A family fought off two men armed with a sword and a screwdriver in an early morning home invasion robbery on the 500 block of Poplar Avenue Wednesday, in the Branciforte neighborhood.
The two robbers had their faces covered and entered the bedroom of a sleeping couple demanding cash. They attempted to bind the adults with duct tape and threatened to injure children who were sleeping in other rooms.
The family members broke free and began a long fight with the suspects, while one of the children called 9-1-1. One of the suspects ran away with goods from the house. Police found the other pinned on the front yard by the family.
Police arrested Cuactemoc Xilonzochilt-Zamora, 28, of Santa Cruz. He reportedly had a wallet in his pocket belonging to someone in the house.
He was booked on suspicion of robbery, burglary, false imprisonment, possession of methamphetamine and assault with a deadly weapon.
Police reported that he has a history of arrests for burglary and drugs.
The people in the home suffered minor injuries and didn't go to the hospital.
Police are looking for the second man.
This is the fourth violent incident in the city in a little more than a week. Last week Pauly Silva, 32, was shot to death in front of the Red Room bar in a gang-related drive-by; a 21-year-old UCSC student was shot in the head and survived in a robbery by Natural Bridges State Park and another 21-year-old woman was raped and beaten on the UCSC campus on Presidents Day.
