Crime & Safety
Known Gang Member Accused Of Attempted Murder: WPD
Nearby Freedom Elementary School was placed on a short lockdown while the suspect's home was secured, police said.
WATSONVILLE, CA — A documented gang member was arrested in Watsonville this morning on suspicion of attempted murder after a shooting in April, according to the city's Police Department. On April 18 at about 4:30 p.m., an unnamed 25-year-old Watsonville resident was allegedly approached by another man as he was sitting in a parked car on Lawrence Avenue just north of South Green Valley Road, Watsonville police said.
The suspect challenged the victim seated in his vehicle, making gang references. The suspect pointed a handgun at the victim and fired one round toward him, which passed through the vehicle and hit a parked vehicle in a driveway across the street, according to officers. The suspect fled on foot, according to police. The victim was not injured.
Investigators from the Watsonville Police Department were among the first on scene and conducted an investigation over the span of two weeks. After interviewing several witnesses and gathering surveillance footage, they were able to identify a suspect.
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Juan Hernandez, 39, has known gang affiliations and was positively identified as the shooter, police said. Investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest along with a search warrant for his home.
This morning at 6:30 a.m., Watsonville and Santa Cruz county authorities located Hernandez in a vehicle on South Green Valley Road near Freedom Boulevard, according to Watsonville police.Hernandez was detained without incident and authorities allegedly found evidence inside his home linking him to the shooting.
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Police allege they encountered two pit bulls at Hernandez's residence, so Santa Cruz County Animal Services went to the scene to secure the dogs while police searched. For precautionary purposes, nearby Freedom Elementary School was placed on a short lockdown while the home was secured, according to the police.
Hernandez was booked into the Santa Cruz County jail on suspicion of attempted murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, personal use of a firearm during a crime and gang enhancements. His bail was set at $1.5 million, police said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Watsonville Police Department Investigations Division at (831) 768-3350 or submit their details anonymously by calling the tip line at (831) 768-3544.
By Bay City News
Photo courtesy Watsonville Police Department
