Crime, Fire & Courts

Capitola police are asking for the public’s help after a Soquel man was arrested in connection with an investigation involving children at Capitola Beach. Derek Martin Johnson, 63, was arrested June 6 after a concerned citizen reported that a man appeared to be taking photographs...

Two Santa Cruz County supervisors and several local community organizations have joined a regional coalition of elected officials and advocates reaffirming support for immigrant communities as the Bay Area prepares to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The joint statement, released Monday, was...

A 58-year-old Santa Rosa man died in a solo-vehicle crash on Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz May 18.  California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said the man was driving a black 2017 Honda Pilot southbound on Highway 1 north of Scott Creek around 12:48pm....

Public defenders in Santa Cruz County will join colleagues across California and the nation April 23 in a coordinated protest highlighting what they describe as chronic underfunding and unmanageable caseloads that threaten defendants’ constitutional right to counsel. Chief Public Defender Heather Rogers is urging community...

Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:50am on April 10 with new information. Watsonville officials said Friday that a proposed plan to house a designated sexually violent predator at a Main Street motel has been halted after the property owner withdrew, citing community opposition. The...

One of the victims from an attack at the Clock Tower in Santa Cruz on March 21 has died, Santa Cruz Police announced Wednesday. Justin Moore, 42, of Santa Cruz, suffered a stab wound during the attack. The suspect, Robert David Worel, 32, has been charged...

A man was arrested Tuesday for driving a stolen car to the Monterey County Superior Courthouse in Salinas, where he was scheduled to appear for a previous auto theft case. Ricardo Otero, 41, was charged with driving a stolen vehicle, committing a felony while on...

Police have identified the man suspected of stabbing two people in Santa Cruz on Saturday as Robert David Worel, 32.  The Santa Cruz Police Department is charging Worel with two counts of attempted second-degree murder. Jail records show he was booked into Santa Cruz County...

Two people were hospitalized after reports of a stabbing at the Clock Tower in Santa Cruz at around noon on Saturday, according to Santa Cruz police. One suspect was arrested in connection with the incident.  Witnesses at the scene say the incident began after a...

A Watsonville man was arrested Tuesday after he was found in a hotel with a 15-year-old girl who had been reported missing out of Fresno. Darwin Linares, 24, was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. He was...