Good morning! It’s July 23 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
Partly sunny in Watsonville / Pajaro
Today will see areas of low clouds early; otherwise, mostly sunny and beautiful. The high will be 78 with a low of 55. Wear your sunblock — the UV index is very high (10/11).
Watsonville / Pajaro news
Santa Cruz County remains the nation’s most expensive rental market for the fourth consecutive year, underscoring persistent challenges for local renters.
The unwanted top spot: Santa Cruz County remains most expensive rental market
By Max Chun
Jul 23, 2026
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What’s new around you
▼︎ police incidents ▼︎ road incidents ▼︎ events
Read on to see the details about each item…
Things to do in Watsonville / Pajaro
Tacos and Tapas: Celebrate local talent
Tacos and Tapas: Celebrate local talent, one bite at a time, while supporting the small businesses in the community!
At El Pajaro CDC on July 23
Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region
- There was a traffic hazard reported today in the right lane of Highway 1 South at Salinas Road. Debris, including a shoe and lettuce, was found in the lane and could be dangerous for drivers.
Community crime report
- A person was arrested for having illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, and an outstanding warrant. The person had two previous drug convictions and was taken to county jail. The incident happened near the 100 block of San Juan Road, Watsonville, at 11 p.m. on July 21. (source)
- A person was charged with obstructing or resisting a police officer during an investigation. This happened near the 400 block of Kearney Street, Watsonville, at 10 a.m. on July 21. (source)
- A person was arrested for violating a protective order by having contact with someone they were not allowed to. The incident happened near the 100 block of Quiet Meadow Drive, Watsonville, around 1 a.m. on July 21. The person was taken to the Santa Cruz County Jail. (source)
- A report was made about an unknown person bothering a child under 18 through the video game Roblox. This happened near the 600 block of Atri Court, Watsonville, at 8 p.m. on July 20. (source)
- A person was drunk in public and resisted or obstructed an officer. The incident happened near the 1900 block of East Lake Avenue in Watsonville at 10 a.m. on July 6. (source)
- A person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol level over 0.08%. The incident happened near West Beach Street and Rodriguez Street in Watsonville at 10 a.m. on July 6. (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.