The Weekly Dump 3.19.21

Woman’s Body Pulled From Water Near Boardwalk 

Thursday night around 6PM, SCPD and Santa Cruz Fire responded to the Boardwalk after getting reports about a body floating in the water near the river mouth. Fire and PD responded quickly but efforts to rescue/retrieve were hampered by the tide. After getting her out of the water, first responders attempted CPR but were unsuccessful. And given the location, I guess it’s possible the body floated down the river. I don’t want to speculate on the person or the circumstances. It’s just a sad incident that probably wouldn’t get reported on the news or talked about by the chief. It’s nothing he can brag about. But we deserve to know what happened. It’s not “natural causes” that cause you to end up dead floating down the San Lorenzo River.

Four of a  Kind

Wednesday night around 10PM, there were 4 armed robberies that took place within the course of about an hour in the city of Santa Cruz. A male who walked into Dominos on Mission Street on the westside of Santa Cruz pulled out a gun and robbed them at gunpoint. PD thought they found the suspects at Burger King but a witness said it wasn’t them. Minutes later the Valero on Ocean gets robbed at gunpoint. PD is there in minutes and minutes later a call comes in that Lloyd’s just got robbed at gunpoint. Then a fourth armed robbery is reported on the 300 block of Soquel Avenue. While all this is going, there’s a high speed chase taking place along Highway 17 involving SCPD, deputies from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s department, CHP, and others. As SCPD was searching for the initial robbery suspect, they located a subject with multiple felony warrants, who led police in a high speed chase over Highway 17. SCPD pursued the subject all the way to the area of the Lexington Reservoir, where they were assisted by San Jose PD and the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department. As far as I know, no arrests have been made in any of the armed robberies that took place on Wednesday.

Homeless Victim Stabbed in RV

This past Monday around 8AM, SCPD responded to a report of a stabbing inside a vehicle on Josephine Street near River Street. A 48 year old male was stabbed at least twice in the chest. When police arrived, the victim had already been taken to the hospital by someone. Investigators have identified a “strong person of interest,” but apparently have not yet made an arrest in the case.

Stabbed With Scissors

Wednesday morning around 11AM, SCPD responded to the area of Almar and Mission Streets for a report of a stabbing. A 60 year old man was just walking along the sidewalk on Almar near U-Save when he was attacked by a male transient with a pair of scissors. The victim fended off his unknown attacker before making his way to a nearby fire station on Younglove where he was treated for cuts to his hands. The same man had stolen several items from Safeway just minutes earlier. Nobody has been arrested and apparently they have no suspects.

Up in Smoke

Wednesday afternoon, huge plumes of dark smoke could be seen rising from all over Santa Cruz after a large bum fire torched a number of tents squatting illegally along the Mission Street bypass area near Highways 1 and 9. The fire ended up catching at least one Eucalyptus tree on fire before Santa Cruz Fire knocked it down. When is enough really enough here? Just ridiculous the level of idiot compassion we tolerate here.

Turnstiler of the Week

Sunday morning around 10AM, SCPD responded to the area of Soquel and Dakota (aka “Camp Mills”), where they arrested a 29 year old male and charged him with burglary and battery on a custodial officer, as well as being drunk in public and violating his parole. Last check he’s still in county jail on a $150K bond. But he knows how to work the county turnstile! Here’s his partial rap sheet from the past 2 years. Impressive! Turnstiler of the Week!

The Usual Morning Madness Along Pacific Avenue

Last Friday morning around 10:30AM, SCPD responded to the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz where they arrested a 43 year old male for being drunk in public, vandalizing a place of worship, resisting arrest, and battery on a peace officer. Our sheriff was ready to kick him to the curb on penny bail, but he had these pesky parole violations that showed his inability to follow rules, so he’s still in jail on a $50K bond.

Doomed to Repeat Our Mistakes

Last Thursday night around 8PM, SCPD responded to the 400 block of Beach Street where they arrested a local vagrant for drug possession, carrying a concealed weapon, trespassing, and more, including felony violation of parole. A total of 11 charges, he was still in jail last time I checked. Back in May of last year, he was arrested for burglary, resisting arrest, and felony violation of his parole.

The Latest COVID Numbers for the County

There have been 15,137 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County, according to the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, with 257 active cases. 197 people have died, 456 have been hospitalized, 7 people are currently hospitalized, and 1 is in the ICU. 14,683 people have recovered. A total of 120,101 people have tested negative. Santa Cruz County is in the red tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, meaning some non-essential indoor business operations are closed. Its adjusted case rate is at 3.4, and it needs to be at 3.9 or below to move up. It also has a 1.2% positivity rate, and that needs to be at 4.9% or below to move up. If we can hold these numbers for another 2 weeks, we’ll be moving into the Orange tier.

Aye Calypso

Preliminary plans have been submitted for a new six story apartment complex with commercial shops to be developed at 130 Center Street in Santa Cruz, directly across the street from SCPD’s main station. The parcel next to Depot Park currently has an auto body shop and a Hertz rental car shop.

The “Calypso” project, being developed by Swenson, calls for:

  • 233 studios ranging in size between 295 to 400 square feet.
  • 209 parking spaces in an underground and ground-floor garage
  • Two ground floor retail shops
  • A roof deck

The project has not been considered by the city of Santa Cruz’s planning commission yet.

Parting Thoughts

I’ll give the last word this week to Puddles doing Ozzy.

Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne cover) – Puddles Pity Party

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13 Responses

    • It’s not all bad. I paint a pretty bleak picture, mostly because I’m cynical, frustrated, exasperated with the status quo. There’s a lot of good here. Good people. But it’s becoming more of a struggle every day to stay optimistic and not get angry.

  1. This could be why Santa Cruz is in chaos:

    On January 9th, at or about 12:00am, SCPD responded to the 200 Block of Encinal St for a disturbance. Once there, they contacted a 33 year old male and found that he had assaulted someone with a deadly weapon (not a firearm). This person was also found to be carrying a concealed knife and was resistive to officers. He was cited and released at the scene (SCPD Case# 21S-00204).

    Citing and releasing individuals for felonies that carry potential prison sentences is policy based in madness.

    Arrest log:
    https://7cabd232-d920-4e60-89e4-13a812e90157.filesusr.com/ugd/378c84_76a8c8e8843c4233ab4dc4e8bb7d4916.pdf

  2. Ben, thanks for posting that rap sheet. Getting arrested 18 times in 2 years is impressive, even by Santa Cruz standards. Unfortunately, there is no end in sight while local compassionate idiots beckon these scumbags to Santa Cruz from all over the country.

    • Much appreciated Ben! Rap sheets, and comments are not very common in the news media as they should be. Great to get well-rounded news than “fleece” covering the not-so-nice news!

    • Where they will go is to subsidized housing that has a 4-5 year waiting list for actual county residents who have lived here a long time, and often work for a (poor) living. Why? Local subsidy often comes out of local funding. Refugee subsidy is likely to come from federal funding. Free money! Even better, the refugees will get social workers, thus providing jobs for folks who otherwise lack economically productive skills. More free money! Wheee!

      In unrelated news, despit being eligible, I have not been able to get a COVID vaccination in this county. Anywhere. The closest I have been able to get is places such as Hanford and Modesto, although I am told that you can get the vaccination in Santa Clara if your know the right people. Actually no problem, as long as everyone around me (who either works over the hill, or is an “essential” bartender) has been immunized. And, eligibility is being expanded! No vaccines, but more people will be eligible to learn that they cannot find it.

  3. Sitting not far away, and shouting into her smartphone the way that people do (because there is nobody else in the world who might overhear and be annoyed), is some kind of social worker. At first I thought she might be one of the transients, because the conversation was about screwups in providing stuff for the poor. But no, she has been complaining about how screwed up the local system is compared to more enlightened places such as Folsom Prison. No kidding. Of course, I can only hear her end of the conversation. Unlike many, she’s not using a loudspeaker.

  4. Yet another fire this morning at the bum camp on Hiway 1/River St. Looks like they’re determined to cull themselves.

    • Ironic how the state is eager to shut down power to most of Californis when a little wind picks up to avoid another version of the paradise fires, however, bums apparently get a pass when building illegal fires.
      I wonder if it will take most of pogonip and downtown to be engulfed in flames before the city/county/state does something about the inevitable disaster the homeless have “cooking up”.
      3rd fires the charm??? Guess we’ll see. ??‍♀️

  5. And when that person(s) die in that inevitable propane explosion it will of course be the fault of the heartless citizens of this progressive paradise. After all, it is somehow our obligation to clothe, feed, and house them while they are shooting heroin. cooking meth, and stealing anything and everything.

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