Good morning! It’s January 21 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
Cloudy in Watsonville / Pajaro
Today will be cloudy. There is a 25% chance of rain. The high will be 60 with a low of 45.
Looking ahead: Cool Friday night
Watsonville / Pajaro news
Watsonville may ban RV and semitruck street parking. Hundreds of Watsonville High students protested immigration enforcement. New businesses like salons, cleaning services, and boutiques have registered in Santa Cruz County.
Watsonville City Council moves forward with changes to its oversized vehicle ordinance
By Tania Ortiz
Jan 21, 2026
Hundreds of Watsonville High students walk out of class to take stand against immigration enforcement
By Tania Ortiz and Kevin Painchaud
Jan 20, 2026
What’s new around you
▼︎ police incidents ▼︎ road incidents ▼︎ real estate ▼︎ code violations ▼︎ new businesses
Read on to see the details about each item…
Roadwork is affecting traffic near you
- A blue/gray Scion and a blue or green sedan were involved in a collision at 214 Freedom Blvd. The Scion swerved off the road and ended up between a power pole and a wire, but the driver does not think the car hit either. No injuries were reported. The incident was reported today.
Property development
- The Santa Cruz County Planning Department has received a zoning application for a project at 1258 San Andreas Road in Watsonville. The proposal seeks to renew a permit allowing the property to operate as a six-bedroom vacation rental, with overnight stays permitted for up to thirty days at a time. Approval of a vacation rental permit is required for the renewal to move forward. (view application)
Property code violations
County officials cite property owners for issues such as substandard housing, illegal uses of buildings, property maintenance, abandoned appliances or furniture, construction without permits, and other issues that affect public safety and quality of life.
- A code violation notice has been issued for the property at 1630 Buena Vista Dr, Watsonville 95076-8317, under case number NV25336. According to the “CODE COMPLIANCE CASE(S)” section, the violations include operating an unpermitted event venue—meaning the property was used to host events without the required county permits or approvals—and conducting unpermitted construction, where building activities took place without securing the necessary permits. The property was therefore cited for both unauthorized use as an event venue and for carrying out construction work without proper permits.
New local businesses
- A new business named WATSONVILLE DENTAL WELLNESS CENTER was registered at 36 Aspen Way, Watsonville CA 95076 on January 12. The business was registered by Jason L. Cook Dds, Inc. as a corporation.
- A new business named KIND REAL ESTATE was registered at 159 W. Ridge Dr, Watsonville CA 95076 on January 13. The business was registered by Megan J. Kilmer as an individual business.
- A new business named CRESTVIEW LAUNDRY, GRANNY’S WASH & DRY, PAJARO COIN LAUNDRY was registered at 305 Salinas Rd, Watsonville CA 95076 on January 13. The business was registered by Pajaro Valley Laundries, LLC as a Limited Liability Company.
- A new business named O’JUICE & COFFEE was registered at 200 Union St., Watsonville CA 95076 on January 14. The business was registered by Juan Carlos Bautista Nambo as a co-partnership.
Community crime report
- There was an attempted murder near the 1500 Block of Freedom Blvd. in Watsonville at 10 p.m. on January 19. Police searched the area and took a statement. The case is still being investigated. (source)
- A person used a gun to rob someone, demanded all their belongings, and hit the victim in the head with the gun. This happened near the 300 Block of E Beach St., Watsonville at 8 p.m. on January 18. The case is closed for now until the suspect is identified. (source)
- A shooting happened at a home or vehicle, and police found shell casings at the scene. Officers also looked for security camera footage. The incident took place near the 200 Block of Carey Ave. in Watsonville at 2 a.m. on January 18. (source)
- An assault with a deadly weapon (not a firearm) happened near the 200 Block of Green Meadow in Watsonville at 10 a.m. on January 16. Police arrested a 42-year-old after getting witness statements about the incident. (source)
- A person was arrested for resisting arrest and assaulting a gas station clerk. The incident happened near the 200 Block of Green Valley Rd, Watsonville, at 6 a.m. on January 19. The person was booked into county jail. (source)
- A juvenile was arrested for physically assaulting his sister and damaging his mother’s TV, which was worth about $600. The incident happened near the 100 Block of Napa St., Watsonville, at 5 p.m. on January 19. Both victims asked for charges to be filed, and the suspect was taken to juvenile hall. (source)
- A person was arrested for being under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was released to the care of sobering center staff. The incident happened near the 200 Block of Union St., Watsonville at 4 p.m. on January 19. (source)
- A person was arrested for being drunk and causing a disturbance at Applebee’s. The incident happened near the 1100 Block of S Green Valley Rd, Watsonville, at 10 p.m. on January 18. (source)
- A person was arrested for being under the influence of drugs and violating probation. The incident happened near the 900 Block of Main St., Watsonville, at 2 p.m. on January 17. (source)
- A mailbox was tampered with and mail was stolen. This happened near the 100 Block Sudden St., Watsonville at 9 p.m. on January 19. The case is suspended until a suspect is identified. (source)
- A car window was smashed and the inside of the car was ransacked by unknown suspects, who are still at large. The burglary happened near the 100 Block of Union St., Watsonville at 4 p.m. on January 16. (source)
- A purse was stolen from a shopper’s cart by an unknown person. The incident happened near the 1900 Block of Main St., Watsonville, at 6 p.m. on January 17. (source)
Disclosure: Traffic incidents, property development updates, code violations 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.