Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to preserve and protect gorillas. Koko and The Gorilla Foundation later moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
She liked to read and be read to, and she purred at parts of books she particularly enjoyed. Koko called Fred Rogers and Robin Williams her friends and used her sign language skills to communicate with them. She was said to have understood some 2,000 words of spoken English, and could usually keep up with conversations. And Koko loved kittens!
Rest in peace sweet Koko. You brought so much love into the world with your presence.
Update on Koko and her Kittens
Meet and Greet SCPD Next Week!
Next Monday morning from 10AM until 11:30AM, Lower Westside residents can meet and greet with members of their neighborhood patrol team at the Garfield library at 705 Woodrow Avenue. Kind of an odd time for a neighborhood meeting (when most hard working people are hard at work), but maybe that’s intentional. I went to one of the downtown meetings once, same time frame, and I think the average age of the people attending was around 70. But hey, if you have some free time in the middle of next Monday, or maybe you don’t work, or maybe you’re retired, or maybe you work from home, but if you want to hear about the SCPD plan for the lower westside, check it out (and feel free to vent while you’re there).
Woodies on the Wharf
This Saturday at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Woodies on the Wharf is Northern California’s largest “woodie” car show, featuring more than 200 cars. Admission is free. It’s always cool to see all these beautiful cars out together on the wharf, and it brings out a good crowd of locals and vintage car fans.
Pleasure Point Street Fair
Also this Saturday, we’ve got the Pleasure Point Street Fair! Taking place this Saturday from 11AM-5PM on Portola Drive between 41st and 38th Avenues, six local bands will perform a variety of styles of music on two stages including Americana, Blues, Rock, Reggae and Surf Music. Admission is free.
Free Friday Concert at the Boardwalk!
This week’s band is Los Angeles-based new wave and 80’s MTV favorites The Motels. Free shows at 6:30 and 8:30PM.
The Motels – Suddenly Last Summer
DeCinzotized – Classic Steven DeCinzo
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That is my favorite DeCinzo. Do you know where he is now? We need him.
Another thumbs up for DeCinzo, here. I always loved the way he poked fun at the sacred cows of Santa Cruz.
I’m not sure where he is now. Last I heard he was in San Jose but that was a few years ago. He is sorely missed in Santa Cruz.
<3 <3 rip koko <3 <3
Perhaps with the new zoned/districtized Community Policing initiative, SCPD could carve out an additional “within 700 yards of the SCPD Station” zone for electronic surveillance and intensified patrolling, perhaps on foot or bike. A pretty high percentage of crimes are in this vortex- several of this week’s, the bike chop shop last week, etc etc. Laurel St and Depot Parks both are in this zone, 24/7 hard drug deals, Bonesio’s Anytime Fight & Assault Club, etc etc. Possible the ranger unit moved into PD will get this tasking perhaps. Ironic though that as hard as SCPD works, the ongoing crapitization of the area immediately around PD station shows no sign of abatement. Lower priority? Less calls? Not a quiet neighborhood to begin with?
Hey thanks Van! I completely agree with you about the oddly high number of crimes and service calls in close proximity to the SCPD main station. Laurel Park and the Louden Nelson Community Center, directly across the street, had to erect an iron fence and close their bathrooms to the public, because of the constant, daily stream of bad behavior. The corner near the basketball courts has been a well known open drug market forever, and it’s right next to a kids playground. Our public safety priorities are all messed up here. And Bonesio’s? See the second story above.