The Weekly Dump 12.28.18

Get Ready for New Years Eve in Downtown Santa Cruz

Next Monday night, people will inevitably flock to Pacific Avenue to ring in the new year at the clock tower in downtown Santa Cruz. It usually brings a couple thousand people downtown, many of them drunk, some of them bent on causing trouble. Personally, I could do without it but it’s not up to me. Public safety resources are already stretched so thin on that particular night, and we already do a big Halloween thing. Much depends on the weather. If it rains, maybe a few hundred will show up. If not, maybe a couple thousand. Just please, don’t drink and drive. Be safe, and celebrate in a manner that allows others to enjoy their NYE safely. And now, on to this week’s mayhem…

Local Pyromaniac Terrorizes Christmas Shoppers at Ross

Monday night around 7:30PM, a report came in about some transient bum fool at Ross who was taking a lighter to a can of spray paint and was blow torching the windows. He apparently ran off towards the levee before SCPD arrived. Camp Bernal! We broke it. We own it. Our plan is to just run the few remaining big box corporate stores left in the city out of town, cut our city revenue by losing property and retail taxes, and turn that shopping center into a “Gateway” for the homeless. Meanwhile, Ryan Coonerty and the rest of the county Board of Supervisors are nowhere to be found and happy the city wants to willingly take on this burden of theirs.

Watsonville Man Arrested For Attempted Rape of Mentally Disabled Minor

Last week, a Watsonville man was arrested for attempting to have sex with a mentally disabled 11 year old girl. According to Watsonville police, the 22 year old male was found alone inside a bathroom with the victim. The suspect, who rented a room from the victim’s family, admitted he wanted to have sex with the minor girl. Last month, the victim’s mother found the suspect and the girl inside a bathroom and contacted police. After investigating, detectives arrested the man for kidnapping with the intent to commit rape and lewd acts with a child. The man was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

This Week’s Story Nobody Wants To Talk About

This happy, smiling, dingleberry was arrested 2 days before Christmas on 17 charges, at least 6 of them felonies, including burglary, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or family member, stalking, assault, mayhem, rape, violating a protective order, and not 1 but TWO PROBATION VIOLATIONS. And what does this threat to public safety get from the judge? No bail? Don’t make me laugh. $25K in bail. This is our reality. Where’s the news story? The press release? Anything? Never mind. I’ve got you covered.

Man on Probation Arrested With Gun and Meth

Wednesday morning around 11:30AM, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies rolled up on a suspicious group of people sitting in a car in Boulder Creek. One of the passengers was on probation and was subject to search, where they found he had a handgun hidden in his coat, as well as methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was charged with two felonies, carrying a loaded firearm in public and carrying a loaded firearm that did not belong to him, as well as three misdemeanors: probation violation, possession of paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail with bail set at $25,000. Two felonies and 3 misdemeanors = $25K bail. That fuzzy math does not compute.

Hallucinating Woman Fires Gun Through Ceiling of RV

Thursday morning around 5:30AM, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance in Felton where they found a woman who was apparently suffering from drug induced hallucinations. While she was tripping,  the woman got a handgun and pointed it at a friend inside of an RV (the one she was living in?). After a short struggle, the gun was fired into the ceiling of the RV. The shooter was arrested and charged with being a drug addict in possession of a firearm, a felony, and charged with a misdemeanor for being under the influence. She was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail with bail set at $25,000.

Aptos Village Liquors Robbed at Gunpoint

SWAT Teams and Candy Canes in Aptos!

Last Thursday night, Aptos Village Liquors on the 8000 block of Soquel Drive was robbed at gunpoint. The suspected robber was armed with a handgun and demanded money from the store clerk before evading authorities and got away with an undisclosed amount of money. Then early Saturday morning, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant related to the robbery at a Capitola apartment complex on 44th Avenue. Someone named on the warrant is apparently connected to the robbery, according to SCSO reports. The SCSO SWAT team assisted as deputies shut down 44th Avenue while they attempted to execute the warrant.

Nail Salon Robbed

Last Thursday night, I heard a report the Nail Salon on the 4100 block of Capitola Road was robbed. This was actually the same night and right around the same time that the nearby Aptos Liquor store was robbed. You’d think there was some kind of connection, but I’ve heard nothing from the local Sheriff or the local news media about this robbery. I have a picture though of the deputies at the scene so I know it happened.

The Weekly Tweekers With Guns Story

Last Thursday around 4:30AM, Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 4900 block of Highway 9 in Felton for a report of a woman who brandished a gun at her boyfriend, reportedly because she’s been constantly high on methamphetamine for the past two weeks. She was arrested for being under the influence of drugs and possession of a gun by an addict. A related search also turned up heroin.

Just Your Typical Friday Night in Downtown Santa Cruz

Friday night around 9PM, multiple reports came in about a drunk male at the clock tower who was walking into traffic, hitting cars, and threatening people. Witnesses called 911 as he climbed a nearby staircase and began throwing rocks and bottles at them. SCPD tried to catch him at the top of the stairs. I don’t think they did. Really makes me want to do my Christmas shopping downtown!

Waving a Knife Around Gets You Noticed

Last Friday around noon, a man standing on the roof of a car and waving a knife around forced police to shutdown South Green Valley Road between Harkins Slough and Green Meadow Drive for about an hour. Watsonville Police negotiators finally convinced the man to drop his weapon and give up. The suspect was arrested and taken to county jail.

Au Natural Bridges

Saturday night around 10:30PM, I heard a report that a male was passed out nude in a parking lot behind Toadal Fitness on the 2900 block of Mission Street. SCPD responded with fire and medical units. Hopefully someone brought him some clothes or at least a blanket. It was kind of chilly out that night.

Home Invasion Grinch Busted

Last Sunday, a woman was arrested for residential burglary after the resident found her in his Aptos home. After opening his bedroom door to check on a noise, he saw the suspect flee from the house but he managed to confront her outside. After a short chase, deputies managed to capture her. In the ensuing investigation, the suspect was seen on a neighbor’s surveillance camera peering into the house, then using nearby patio furniture to break into the house through an open window. She was booked into County Jail.

When the Walls Come Tumbling Down

Finally! After what seems like eternity for neighbors and residents living along the lower Ocean street corridor, the 350 Ocean Street Slums have been razed! This agujero de mierda has not only been a long festering hotbed of bad behavior, it’s the case study for poor city planning, permit, and code enforcement by the city of Santa Cruz. I have a friend who lives nearby. I asked them to give me a first hand report on how the tear down is going.

“Finally! This property has been a nightmare to us neighbors for decades. Approximately 7 years ago, the City approved the 4-story project without consulting us. Many neighbors fought it for traffic, parking, design, size, future upkeep, and my question was, Where are all the children going to play? Across the street at 7-Eleven? The flats? Levee? Ocean Street? Sad. Throughout the process, we learned, “You can’t fight City Hall.” We begged them to demolish it due to the OD’s, syringes, gangs and obvious fire hazards of illegally occupied tinder boxes. By the way, the lot was still inhabited by squatters last week! The city and the developer’s negligence to not inform neighbors on proposed projects was supposed to set a precedence.”

So I’m happy it’s FINALLY razed. I’m unhappy it took so freaking long to do it.

A Friend of Public Safety

I saw this press release put out a couple weeks ago by Supervisor Zach Friend’s office:

NEW SAFETY CENTER TO OPEN IN APTOS
The County of Santa Cruz is pleased to announce creation of a Mid-County safety center, which includes the relocation of an Aptos sheriff substation. To be opened in early 2019, the new center is the first multi-agency public safety center in the County and will be located in the new Aptos Village development. It will include a relocation of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office substation formerly located in the Rancho Del Mar shopping center, as well as offices for the Santa Cruz County District Attorney, Santa Cruz County Probation Department and County Supervisor Zach Friend. “Establishing essential services within our community helps increase public safety while furthering the connection between residents and their government,” Friend said. “Once completed, I look forward to welcoming residents to these offices.” The 3,200-square-foot space will including offices, equipment and meeting space and house an outreach center for the DA’s consumer affairs and environmental protection staff, probation staff, office hours for the Board of Supervisors and the relocated public safety substation. “I’m excited that my office, for the first time, will be able to meet with the people we work so hard to protect at a dedicated Mid-County location,” District Attorney Jeff Rosell said. “This is a wonderful contribution to public safety in Santa Cruz County.” “Once we move in and get settled, I look forward to hosting a grand opening community celebration for the new substation,” Sheriff Jim Hart said. “This new center will support public safety by providing deputies a place to conduct business and interact with the public, and will be a valuable community resource.”

The county obviously isn’t broke. Let’s start with that. So when they cry cash poor over the lack of drug and mental health treatment options provided by the county, remember that Zach Friend needs a new office in Aptos more than we need increased county spending on drug and mental health treatment options. The lack of treatment options, particularly for these 2 groups within the homeless community, likely account for the great majority of recidivist crime, as well as service calls from police, fire, and medical first responders within the city of Santa Cruz. Just another example of the county’s obliviousness on their impact to public safety within the city.

Watsonville Kids Have Their Gun Taken Away

Friday night around 10:30PM, two deputies were on patrol in Watsonville when they tried to stop a car for traffic violations. As the driver briefly pulled over, three males jumped out of the car and took off running on foot. The driver continued for a short distance before pulling over. After deputies detained the three people who ran away, they determined one was a juvenile, with a loaded handgun concealed in his pants pocket. He was arrested for being in possession of a concealed firearm and was taken to Juvenile Hall. Two other males who were in the car were arrested for local warrants. I guess we know why they bailed out of the car.

Like a Good Neighbor

Monday afternoon, a “good neighbor” in Soquel called the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office to report a vehicle break-in in their neighborhood. When Deputies responded to the area, they found two women in possession of items stolen from the vehicle, including a credit card and the title for the vehicle. Both were arrested for multiple crimes, including possession of stolen property, possession of a credit card with intent to defraud, and narcotics related charges.

DeCinzotized – Classic Steven DeCinzo

I heard the Oracle of Aptos has been seen spreading her needle love and idiot compassion around Camp Bernal. Find a new hobby that doesn’t involve killing people. 

This is Us

It wasn’t that long ago these guys were filming here and looking for extras. I wrote about it back in August. Here’s a tease of the finished product, coming to theaters in March of 2019. This movie is going to be HUGE. Jordan Peele is already one of the hottest directors in Hollywood, and this trailer is terrifying. Santa Cruz is so known for The Lost Boys but this movie is going to blow that away as far as putting Santa Cruz on the movie location map.

Us – Official Trailer

Goodbye 2018

Goodbye 2018. You’ve tortured me with endless noise about a mad, tweeting, man-child emperor who has no clothes on. Goodbye Governor Moonbeam, who has arguably done more to jeopardize public safety in California than anyone I can recall in recent memory. Goodbye to any pragmatic, common sense on the Santa Cruz city council, at least for the next 2 years. We broke it. We own it.

It’s almost over. We’ll see you next year!

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