The Weekly Dump 10.18.19

Sexual Predator Found Dead in County Jail

Sunday morning around 5:30AM, local suspected child rapist and sexual predator James Kohut was found dead in his cell at the Santa Cruz County main jail. He lived in a protective housing unit and was found alone in his cell. Indications are he likely took his own life but an autopsy will be performed later this week to determine the cause of death. He has been held in jail since May of 2017 when he was arrested on felony sex related charges. The former brain surgeon for Dominican Hospital was arraigned on multiple child sex charges including sodomy, oral copulation and forcible lewd acts upon five children 14 and under back in 2017. To quote the late great civil rights attorney Clarance Darrow, “I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure,”

Attempted Stabbing Leads to Arrest

Thursday afternoon around 1PM, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 1600 block of Commercial Way in Santa Cruz for a report of a disturbance at a business. After arriving, they determined that a 34 year old female transient had attacked and injured a man with a stick before she pulled a knife and attempted to stab him. Apparently the two knew each other and had previously dated for about 5 years. The female was arrested on domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon charges and was taken to jail.

Coffee With a Cop

Saturday afternoon, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a man who caused a disturbance at a local coffee shop in Live Oak before stealing and leaving with stolen items from the business. A few minutes later just down the street, the same guy and his girlfriend were apparently caught stealing stuff from a car and when confronted, brandished a knife at the witness. Nearby deputies arrested them both on numerous charges. He’s been arrested 8 times in the past 3 months alone. The message we are sending to guys like this are “come to Santa Cruz and get out of jail free”.

This is How Santa Cruz Enables Domestic Violence in the Community

Last Saturday afternoon around 2PM, SCPD arrested a 52 year old male on the 200 block of Dufour street on a number of charges, including domestic violence, disobeying a protective order, and a probation violation. He’s been arrested 7 times since 2013. He’s a frequent flyer on the county shuffle, arrest, drive to jail, kick to curb, arrest, drive to jail, kick to curb. I’m sensing a pattern of failure here.

The Usual Madness at Safeway

Last Thursday night around 7:30PM, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 6200 block of Graham Hill Road to the Felton Safeway for a report of a male with a stay away order trespassing at the store. Deputies knew he was on searchable probation and when they searched him they found drugs (of course). They also determined he was under the influence of a controlled substance and he resisted arrest as they tried to get him into their patrol car. He was transported and booked in the county jail. The county shuffle. The circle of strife.

Watsonville Drunk Driver Sends Five Kids to the Hospital

Last Friday night, a 19 year old woman from Watsonville was driving a Chrysler 300 on Freedom Blvd. near Appletree Lane when she veered into oncoming traffic and collided head on with a Honda Odyssey carrying by five kids from Watsonville, who all suffered significant injuries as a result of the collision. She was arrested for suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol and causing great bodily harm.

Car Torched Off Bear Creek Road

Monday night around 7PM, someone apparently torched a car off Bear Creek Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains which briefly scorched about a quarter of an acre of nearby brush . Initial reports indicated that the car was likely abandoned, and there were no injuries according to Cal Fire.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Last Sunday around 2:30PM, SCPD arrested a guy on the 700 block of Ocean Street for vandalism. Actually, they didn’t technically arrest him, they cited him with a piece of paper he liked used to wipe his butt with a few hours later. Three days later, they arrested the same guy around noon on the 200 block of Front Street for being drunk in public. Again, he wasn’t technically arrested, he was given a ride to the drunk tank to sleep it off. He’s got three different mugshots from just the past 2 weeks. Enabling!

The Gift That Keeps on Giving Part II

Around 2:30AM on Wednesday morning, a 49 year old woman was arrested on the 900 block of El Dorado Avenue by Santa Cruz Sheriff’s deputies for three separate probation violations, violations that were considered to be revokable and reason to re-arrest again. So what happens? She’s out on bail. Is county probation really that oblivious? Apparently so. She’s been arrested 10 times since 2017. I’m seeing a pattern of failure here!

Just a Bum Wanting Free Beer

Thursday morning around 11:30AM, reports came in about a bum who was walking into convenience stores along Ocean Street near Water and stealing six packs of beer. SCPD responded with multiple units and arrived on scene quickly, catching up with the guy as he was running down Ocean Street with a six pack in his hand. SCPD got physical with the guy on Clay Street before he was detained in handcuffs and arrested. He was wanted out of Arizona, who won’t pick him up. Like flies on mierda, we’re a magnet for bums and criminals from all over the country.

Cruising Around High in a Stolen Car at 8:30 in the Morning

Wednesday morning around 8:30AM, a 40 year old male from Salinas was arrested by SCPD on the 700 block of West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz for driving a stolen car and drug possession.

Down to the Wire!

Two days until the deadline for signatures to recall Drew Glover and Chris Krohn are due!

If you haven’t signed yet, please do so in the next 2 days! And if you have a petition with signatures, please get those petitions to the folks over at SCU ASAP! It would be a shame to have petitions that others have signed fail to make the deadline because the person collecting didn’t turn it in in time. Everyone who signed a petition is counting on the collectors to get every single petition turned in on time. Every single signature is critical and we need to make sure we leave no signature left behind. And thanks again to everyone who worked so hard on this. It will pay off. I believe this. No fucking quarter here.

Close the Door Put Out the Light

No Quarter – Led Zeppelin

Weekly Shoutouts and Thanks!

I just want to thank Surf City Barber Shop, Stockwell Cellars, Central Coast Welding and Fabrication, Java Junction Coffee Roasting, KSCO, Bone-A-Fide Dog Care, Brooks Properties, Carolyn Livingston Campaign Services, Damon Bruder Construction, Biomarcommunications, Jane Becker, and all the other local businesses and business owners who are actively supporting the recall efforts. Please support these brave local businesses, who are being stalked and harassed by recall critics for simply exercising their first amendment freedom of speech rights. They deserve our ongoing support and our business.

Also thanks and kudos to David Plumlee, Terry Spodick, Don Reimann, Robert Stone, David Quesada, Scott Richards, Elizabeth Clifton, Carol Polhamus, and everyone else who has donated their time and money to the recall campaign. Your contributions are very much appreciated!

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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32 Comments

  1. Holy Moly !! The doctor committed suicide and there was another death the next day. Maybe the DOJ / Attorney General will come and have a visit to the jail. Maybe they can figure out why the revolving door is constantly moving. With all the arrests and tickets, you would think someone would be interested in finding out what the hell is happening!!
    I have had #ENOUGH, how about you?? If you haven’t signed the recall petition find one and sign it. Let’s get this done !!! #RECALL

    • Thanks Paige. I meant to mention the other death in the county jail this past week but I didn’t really have many details about it.

      • He was a banger. He ratted on someone, so the underlings were ordered to kill him. Since it happened in a four man cell, and the other three guys aren’t talking, I don’t know what the cops will do. Charge all three with murder, I guess.

  2. “Someone” set a garbage can on fire on the corner across the street from bookshop SC. Been doing my posts almost 6 months and this is the second fire I’ve seen set. WHY ARE CRIMINALS ADDICTS AND HOMELESS ALLOWED TO WANDER OUR STREETS UNCHECKED WHEN ANYONE WITH COMON SENCE KNOWS WHAT THERE UP TO-NO GOOD!!!! Please sign petitions people!!!

    Assuming a recall will AT-LEAST get some small change for REAL problems I can only be optimistic. I can spit fire sometimes when I see what I see and hear what I hear and It’s down right stupid to life threatening dangerous at times. People will say it could be worse it’s worse elsewhere BUT!NO! SC I believe can recover but not if it keeps being RUN like it has been and is now.

    I’ve had it seems a million incidents with “street people “ now and it’s the same story when PD is involved it seems PD can’t do anything about there “street people “ problem. SCOTTS VALLEY has recently put signs outside there shopping centers cause the Mierda has started to overflow-great. But when you call PD there it’s different there’s no ticket slap on the wrist that department cleans up any mess that’s around. They probably bring the Mierda back to SC where everyone thinks it belongs but that’s whoever is in charge of SC’s fault.

    The buildings I guard lately have been getting damaged and broken into. Why is it that the janitors,cleaners,maids,general employees seem to be the ones who have to deal with these “street people “ the more I talk to these hard working folks and there stories of how basically there’s no help from bosses or police most just don’t care anymore and just hurry and do there jobs and then get the hell out of SC and laugh at the “Board Walk commercials on tv” one cleaner Spanish speaking lady says when her family sees the boardwalk commercials on tv at the end her whole family yells out in Spanish “DROGAS!” Spanish for “DRUGS!” Instead of “Boardwalk!” Id do the same but I ditched all but dvds and YouTube to watch at home. I hate commercials:).

    And I’ll say it again the river needs to be actively patrolled by PD and rangers why is it “base” for the scum that lurk at night and day. And I still talk to these “people “ most say it’s the jails being overcrowded that’s why they only get tickets or just booked and released. I though jails make money for everyone locked up. I don’t see any jails or PRISONS being built. I just know SC does nothing about these problems I’m talking about and that’s why we are at where at now. Action is needed instead of piss poor prevention and no punishment. Any action is better then no action.

    Sidewalk wars I guess go on during the day here with business and property owners trying to keep scum bags on bikes scooters and skateboards from running people over ON THE SIDEWALK AND “galleria “ type areas. Serano group real-estate building has put a few big flower pots by there front doors there room to walk between them but scum bags bike riders and the rest keep moving them so they can keep ridding on the sidewalk. I’m the type that if I did my shifts in the day I’d walk right in front of these scum bags if there ridding anything on the sidewalk. Cause that’s what I do at night but I just use my flashlight and when they say something to me about blinding them I just say I’m walking on the sidewalk where I belong you belong on the street. Funny enough 9 out of 10 times they’ll just get off the sidewalk but they will ALWAYS curse at me when they pass by there’s about idk maybe 20 or so “ street guys” that ride around wearing masks over there faces and just up to no good. I’m waiting for them to try to jump me but they not an organized group it’s just a bunch of scum bags doing the same thing and acting the same way. I’m glad these street people don’t have the capacity to organize themselves beyond getting there next fix. But they know how to set fires without being seen. SCARY! But ya that would really get to me to see these scum bags ridding on the sidewalk during the day and they do it on purpose cause they truly don’t care and know no one can do anything about it, but they take offense if you tell them to get off the sidewalk. Stupid problems for a city to have.

    The 16th time I found someone shooting up and smoking off a meth pipe in an elevator it was a couple male and female. It’s always the typical scene they got there drug paraphernalia all spread out among random junk they “tweak out on” when there high and other stuff clothes ect… they get all surprised but they know nothing will happen to them besides just having to relocate. I’ll say something like an elevator isn’t for hanging out and doing drugs in,they don’t care but I say it anyway. This latest couple have been doing this a long while a mile off you can tell they’ve been addicts id say 20-30 years easy. The guy mentioned something about if I’m all about take back Santa Cruz is said ya 🙂 then after I said my piece for them not to return and maybe they should consider not doing drugs the guy asked me to help him get off drugs I know he was just being a smart ass. I just said you can always help yourself.

    I work Halloween oh boy. Ya I’ll always be around be nice to see some REAL change. For the better that is.

    • Thanks Dave and welcome back! I heard there was a string of fires last night downtown, probably set by some bum transient arsonist.

    • Paige Concannon

      Thank you Dave ! Our reality for sure!
      Many of us feel the same way.
      I appreciate you working hard on all these issues. It is a constant battle that we all have to deal with. The recall will bring sanity and common sense back to our community!
      #ENOUGH #RECALL

    • its sad how the politicians are so quick to blame big pharma for all the drug problems in this country, but at the same time refuse to punish the street drug lords. these street drugs are killing california. i think the more people pour over the data, like looking at all of the homeless census data for every city in california, the more people would see evidence of drug addiction, and criminal abuse of the welfare system.

      what we have left of this country is too cool to throw away on a few drug abusers. the politicians are using this drug and crime spree as an excuse to drastically change laws about housing and who knows what next. a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch. big pharma can be vilified but not street drug dealers?? the drugs are killing this place.

  3. Thomas BRANDOW

    Like flies on mierda, we’re a magnet for bums and criminals from all over the country.

  4. I have not noticed any signs near the Kings Village / Nob Hill. SV is the wrong place for lawbreakers to come to and if they live here it’s best that they obey the laws. The SVPD busts people regularly for DUI , shoplifting, some public drunkenness, etc. The crime report for SLV/ SV is published weekly in the Press Banner. It’s not called “Cops Valley” for no reason.

    • I agree. SVPD does a pretty good job about not putting up with any nonsense. Unfortunately, once the bums and nuisance criminals are taken to the county jail downtown, and then they are kicked to the curb less than an hour later, the people who live and work downtown are now stuck with them. Thanks Jim.

  5. Kohut severed his femoral artery. No Quarter, love that song. Thanks for posting.

  6. And I thought I was just being overly critical when the DA declined any charges on the person who commited a felony DUI (CHP did a great job though) wrecking my motorcycle, my life, and career, leaving me with permanent injury. After following your posts for the last few months, it made me realize how defective things are here. I’ve been pursuing a career change and anxious to get up out of here. Keep up the good work!

  7. I want to thank thank Ben and Dave and Paige and Jim and everybody on this thread for making it so clear this week that drugs are the problem. DRUG CYCLE is the theme that should be emblazoned on everyone’s mind because it defines the Gateway to the solution that is so well-defined thanks to your thread. We now need to turn to answering the question of what is the solution, and what has to be done to affect the solution?

    Ben, you’ve got to be the leader to cause a solution on the “DROGA” problem. You and you’re a Santa Mierda supporters have already convinced everybody that it is the main cause of the problem and that the government agencies aren’t doing anything about it. Dave’s vivid reporting on “What It’s Like on the street” and Jim’s discussion of “What it’s like in Scotts Valley”, only confirms that the problem is the drug dealers who caused the drug addictions and then the county and cities lack of keeping them in jail and putting them back out on the street is the DRUG CYCLE that needs to be addressed.

    Ben could you possibly do some reporting on what I would call “The search for the guilty”? When I asked a law enforcement friend of mine how come Chief Mills doesn’t arrest more drug dealers the answer was surprising. My friend said it’s simply because because theres no recriminations for him not doing it.

    I think the same thing applies to the County Superior Court DA and the State presiding judge Paul Burdick who together with the santa Cruz County and City police run the revolving door that enables the DRUG CYCLE. What makes it tricky is that there multiple government organizations involved and and no one should take a leadership position to manage the whole cycle.

    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Santa Cruz City Mayor Watkins were to write the chief judge of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court Paul Burdick a letter asking him to make sure his judges keep these local drug dealers and drug abuse recidivist in jail, and that the city was going to instruct their police chief to arrest the local drug dealers but it won’t do any good unless they’re kept in jail and prosecuted by the DA. The FED should even be brought in to help out when it comes to International drug cartel involvement which is almost certainly at the top of the DRUG CYCLE.

    Mary Watkins should explain that the city is going to take the lead and get the County ti do its part in having the DA keep these people in jail longer, and make sure there is adequate jail cells, staff and support services to accomplish that goal. Let’s not forget that this myth of overcrowded jails only applies to the city and not the county who is sitting out there housing overflow State prisoners in spacious jails that are virtually empty. Shouldn’t we fill these jails up with our own drug-related offenders instead of Housing State problems? Keep the offenders in jail until they kick their habit and if they screw up again throw him back in jail. We need to follow the Scotts Valley model not the Santa Cruz City model when it comes to law enforcement.

    In my view Mayor Watkins has GOT to be the lead government official, because it’s the CITY that’s the magnet for druggies because they know about the CITY revolving door and the boardwalk that enables the DROGAS as was so convincingly put forth in yhis week’s Santa Meirda thread.

    So if the CITY wants to solve its problems it needs to turn its focus to a Scotts Valley Style “get-tough policy” on the local drug dealers and the drug abuser portion of the homeless population, and stop exclusively worrying about providing homes for the homeless (as deserving as that is). The problem is the drug addict part of the homeless population that are enabled buy an ineffective city law enforcement organization which allows the local drug dealers and the international drug cartels to perpetrate the DRUG CYCLE West complete impunity. Yes I’m saying that the sanctuary city is part of the problem but much can be accomplished without addressing this political football today.

    This is a multi-government-organization problem and the obvious logical choice for the person to lead is the mayor and of course this is best done after the recall which will clear out two pieces of the local problem on the city council.

    How does this get on to her calendar Ben – tell me please?

    • Just doin my part. This town is dangerous and lame and getting worse.

    • What a relief it would be if SC just had a homeless problem there’s already EBT food cards. Then most people can get “cash aid” to buy what the food card can’t. Blankets, tents and stuff I hear get passed out I also hear there places, people and organizations that hand out food. The weather only gets so bad and without 90% of the people that live on the streets not being addicts but true homeless people bathrooms will be available to take care of that need for All. Then you know if you decided to give one of these people money they would actually buy food or some other REAL thing they need to survive not just get high you basically would help out someone that truly needs help not a high.

      But SC is a drug utopia so you can be an addict and live it up here or you can just become an addict once you find your way here there’s really nothing stopping people here. I’m just amazed at how lucrative stealing bikes is here-plenty of supply and demand I guess. But I know most of the money that buys these addicts there drugs comes from whatever checks these criminals addicts manage to attain-welfare,disability,SSI, workers Comp those are just The scams I know of. And of course drug dealing.

      So ya back to my point if SC just had Homeless with the occasional addict that’d be one thing. SC has just like it seems everywhere else a drug problem mainly Meth and Heroine. People here are nice open minded and active-the ones that truly love SC and appreciate it that is so we are not a bully town so we expect the people “in Charge “ to keep order and equality………

      Many ideas I’m sure come to mind to change here and everywhere else with these drug problems are happening but it seems the ones in “power” just seem to not be able to do much about it. But I think to solve any real problem any actions are better then absolutely NONE.

      • Your last sentence is so on point. Thank you for your posts.

      • Dave, your statement that “there’s really nothing stopping people here” it’s an excellent framework to describe the “revolving door homeless drug addict problem”. This is why it’s all the more important to not just turn the drug addicts back out on the street, but to make sure that they experience enforced sobriety in jail, and then have a lot of post-incarceration services. Because there’s no Central leadership and because it’s a multi government agency problem, everyone in the chain of the revolving door loses any incentive to enforce the law because they’ve unfortunately learned over time that it’s a futile exercise.

  8. Complex problems with no easy solutions. Don’t forget to mention the mentally out there, refusing treatment and appearing to be on drugs but are really just responding to their own inner voices. All you city dwellers: SIGN THE PETITIONS.

  9. Can our local broken criminal justice system be sued by a civil third-party for failure to execute duties?

  10. Stop calling our new neighbors transients.
    Once a person gets here, they don’t leave.
    Santa Cruz rolls out the welcome mat and they make themselves at home.
    Tax payers are being made a mockery of by the PROFITING non-profit groups that are taking us to the bank.

  11. welcome to santa cruz… would you like to talk about politics and religion? lol

  12. Hey Ben,
    Santa Cruz United just issued an official press release I read in my mailbox and I presume everywhere.
    Apparently they were sandbagging about how close the signature count was.
    THEY BLEW THE FREAKIN COVER OFF THE BALLOT BOX.

    2000 individual petitions.

    22,500 plus signatures. read that again. Only 25,000 total voted for city council in the last election out of 39,000

    More than half all registered voters (even if you toss 10-12% as invalid which is what they were claiming valid earlier). It’s gonna take a LONG time to validate all those. They have until Dec 3, I am told because of the holiday?

    Think burnt toast. Start packin up. Hasta la Vista.

    • While the press release isn’t clear on the point, I assume it means signatures for both total, or numerically around half of the voters who voted in the last election (11,250 each although I assume Glover got more from what I know). Far more than Glover was elected with.

    • Thanks Garrett! I’ve been hearing similar numbers (over 11k for each) but obviously now we wait. If those numbers are accurate, that leaves a HUGE margin for error with any disqualified signatures. I think the “magic number” is about 8K. Great effort from everyone involved.

  13. Paige Concannon

    I just love that so many different people came together for this recall. It shows that yes !!! we all can work together for the better of our community.
    Good job Santa Cruz !!!

  14. Ben,
    How can I contact you to tell you my Santa Cruz story which happened to us last night? A reply to the current story does not seem the appropriate place or way to recount our story.
    BTW, we read your updates every week, have been doing so as long as we have known about
    your site, about two yrs. or so.
    thank you, and thank for what you do.

    Julie Reiner

  15. Tell your story here it helps everyone

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