Quick Take
Fallout from the Santa Cruz City Council's decision Jan. 10 to reject a cease-fire resolution escalated to an anonymous death threat made against Mayor Fred Keeley, one police said they found credible. This week, the maker of the threat was identified.
Last Thursday, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley received an anonymous voicemail threatening his life for the city council’s decision the previous day to reject a resolution calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
By Wednesday evening, Keeley had received another call from the same person. This time, however, the caller, a 16-year-old Watsonville resident, was accompanied by his father and the threatening tone was replaced with what Keeley described to Lookout as “deep regret and sorrow.”
The mayor confirmed that the teen and his father apologized for the voicemail and said they were “very distraught” over the threat.
On Wednesday, Santa Cruz police confirmed that they had identified the teenager after he was picked up in Watsonville. Deputy Chief Jon Bush said they turned him over to his parents and forwarded the case to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney to seek charges for criminal threats.
However, Keeley said he has requested a formal letter of apology from the teen and his parents to the office of the mayor. If they comply, Keeley said that’s as far as his interest goes in the incident, and that he would not pursue charges. Keeley did not give a deadline to the family to submit the written apology, but said he planned to “absolutely” make the letter public once received.
Keeley said the teenager and his parents were at the Jan. 9-10 Santa Cruz City Council meeting, and that when police picked them up on Tuesday afternoon, they were headed to the Watsonville City Council meeting in support of a similar cease-fire resolution. Bush said that was his understanding as well.
The threat was left on Keeley’s cellphone voicemail a day after the Santa Cruz City Council took 10 hours of public comment regarding a resolution explicitly calling for a cease-fire between the warring sides in Gaza. The resolution, written by Councilmembers Sonja Brunner and Sandy Brown, was turned down by the mayor and the rest of the city council in favor of softer language calling for general peace in the general region of the Middle East.
The vote brought on a strong immediate reaction, as supporters of the cease-fire screamed expletives and hurled objects at the city council dais. Tensions remained high in the days following, as city councilmembers were doxxed and received direct threats to themselves and their families.
Police determined the death threat against Keeley to be credible and opened an investigation.
Keeley told Lookout that he is feeling much better now that he has received at least a verbal apology from “the person who made a threat against my life.” Keeley said after talking with the teenager and hearing that apology, he no longer believes the Watsonville resident will make an attempt on his life.
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