Good morning – Friday, July 24, is here, bringing another day of sunshine around Santa Cruz County, with highs from the upper 70s at the beach to upper 80s in the mountains.
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With the arraignment of the subject in Monday’s fatal stabbing outside the Capitola Mall moved to next week, Max Chun reports on documents from the district attorney’s office that lay out the alleged sequence of events prior to and following the stabbing. They say that Tyler Leibelt, 19, came to the mall intent on killing someone, leading him to 73-year-old Rachell Summers.
Lily Belli previews a new barbecue competition coming this weekend to Moss Landing that features some of the country’s most recognizable names in live-fire cooking. Five teams will compete in Sunday’s Black Smoke Invitational, with a panel of judges that includes celebrity chef Tyler Florence and Matt Horn, whose Oakland restaurant Horn BBQ was nominated for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in the U.S. in 2022.
The Special Olympics success of Santa Cruz’s Jessa Melcer inspired many, including Lookout intern Simon Woolever. As a fellow member of the autism community, he writes, her journey is a powerful reminder that disabilities do not define what’s possible — and that determination can turn seemingly impossible goals into reality.
The Friday headlines also include your cheat sheet to going out and eating well around Santa Cruz County this weekend – away we go.
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Matt Horn, Tyler Florence headline new barbecue festival in Moss Landing
The inaugural Black Smoke Invitational will bring celebrity chefs, pitmasters and live-fire cooking to Moss Landing on Sunday, pairing a barbecue competition with cooking demonstrations, unlimited tastings and live music. Organized by House of Black Smoke, the festival aims to showcase California’s evolving barbecue scene while raising money for a nonprofit that supports hospitality workers. Lily Belli sets the table.
Suspect in Capitola Mall stabbing to be arraigned on Wednesday; court documents lay out alleged sequence of events
Tyler Leibelt, the 19-year-old suspect in the Monday stabbing that killed 73-year-old Rachell Summers outside the Capitola Mall, will return to court on Wednesday for his arraignment, continued from this week. Court documents filed by the district attorney’s office show the suspect’s troubled history and sequence of events from the day of the crime. Read more from Max Chun.
DAILY DIGEST
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Thanks for reading, today and all week – have a great Friday, and a safe, relaxing weekend.
Will McCahill