Capitola / Soquel Neighborhood Newsletter for Wednesday, December 10

---

Good morning! It’s December 10 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…

Mostly sunny in Capitola / Soquel

Today will be mostly sunny. The high will be 66 with a low of 46. Mostly sunny now, changing to clear at 7 p.m.

Looking ahead: Mostly sunny this weekend

---

Capitola / Soquel news

A Santa Cruz surf helmet from “Shark Tank” gains attention; The Catalyst’s legacy examined; new eateries, beauty bars, and creative businesses launch; local tourism stats and business updates shared across Santa Cruz County.

---

---

What’s new around you

▼︎ police incidents   ▼︎ road incidents   ▼︎ events

Read on to see the details about each item…

---

Things to do in Capitola / Soquel

Add an event to our calendar

---

Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region

• A lane on Highway 1 at Bay Avenue is closed because of a traffic break. The closure is expected to end at 3:01 p.m. on December 14.
   
• A lane on North Highway 1 at Mar Monte Avenue in Aptos is closed for K-rail removal. The closure is expected to end at 5:59 a.m. today.
   
• There is a one-way traffic closure on South Highway 9 at Lorenzo Avenue in San Lorenzo Valley because of emergency work. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. on April 1, 2026.
   
• Highway 9 at 13.4 Bear Creek Road in San Lorenzo Valley has one-way traffic control because of ongoing work. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p. on December 15.
   
• Southbound Highway 17 at Sugarloaf Road in Scotts Valley is facing closures for emergency work. The closure is expected to last until 7:59 a.m. on December 13.
   
• Northbound Highway 17 in Scotts Valley is facing closures for a striping operation. The closure is expected to end at 4:59 a.m. today.
   
• Long-term projects: The southbound Highway 1 off-ramp at Park Avenue in Santa Cruz County was closed on December 9 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for soundwall construction.
   

---

Community crime report

• A person was arrested for illegally having or using tear gas as a former felon and for a probation violation. The incident happened near the 170 block of 41st Avenue in Capitola at 9 a.m. on December 5. The charges were later dropped, and the person was released on November 30, at 7:21 a.m. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, and hit and run causing property damage. The incident happened near northbound State Route 1 and Emeline Avenue in Capitola at 4 p.m. on December 4. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for vandalism after damaging property near the 190 block of 46th Avenue. The incident happened in Santa Cruz County around 8 p.m. on November 29. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for resisting police, being drunk in public, assaulting someone, and mistreating an elderly or dependent adult. The incident happened near the 410 block of Gross Rd Ext in Capitola at 3 p.m. on November 28. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, with one previous DUI offense. The incident happened near the 500 block of Bay Ave. in Capitola at 3 a.m. on November 28. The person was released the same day. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for blocking a police officer, carrying a loaded and concealed gun in public, having a large capacity magazine, being a minor with live ammunition, and having a gun without an ID mark. The incident happened near the 180 block of 41st in Capitola at 10 p.m. on November 27. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for several offenses, including lewd conduct, causing a public nuisance, having illegal drugs with previous offenses, possessing illegal drug paraphernalia, being drunk in public, carrying a hidden knife or dagger, and refusing to leave private property. The incident happened around 5 p.m. on November 27 near multiple locations, including the 190 block of Soquel Dr and other areas in Santa Cruz County. (source)
   
• A suspect was arrested for second degree robbery, battery, probation violation, and trespassing. Multiple charges were filed related to the incident. The incident happened near the 140 block of 41st Avenue in Capitola at 3 p.m. on November 27. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for having illegal drugs for sale and carrying illegal weapons, including metal knuckles and a leaded cane. The incident happened near 41st Ave. and Gross Rd in Santa Cruz County at 11 a.m. on November 27. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for being drunk in public near the 200 block of Esplanade in Capitola at 9 a.m. on November 27. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for being drunk in public near Portola Dr and 30th Ave. in Santa Cruz County at 11 p.m. on November 26. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for trespassing at a public business, obstructing a public officer, and committing two acts of vandalism. The incident happened near the 210 block of 41st Avenue in Capitola at 3 p.m. on November 26. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol near Capitola Rd and 41st Ave. in Santa Cruz County. The incident happened at noon on November 26. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for shoplifting, having multiple previous theft offenses, and possessing illegal paraphernalia. The incident happened near the 260 block of 41st Avenue in Santa Cruz County at 4 p.m. on November 25. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for robbery and giving false identification near Soquel and Main in Santa Cruz County. The incident happened at 9 a.m. on November 25. The person is waiting to be picked up by another jurisdiction. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for having illegal drugs and drug-related items. The incident happened near the 180 block of 41st Avenue in Capitola at 2 p.m. on November 24. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for trespassing (refusing to leave property) and disorderly conduct involving drugs or alcohol. The incident happened near the 110 block of 41st Avenue in Capitola at 11 a.m. on November 22. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. The incident happened near the 380 block of Portola Dr, Santa Cruz County. It occurred at 2 a.m. on November 22. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for being under the influence of drugs in public, discharging waste, giving a false ID to police, and showing a deadly weapon (not a gun). The incident happened near the 270 block of 41st Avenue in Santa Cruz County at 11 a.m. on November 21. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for disorderly conduct while under the influence of drugs near the 14100 block of 30th Avenue in Santa Cruz County at 5 p.m. on November 19. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol near the 260 block of 41st Avenue. The incident happened in Santa Cruz County at 1 p.m. on November 19. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for trespassing on occupied property without consent and violating a local ordinance. The incident happened near the 2300 BLOCK of 41st Avenue in Santa Cruz County at 10 a.m. on November 19. Bail for the person was increased. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for shoplifting, using someone else’s ID to commit fraud, violating a local rule, petty theft, and having illegal paraphernalia. The person also had an outstanding warrant from another police department. The incident happened near Capitola Rd and Sommerfield Rd in Capitola at 8 p.m. on November 16. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for several crimes, including driving under the influence, stealing, robbery, having illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, and being drunk in public. This happened at multiple locations in Capitola around 4 p.m. on December 31. (source)
   

Note on today’s report: Some of the incidents listed are not recent. This can happen for a couple of reasons: Delays in agency reporting — sometimes officials don’t file reports right away, or agencies release batches of reports weeks later. Delays in public complaints — people may not notice or decide to contact police until some time after an incident. Please contact the responsible law-enforcement agency or your local elected officials if you have concerns about their delay in releasing information.

Disclosure: Traffic incidents and police incidents are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.