Good morning! It’s January 12 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
Plenty of sunshine in Watsonville / Pajaro
Today will be plenty of sunshine. The high will be 69 with a low of 39.
Looking ahead: Cool tonight
Watsonville / Pajaro news
A 17-year-old suspected gang member was arrested after fleeing a Watsonville traffic stop; police found a loaded ghost gun and cocaine. Two others from the car remain at large.
17-year-old arrested after fleeing from Watsonville traffic stop
By Ashley Palma-Jimenez
Jan 9, 2026
What’s new around you
▼︎ police incidents ▼︎ food inspections ▼︎ events
Read on to see the details about each item…
Things to do in Watsonville / Pajaro
Teen STEM Accelerator: 1 Day Skill Workshop in San Jose
A dynamic STEM experience mixing coding, robotics and science projects, designed to ignite curiosity and build real-world skills in teens.
At regus CA on January 12
Sewing Workshop
Event date: January 13 Event Time: 04:00 P.M. – 05:30 P.M. Location: 2021 Freedom Blvd. Freedom, CA 95019 Watsonville 95076 Description: ✨ Free Sewing…
At on January 13
Toddler Tumble Time
Event date: January 13 Event Time: 10:30 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. Location: 275 Main Street, Suite #100 Watsonville 95076 Description: Get ready to tumble ~ …
At Watsonville Library on January 13
Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region
- CHP helped with construction on southbound Highway 1 at State Park in Aptos. Starting at 8:04 p.m. on January 11, traffic had to exit at Bay Porter and use Soquel to get to Park. The southbound Highway 1 reopened by 5:39 a.m. today.
- South Highway 9 at Lorenzo Avenue in San Lorenzo Valley has one-way traffic because of emergency work. This closure will last until April 1 at 3:59 p.m.
- Long-term projects: Overnight traffic control on Highway 9 in Felton between Graham Hill Rd. and the San Lorenzo Valley schools complex will start today and continue for one week due to utility relocation work.
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.
- Target Store #1143 at 1415 Main St., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on January 7 with no critical issues.
- Rustic Table at 55 Brennan St., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on January 9 with no critical issues.
- Pajaro Dunes Co (gift Shop) at 105 Shell Dr, Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on January 9 with no critical issues.
- Main Kitchen (the Rustic Table) at 55 Brennan St., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on January 9 with no critical issues.
- La Fogata Restaurant at 109 Union St., Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on January 9 with no critical issues.
Community crime report
- A person was arrested for domestic battery, robbery, and harming an elder or dependent adult. The incident happened near the 100 block of Main Street in Watsonville at 7 p.m. on December 16. (source)
- A person was arrested for being drunk in public, hit and run with property damage, and two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol. The incident happened near the 100 block of West Beach Street in Watsonville around midnight on December 17. The person was released at 3:09 a.m. on December 17. (source)
- A person was arrested for having illegal drugs and drugs for sale. The incident happened near the 500 block of Rodriguez St., Watsonville, at 9 p.m. on December 16. The person was booked and later released on bond. (source)
- Unauthorized use of another person’s identification to get credit or benefits was reported. The incident happened near the 800 Block of Martinelli Street, Watsonville, at midnight on November 15. (source)
- A person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license. The incident happened near Martinelli and Wesley in Santa Cruz County at 1 a.m. on December 17. The person was released at 2:55 a.m. the same day. (source)
- A person was arrested for blocking a police officer, having illegal paraphernalia, and violating probation. The incident happened near Main St. and Riverside Dr in Watsonville at 3 a.m. on December 17. The person was released later that morning at 5:37 a.m. (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.