A man suspected of stabbing two people in Santa Cruz’s downtown corridor Friday night was arrested Tuesday at a Santa Cruz residence.
Dennis Wells, 26, was charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail.
On Tuesday at about 1 p.m., the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office learned that Wells was possibly in a house on Sequoia Drive, in the area of Thurber Avenue and Soquel Drive.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies and SCPD officers surrounded the house and tried to make contact with Wells. He surrendered peacefully and without incident.
According to Santa Cruz Police spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke, officers responded to a report of a stabbing on Pacific Avenue near Maple Street at about 11:20 p.m.
Upon arrival, the officers found two victims suffering life-threatening injuries, one to his head and the other to his neck. Both were transported to trauma centers in the San Jose area for treatment.
Investigators reviewed security footage, interviewed witnesses and worked with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to identify Wells as the suspect in this case.
Wells has an extensive criminal record in Santa Cruz County.
According to court records, he faced felony charges in February 2018 for assault, making terroristic threats, robbery and elder abuse. He faced felony forgery and identity theft in February 2016. He also has several charges for petty theft and possession of drug paraphernalia on his record.
