The Weekly Dump 6.21.19

Early Morning Aptos Shooting Sends Victim to Trauma Center

Around 3AM on Thursday morning, a resident of a home on the 500 block of Cedar Street shot another person who they apparently didn’t know. When Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies responded, they found one victim with multiple gunshot wounds who was taken to a trauma center. According to investigators, there appears to be no connection between the victim and the resident. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Nearby residents on Pine street told investigators about suspicious activity in the area before the shooting. Some thought the person shot may have been trying to break into homes on nearby Pine Street. Apparently two women live at the home of the shooting but only one was home when the confrontation happened. The Sheriff’s Office said no one is in custody for the shooting at this time. Sounds to me like someone picked the wrong house to try to break into or burglarize.

Murder/Suicide Shocks Aptos Community

Sunday night around 7PM, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home on Cuesta Drive after receiving a call about someone being injured inside the residence. When deputies arrived, they found a 45 year old woman dead of a gunshot wound in the living room, and found a 56 year old man dead of an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound in a bedroom. News reports indicated the couple was going through a divorce.

Low Hanging Fruit Picked Up in Live Oak

Sunday night, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies found a man loitering near Mattison Lane and Chanticleer Avenue in Live Oak. After deputies searched him and his car, they found brass knuckles, numerous pieces of suspected stolen mail, forged checks, and burglary tools. He was taken to jail where he was booked in for a variety of charges. He’s been arrested 11 times locally since 2014.

Vagrants Arrested While Prowling Along Graham Hill Road

Early Tuesday morning, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies found a man and woman prowling in a driveway near Graham Hill Road. After searching their vehicle, Deputies found drugs, paraphernalia, stolen property, and burglary tools. Both were arrested and taken to the county jail. The male has only been arrested 11 times since 2013. The woman has been arrested 4 times since 2017.

Home Depot Wants Their Stuff Back

Tuesday night, a Santa Cruz Sheriff’s deputy found a woman near Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue who was in possession of two sets of power tools that were confirmed as stolen. She was arrested and taken to jail. I guess it’s worth noting she was also arrested a couple weeks ago for pretty much the exact same thing. Possession of stolen power tools. The county shuffle!

Blanket Brawl on Main Beach

In one of the funnier stories I heard this week, apparently a couple of women started scrapping on Main Beach over blanket space at the Boardwalk’s free movie night. The movie was “Lost Boys”. I heard police (or possibly just Boardwalk security) were called in to break up the blanket fight, and the two women were escorted off the beach, to the applause of many in the crowd.

Pain in the Ass Turns Himself In

On Tuesday, a man who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest turned himself in to Sheriff’s deputies in an attempt to smuggle drugs INTO the Santa Cruz county jail. Apparently detectives “got wind” of his plan to sneak contraband up his butt and into the jail, so they did an x-ray upon arrival. They found nearly two ounces of meth and heroin hidden in his body cavity. Investigators say he tried to sneak in drugs, tobacco, suboxone and needles. And speaking of the county jail…..

Grand Jury Finds Issues With Santa Cruz County Jails

This week, the Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury released a new report on their inspection of detention facilities in the county. The Grand Jury toured the Main Jail, Blaine Street Women’s Facility, Rountree Detention Facility, Juvenile Hall, the Court Holding Cell in Santa Cruz and Conservation Camp #45 in Ben Lomond.

The report was critical on a number of issues.

They reported that drugs have come into all facilities undetected, overcrowding at the Main Jail is an ongoing issue, staff shortages result in mandatory overtime, and staff are forced to commute long distances because of unaffordable housing locally.

The Grand Jury report recommended the following:

  • Researching and evaluating body scanning equipment to detect drugs.
  • Evaluating long-term solutions to overcrowding at the Main Jail.
  • Addressing effects of mandatory overtime.
  • Setting a target date for implementing recommendations within the next six months.

Woodies on the Wharf!

Woodies on the Wharf is back for another year! This Saturday! At the Wharf!

Food Truck Fridays in Downtown Santa Cruz!

Starting this week, local food trucks are coming to downtown Santa Cruz, along with free music, dance performances, and kid’s activities. Be sure to stop by and see my friends at the Union Foodie truck! Just look for the Union label! I’m gonna try to sample as many as possible. Maybe I can talk my friends into going tapas style.

Smash Mouth Plays For Free at the Boardwalk!

Smash Mouth returns to the Boardwalk for free shows at 6:30 and 8:30PM. And they love their Warriors!

The Santa Mierda Podcast Network

Be sure to check out the Santa Mierda Podcast Network! We’ve got the latest “Unfiltered” by yours truly, as well as a new podcast, “Untreated” from Sharona. You can find the Santa Mierda Podcast Network on SoundCloud. And Apple Music. And Spotify. It’s free so check it out and give it a listen! Next new podcast should be coming this Sunday night!

Check Out Our Twitter Feed for More Mierda!

Be sure to check out and follow our Twitter feed for even more mierda! Even though the Dump only comes your way once a week, I try to post breaking news and updates on other days as well. So check us out and follow us on Twitter for even more updates about real time news in Santa Cruz you might not otherwise hear about.

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10 Comments

  1. marie powell

    Ben, I have been meaning to leave a comment for far too long! Let me not waste one more moment. Learned about and signed up for your newsletter well over a year ago. Have thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated this periodical since. Coverage of each story is clean and tight, your writing style articulate and concise, with an occasional touch of humor. Even when the events you include may be as much as a week old, I am still interested in hearing about what is going on in my town, from the far west to the east side and beyond. Yes, I am glad to read about the “happy, feel-good” happenings but keeping apprised of crimes committed and our sadder, social problems actually gives me a better measure of my security and well-being. I do not want to live in simple, ignorance bliss–your reporting helps me to define where/how I can help change things for the better and gives me a better appreciation for the all the good things I have in my “little life”! So thank you, and please, keep it comin’!

  2. Johnny at the Harbor

    Again, great coverage and reporting the goo, bad and of course the Ugly if our city. thanks again.

  3. Another great newsletter. Thanks! Sounds like a rare example of someone in Santa Cruz using the Second Amendment to stop a home invasion. Then there’s a couple of perps trying to win the Santa Cruz Recidivism Championship of the Decade award. Lastly, we have drugs up the butt.

    Gotta love Santa Cruz!

  4. Can you just imagine what it feels like to be a sheriff’s deputy and risk your life to save some family from a burgler with a gun and meth…take the guy to jail and “oh, he’s been here 11 times and we don’t have room for him…” ??? Poor SantaCruz…

  5. I loved reading the news about the home invader shot by residents. If this can happen in Aptos, please let it happen in Santa Cruz.

  6. It’s Monday morning and the editors of the Senile just came out in favor of impeachment. So we’re one step closer to getting rid of those two clowns.

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