Crime & Safety
No Charges Filed In Moss Landing Harbor Boating Death
Monterey County prosecutors will not file criminal charges in the death of Trenton Black at Moss Landing Harbor, the DA said.
MONTEREY BAY — Monterey County prosecutors will not file criminal charges in the June 11 death of Trenton Black at Moss Landing Harbor, citing insufficient evidence, District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced Thursday.
Pacioni said the decision followed a review of witness statements, video evidence and an autopsy that determined Black died from drowning.
Investigators concluded the events stemmed from a confrontation between Black and Joshua Holtzclaw while both were fishing in Monterey Bay.
Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
According to the District Attorney's Office, Black approached Holtzclaw's boat that morning, exchanged words with him, and later returned toward the harbor.
Holtzclaw reportedly followed and intentionally struck the rear of Black's boat as both entered the harbor channel. Black then boarded Holtzclaw's boat, where witnesses reported Black was dominating a physical fight. Both men fell into the water during the struggle.
Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Witnesses said Holtzclaw got back into his boat while Black remained in the water calling for help. Black later went under and did not resurface. Holtzclaw left the area shortly afterward.
Under California law, prosecutors determined Holtzclaw's actions fell within the scope of self-defense and that there was no legal duty to rescue Black under the circumstances. As a result, the District Attorney's Office concluded there was not enough evidence to support criminal charges.
Copyright © 2025 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.
