Quick Take
The body of 25-year-old Lizbeth Arceo Sedano was found in Corralitos on Sunday morning, just about 12 hours after the father of her child was shot by police in an altercation near the Watsonville police station. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Sedano’s death as “suspicious.”
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 25-year-old Watsonville woman as “suspicious” after her body was found on Sunday morning — about 12 hours after a police altercation with the father of her child.
According to a sheriff’s office social media post, deputies and detectives were called on Sunday at about 9:40 a.m. to Eureka Canyon Road and Grizzly Flat Road in Corralitos, where someone had discovered and reported a body in the area. The body was soon identified to be that of 25-year-old Lizbeth Arceo Sedano.
Sheriff’s office spokesperson Ashley Keehn said they found the body along a hiking trail in the Rattlesnake Gulch area.
The night before, Watsonville police responded to a call that raised concerns for Sedano’s well-being. Watsonville Chief of Police Jorge Zamora told Lookout on Monday that the department received a call from Joshua Gonzalez — the father of Sedano’s 3-year-old daughter — at about 9:19 p.m. on Saturday.
Gonzalez was calling from right outside the police station at 215 Union St., and told the dispatcher that he was dangerous, armed with a knife and was going to hurt his child, said Zamora. Police found him, alone, and his daughter inside his nearby parked car.
Zamora said that a nearby officer promptly came to the parking lot where Gonzalez was calling from and ordered him to drop the knife multiple times. Police claim Gonzalez ignored the orders and charged the officer with the knife. The officer opened fire, striking Gonzalez and sending him to the ground.
Officers administered medical aid and transported Gonzalez to a trauma center outside of the county, said Zamora: “From what I understand, he is alive and he is in stable condition.”
Officers recovered the knife they claim Gonzalez wielded at the scene.
Zamora said that Gonzalez’s daughter was inside his car at the time of the confrontation with police and was not in danger. The child is currently in the care of other family members.
Shortly after the altercation between Watsonville police and Gonzalez, officers became concerned for Sedano’s well-being after her family could not reach her. Her body was found about 12 hours later.
At this point, Zamora said, the investigation is in the hands of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, as Sedano’s body was found in Corralitos — an unincorporated part of the county. However, Watsonville police will stay up to date on the case.
“The only thing that we can do is keep in close contact with the sheriff’s office,” said Zamora. “If there is any correlation to Mr. Gonzalez and the death of Lizbeth, then we will be working closely with them. But we’re going to let them run with the case.”
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