The Santa Cruz Police Department has arrested a 31-year-old man in a fatal stabbing on Friday at George Washington Grove in the DeLaveaga Park area.
Criminal Justice
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Santa Cruz police to review excessive force complaint after multiple officers arrest Westside cyclist
Witnesses say Santa Cruz police officers used excessive force Wednesday morning when arresting a Black man on his bike. Deputy Chief Jon Bush said the department is investigating a community complaint it received about the incident.
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Man found guilty of first-degree murder in downtown Santa Cruz parking garage stabbing
The weeklong trial in Neoklis Koumides’ November 2022 murder came to an end Friday afternoon when a Santa Cruz Superior Court jury found John Frederick Burke guilty of first-degree murder with an enhancement of the use of a deadly weapon. Burke’s sentencing date will be determined after a final hearing next Thursday.
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Fired UC Santa Cruz prof Gopal Balakrishnan settles sexual assault lawsuit by former student
Gopal Balakrishnan, a former professor at UC Santa Cruz, agreed to pay $45,000 to Anneliese Harlander, a UCSC alumna who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Balakrishnan, according to the terms of Wednesday’s settlement.
Posted inEducation
Jury awards $7.2 million to ex-UCSC police lieutenant in racial discrimination suit
Former UC Santa Cruz police officer Glenn Harper was awarded $7.2 million after a jury ruled in his favor in a racial discrimination lawsuit against the University of California. His attorney says Harper has another action pending to get his job back at UCSC.
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Capitola woman missing since Dec. 3; boyfriend not cooperating with El Cerrito investigation
Police say Capitola’s Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann, 61, has been missing since Dec. 3. Investigators say her boyfriend, Theobald “Theo” Brooks Lengyel, who also goes by Mylo Stone, is considered a person of interest but is not cooperating with authorities. Capitola police are assisting the El Cerrito-led investigation into her disappearance.
Posted inCapitola & Soquel, Latest News
Capitola to install illuminated stop signs at intersection after hit-and-run
During a Thursday night Capitola city council meeting, council members directed staff to install illuminated stop signs at the Bay Avenue and Hill Street intersection.
Posted inCapitola & Soquel
Debra Towne’s death on Capitola’s Bay Avenue shocks community, igniting demands for change
Debra “Debby” Towne was a caregiver who loved to dance. She had dreams of going to Hawaii and cherished Christmas cookie baking with family and friends. And at age 70, the resident of a seniors housing complex in Capitola still loved to walk, spending many evenings walking her dog with longtime friend Ray Travers after […]
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Sheriff’s office confirms hunger strike in Santa Cruz jail as inmates say ‘we are treated abominably’
Five inmates are on a hunger strike in the Santa Cruz Main Jail, and their complaints mirror many of the issues cited in a civil grand jury report earlier this year. A similar demonstration led to changes in the jail in May 2019, but activists say the focus should remain on funding programs and services aimed at rehabilitation.