News

By Jazmin Juarez, Special to the Pajaronian SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The coronavirus has brought many changes to people’s everyday lifestyle. Among them, the transition from in-person to online classes for students. In Santa Cruz County, Cabrillo College switched to online courses on March 16. The school has...

WATSONVILLE—Officers from various law enforcement agencies are asking the public to avoid the 2700 block of Freedom Boulevard as they search for a man that is possibly armed with a handgun. The suspect was chased by officers to the rural area on Watsonville's outskirts before...

Former Watsonville City Manager Carlos Palacios has been named the County Administrative Officer for Santa Cruz County.

SANTA CRUZ — The former Santa Cruz neurosurgeon who allegedly molested numerous children in crimes caught on videotape was found dead Sunday morning. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s office believes he committed suicide. James Kohut, 59, was in custody since May 2017 in lieu of $7.5...

SANTA CRUZ—A Salinas man wanted for a robbery in Salinas – and a DUI in Morgan Hill – was arrested Sunday in a new DUI case for allegedly crashing into several parked vehicles after a brief chase. Christopher Dicochea, 23, a convicted felon, was also...

APTOS—Jon Scoville has always been eager to open his mind to new music. Growing up as a minister’s son in Connecticut, Scoville learned the craft by singing in church choirs and around his family’s home piano. But in secret he was also listening to genres...

FREEDOM—A Freedom man was arrested Saturday after a bullet he fired during a July 4 celebration ricocheted off the ground and entered a nearby residence, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said. The bullet came within inches of a 10-year-old girl in her Miller...

His boots and helmet are now a thing of the past. Aptos/La Selva firefighter Rick Molinar worked his final 24-hour shift Wednesday and into Thursday following a 33-year career.

SAN JOSE—Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies on Thursday arrested a San Jose man suspected of a fatal shooting that occurred on June 14. Albaro Amaral, 30, was charged with murder and attempted murder. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Main Jail in lieu of...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Aug. 24 approved a series of bonuses and supplemental payments aimed at retaining teachers and school employees. Every teacher, school worker and administrator employed since April 1—and who plans to stay with the district through...