Santa Cruz County Crime & Justice Articles

Plus, sidewalk vending rules updated.

Google may be forced to sell off its $200 billion online advertising service if a new lawsuit by the federal Department of Justice claiming that Google acts as a monopoly succeeds.

State and local officials are still asking law enforcement to prevent gun violence. Community leaders believe gun violence should be treated as a public health crisis, and incorporate prevention strategies that address the social factors in areas most at risk.

2022 was a year that needed a lot of explaining. And California Local was there. Here are our 10 most important explanatory journalism stories from the year gone by, from immigration to cryptocurrency to wealth inequality and more.

With a flurry of new laws ready to take effect, the Pajaronian took a look at a handful of the more notable ones, which take on several aspects of criminal justice, health services and firearms.  WALKING A FINE LINE Before …

How two UC professors dove into the weed world of Santa Cruz and beyond to explore the future of legal cannabis

Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge loses life to pancreatic cancer

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to employ third-party inspector general

County prosecutor reads disturbing text messages showing racist intent

WATSONVILLE—Officers from six law agencies met at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Tuesday through Thursday for training in how to respond to civil disobedience. California Highway Patrol officer Dave Reed said the Mobile Field Face Disobedience course focuses on policy …

The 49ers PAC spent an unprecedented $3 million on Anthony Becker, Sudhanshu “Suds” Jain, and Kevin Park's campaigns. Now they and two of their peers must respond to lack of transparency and cover-up charges from the Civil Grand Jury, and …

SANTA CRUZ—For the purposes of this article, Maya and Sebastian Laing’s story begins on Oct. 20, when a group of strangers paid a late-night visit to their grandmother’s house where they had been staying.  After trying unsuccessfully to convince the …

WATSONVILLE—Police have arrested a man suspected of starting a fire in St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish that caused $100,000 in damage. Alberto Melgoza, 36, is also suspected of setting a fire at Ave Maria Memorial Chapel in June, Watsonville Police spokeswoman …

Two students were arrested at Scotts Valley High School Monday by Scotts Valley Police Department officers, as part of a joint investigation with the Santa Cruz Police Department into the assault of a homeless man. The boys—a 16-year-old resident of …

California’s goal of zero traffic fatalities remains distant. Here are some common causes of deaths on the road that can be fixed, but haven’t been.

Homicide rates remain high in some of California's most Republican, Trump-voting counties. Are law-and-order policies against crime a bust? Here’s why political voting patterns are a strong indicator of violent crime in states and counties.

County asks for community feedback before beginning the search for an independent investigator

The $6 million will be used to expand mental health care, create diversion opportunities and more

Steven Carrillo, an active-duty Air Force servicemember, fell down a rabbit hole of Facebook extremism and became convinced he could start a new civil war. Then he turned his online obsession into real-life murder.

County sheriffs have tended to be predominantly white, male and politically conservative. But in California, those trends may be moving in the other direction, as recent elections and legislation appear to show.