Good morning! It’s April 8 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
Clouds giving way to sun in Westside / Downtown
Today will be clouds giving way to sun. The high will be 73 with a low of 53. Wear your sunblock — the UV Index is very high (8/11). Allergy sufferers beware: there are high amounts of tree pollen in the air. Partly sunny now, changing to mostly sunny at 9 a.m.
Looking ahead: Expect showery weather tomorrow afternoon through Sunday afternoon
Westside / Downtown news
Santa Cruz officials oppose housing rapist Michael Cheek in an Ocean Street hotel if Watsonville is unavailable. New businesses: DEBUT Ultrasound Boutique (Felton), Alltronics Repair (Watsonville), Dentistry for Animals (Aptos), Coin Drop Arcade (Scotts Valley).
City of Santa Cruz strongly opposing plan to place rapist Michael Cheek in Santa Cruz hotel
By Tania Ortiz
Apr 8, 2026
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What’s new around you
▼︎ police incidents ▼︎ events
Read on to see the details about each item…
Things to do in Westside / Downtown
Spring Break at Santa Cruz Maker Studios
Spring Maker Camp 2026 (April 6th-10th) Join us for a week of hands-on creativity! Our Spring Maker Camp offers a mix of woodworking, sewing & beading…
At Santa Cruz Maker Studios on April 8
Repeats 2 more times until April 10
Community crime report
- A sexual battery incident was reported, involving unwanted intimate touching. It happened near the 300 Block of Ocean St., Santa Cruz, at 1 a.m. on April 4. (source)
- A person was arrested for running from police, having methamphetamine and fentanyl, tampering with a vehicle, and having several outstanding warrants. This happened near Cedar St. & Cathcart St. in Santa Cruz at 2 a.m. on April 6. (source)
- A person was arrested for public intoxication and had an outstanding felony warrant. The incident happened near the 900 Block of Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz at 1 a.m. on April 6. (source)
- A person was arrested for misdemeanor battery against a spouse or ex-spouse. The incident happened near the 600 Block of Riverside Ave., Santa Cruz, at 2 a.m. on April 5. (source)
- A person was arrested for having illegal drugs and shoplifting, with more than two previous offenses for each. The incident happened near Felker St. and Ocean St. in Santa Cruz County at midnight on March 24. (source)
- A person was arrested for several offenses, including violating probation, having illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, and not having a proper bike headlight. The incident happened near the 1000 block of Josephine Street in Santa Cruz at midnight on March 24. (source)
- Credit card fraud happened near the 600 Block of Front St., Santa Cruz at 4 p.m. on April 4. Someone used another person’s identity to get credit or make purchases. (source)
- A man was arrested for battery, with concerns he might continue the behavior. The incident happened near the 500 Block of Leibrandt Ave., Santa Cruz. It occurred at 1 p.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.
No traffic problems nearby
We checked with state and county agencies — the roads look good!
Disclosure: 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.