Westside / Downtown Neighborhood Newsletter for Wednesday, December 10

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Good morning! It’s December 10 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…

Mostly sunny in Westside / Downtown

Today will be mostly sunny. The high will be 67 with a low of 46. Mostly sunny now, changing to clear at 7 p.m.

Looking ahead: Mostly sunny this weekend

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Westside / Downtown news

ICE notified local law enforcement of 29 actions this year, including a recent Santa Cruz visit. City and county staff seek alternatives as Housing Matters’ day services end in March. Several new businesses registered in Santa Cruz County this week.

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What’s new around you

▼︎ police incidents   ▼︎ food inspections

Read on to see the details about each item…

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Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region

• A lane on North Highway 1 at Mar Monte Avenue in Aptos is closed for K-rail removal. The closure is expected to end at 5:59 a.m. today.
   
• A lane on Highway 1 at Bay Avenue in Capitola / Soquel is closed due to a traffic break. The closure is expected to end at 3:01 p.m. on December 14.
   
• There is a one-way traffic closure on South Highway 9 at Lorenzo Avenue in San Lorenzo Valley because of emergency work. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. on April 1, 2026.
   
• Highway 9 at 13.4 Bear Creek Road in San Lorenzo Valley has one-way traffic control because of ongoing work. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p. on December 15.
   
• Southbound Highway 17 at Sugarloaf Road in Scotts Valley is facing closures for emergency work. The closure is expected to last until 7:59 a.m. on December 13.
    
• Long-term projects: The southbound Highway 1 off-ramp at Park Avenue in Santa Cruz County was closed on December 9 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for soundwall construction.
   

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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.

• London Nelson Center – Room #6 at 301 Center St., Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on December 8 with no critical issues.
   
• London Nelson Senior Dining Center at 301 Center St., Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on December 8 with no critical issues.
   

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Community crime report

• A man was arrested for being under the influence of drugs and for not showing up to court for a shoplifting charge. The incident happened near the 1300 Block of Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, at 11 a.m. on December 8. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for robbery near the 200 Block of Union St., Santa Cruz. The incident happened at 9 a.m. on December 8. (source)
   
• A woman was arrested for having outstanding warrants and several charges, including having illegal drug items, possessing a controlled substance, and shoplifting. The incident happened near the 600 Block of Front St., Santa Cruz at 10 p.m. on December 7. (source)
   
• A person was cited and released for driving without a license near the 700 Block of Front St., Santa Cruz at 9 p.m. on December 7. (source)
   
• A man was arrested for seriously injuring someone in an assault. The incident happened near Water St. and the Santa Cruz Riverwalk in Santa Cruz at 5 p.m. on December 7. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for being intoxicated in public, acting disorderly under the influence of drugs, and having illegal paraphernalia. The incident happened near West Riverwalk and N Josephine St., Santa Cruz, at 3 p.m. on December 7. (source)
   
• A vehicle was vandalized, causing over $400 in damage. The incident happened near the 500 Block of W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, at 2 p.m. on December 7. (source)
   
• A sexual battery involving unwanted intimate touching for sexual arousal was reported near the 1000 Block of Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz at 10 p.m. on December 5. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for battery and a hate crime. The incident happened near the 2400 Block of Mission St., Santa Cruz, at 6 p.m. on December 3. (source)
   
• A person was cited and released for petty theft (shoplifting or stealing something of low value). The incident happened near the 2200 Block of Mission St., Santa Cruz, at 6 p.m. on December 3. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for violating parole (a felony) and having a controlled substance. The incident happened near the 300 block of Coral Street in Santa Cruz at 2 p.m. on December 3. The person was released on November 26, at 8:25 a.m. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for putting pollutants near water, petty theft, and having a controlled substance. The incident happened near the 100 BLOCK of Blaine St., Santa Cruz, at 4 p.m. on December 2. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for battery on a spouse or dating partner and for violating a court order meant to prevent domestic violence. The incident happened near the 100 block of Riverside Ave., Santa Cruz, at 4 p.m. on December 2. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for planning a serious crime, breaking into a building, and being drunk in public. The incident happened near the 100 block of Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, at 4 p.m. on December 2. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for having illegal drugs and drug-related items, damaging property, throwing something at a vehicle, and assaulting police or emergency workers. The incident happened near the 700 block of Chestnut St., Santa Cruz, at 4 p.m. on December 1. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The incident happened near Pacific Ave. and Spruce Street in Santa Cruz County. It occurred at 10 a.m. on November 30. The person was released at 4:54 a.m. on November 30. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for trespassing and loitering on private property near the 100 block of Alta Ave., Santa Cruz. The incident happened at 9 a.m. on November 30. The person was released at 12:02 p.m. the same day. (source)
   
• A vehicle theft occurred near the 200 block of Second St. in Santa Cruz. The incident happened at 8 p.m. on November 29. Police arrested a 35-year-old man from San Jose in connection with the theft. (source)
   
• A stolen vehicle was found and recovered. The vehicle had been reported stolen by San Jose police. The incident happened near the 200 Block of Pioneer St., Santa Cruz, at 8 p.m. on November 29. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon (not a firearm), making criminal threats, violating probation, and showing a deadly weapon. This happened near Soquel Ave. and Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz around 10 a.m. on November 29. (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.