Watsonville / Pajaro Neighborhood Newsletter for Monday, April 20

---

Good morning! It’s April 20 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…

A couple of afternoon showers in Watsonville / Pajaro

Today will be some sun, then turning cloudy with a couple of showers this afternoon. There is a 66% chance of rain. The high will be 66 with a low of 55. Allergy sufferers beware: there are high amounts of tree pollen in the air. Intermittent clouds now, changing to cloudy at 2 p.m.

---

Top news from nearby

Capitola won’t rebuild Grand Avenue pathway but may make minor improvements. Some local eateries offer discounted leftover meals via Too Good To Go.

---

What’s new around you

▼︎ police incidents   ▼︎ road incidents   ▼︎ real estate   ▼︎ food inspections   ▼︎ events

Read on to see the details about each item…

---

Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region

• South Highway 1 is facing closures at Buena Vista Drive for drainage work. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. today.
   
• A lane on westbound Highway 152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway is closed for asphalt paving. The closure is expected to last until July 3.
   
• A lane on eastbound Highway 129 at Union Street is closed for utility work. The closure is scheduled to last until 3:01 p.m. on April 22.
   
• There is one-way traffic on Highway 129 at Salsipuedes Creek Bridge because of tree work. The closure is expected to end at 3:01 p.m. today. 

---

Property development

• The Santa Cruz County Planning Department has received a zoning application to renew an existing permit for a two-bedroom vacation rental located at 157 Holiday Dr. in the La Selva Planning Area. The proposed project seeks approval of a Vacation Rental Renewal Permit, which would allow the property to continue offering overnight lodging for periods of up to 30 days at a time. (view application)
   

---

Restaurant inspections

County officials regularly inspect food facilities to ensure compliance with state laws. Here, Lookout Santa Cruz reports both those who have passed the inspections and those that the county deems to have a “major” issue. The county’s full ongoing report can be accessed here.

• El AlteÑo Restaurant at 323 Main St., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on April 16 with no critical issues.
   
• Tacos El Frijolito at 1058 S. Green Valley Rd., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on April 16 with no critical issues.
   
• Valley Heights Senior Center at 925 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on April 16 with no critical issues.
   

---

Community crime report

• A person was reported for multiple counts of inappropriate acts with a child under 14 years old. The incident happened near the 1900 block of Main Street, Watsonville, at 3 p.m. on April 7. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for assaulting their spouse or partner, oral copulation, and having illegal drugs. The incident happened near the 4000 block of Airport Boulevard in Watsonville at 3 p.m. on April 4. The person was released on bond. (source)
   
• Police responded to a case involving attempts to prevent a witness or victim from reporting a crime, holding someone against their will, and planning to commit a serious crime. The incident happened near the 3000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, Watsonville, at 1 p.m. on April 7. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for obstructing a public officer, driving under the influence of alcohol, damaging property, endangering a child, and battery. The incident happened near the 3000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, Watsonville, at 2 a.m. on April 5. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for causing injury to a spouse or partner and for obstructing a police officer. The incident happened near Hollow View Lane in Watsonville at 4 a.m. on April 5. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for battery against a spouse or dating partner. The incident happened near the 6000 block of Peartree Drive, Watsonville. It occurred at noon on April 5. (source)
   
• A DUI with bodily injury happened near Manfre Road and Evergreen Lane, Freedom, at 3 a.m. on April 5. (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, property development updates 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.