Good morning! It’s February 4 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
Plenty of sun in Watsonville / Pajaro
Today will be warm with the temperature tying the record from 2018 with plenty of sunshine. The high will be 79 with a low of 48. Sunny now, changing to mostly clear at 7 p.m.
Watsonville / Pajaro news
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, raised in Watsonville, is running for California governor, focusing on accountability, housing, and mental health. Over 20 new businesses, including daycare, food, and services, were registered in Santa Cruz County last week.
Q&A: Matt Mahan on how growing up in Watsonville shaped run for California governor
By Hillary Ojeda
Feb 4, 2026
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What’s new around you
▼︎ police incidents ▼︎ road incidents ▼︎ food inspections
Read on to see the details about each item…
Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region
- There is a one-way traffic closure on South Highway 9 at Lorenzo Avenue in San Lorenzo Valley because of emergency work. The closure will last until April 1 at 3:59 p.m.
- A lane on westbound SR-152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway is closed for asphalt paving. The closure will last until July 3 at 5:59 a.m.
- A lane on North Highway 9 in the Westside / Downtown area is closed for shoulder work. The closure will last until 3:01 p.m. on February 28.
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.
- Bi-wise Foods at 20 Menker St. Ste C, Watsonville, passed a county health inspection on February 2 with no critical issues.
Community crime report
- A person was arrested on multiple charges, including giving false identification, lewd acts with a child, violating court orders, taking lost property, having illegal paraphernalia, possessing a controlled substance, sexual penetration by force, giving alcohol to a minor, and having sex with a minor. The incident happened near the 140 block of Main Street in Watsonville around 4 a.m. on January 26. (source)
- A person was arrested for several serious crimes, including assault causing serious injury, robbery, gang involvement, and having a gun in a school zone. The incident happened near the 300 block of Carey Ave., Santa Cruz County, at 11 p.m. on January 30. (source)
- A person was arrested for several charges, including shoplifting, having illegal drugs, causing injury to someone they live with or are dating, first-degree burglary, and holding someone against their will. The incident happened near the 300 block of South Green Valley Road in Watsonville at 9 a.m. on February 2. The person is waiting to be picked up by authorities from another county. (source)
- A person was arrested for violating the terms of their post-release community supervision. The incident happened near the Santa Clara Jail in Santa Cruz County. It occurred at 11 a.m. on January 28. (source)
- A person was found under the influence of a controlled substance and in possession of a controlled substance. This happened near the 000 block of Lee Road, Santa Cruz County, at 5 a.m. on January 31. (source)
- A person was arrested for multiple drug charges and a local ordinance violation. The incident happened near Ocean and Jewell in Santa Cruz County at 5 a.m. on January 24. (source)
- A person was arrested for evading police, obstructing an officer, and driving with a suspended license due to a DUI violation. The incident happened near the 100 block of Lee Road in Watsonville at 10 p.m. on January 24. (source)
- A person was stopped for blocking a police officer, driving under the influence of alcohol with a previous DUI, and driving with a suspended license from a past DUI. The incident happened near Freedom Blvd. and Green Valley Rd in Watsonville at 6 p.m. on January 25. (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.