Crime & Safety

Police Blotter: 'Scream'-Masked Men Rob Man, Burglary In Progress Stopped, Gang Member Arrested

A roundup of incidents that occurred in Santa Cruz on Friday.

Gang member arrested on drug charges

A suspected Santa Cruz MS-13 member was arrested for an outstanding warrant in the Lower Ocean Street neighborhood Friday morning.

Guillerino Linares, 39, a suspected member of Mara Salvatrucha, was spotted by Santa Cruz Police officers near Barson and Campbell streets around 8 a.m. Friday morning. Linares is also known as William Flores.

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Police found Linares in possession of cocaine and faces charges of for the drug sales.

In addition, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers had been looking for Linares in association with drug dealing and gang affiliation with the MS-13 street gang.

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Anyone with additional information about Linares is encouraged to call Santa Cruz Police at 831-420-5820.

Five suspects in Scream masks rob man

A man called police Friday night after he said he was robbed at gunpoint by a group of people wearing Scream masks, Santa Cruz Police reported Saturday morning.

The victim, a 20-year-old Santa Cruz resident, told police he was walking on the railroad tracks near Bellevue Street in the Circles neighborhood on the West side when five people approached and surrounded him.

One of the suspects pulled out a silver handgun and told the victim to “put everything on the ground.” The victim did as he was told.

The victim then was told to walk away and not look back.

The victim told police all of the suspects were wearing dark, baggy clothes in addition to the Scream masks. One was carrying a hockey stick, he told police.

Anyone with additional information about this case is encouraged to call Santa Cruz Police at 831-420-5820.

Two arrested in home burglary

Santa Cruz Police arrested a 37-year-old and a 17-year-old after three Santa Cruz residents reported they came home to find their door open and suspects in their house, police reported.

Three residents of a home in the 800 block of Hanover Street told police they came home Friday night at about 10:15 p.m. and found their door open. When they tried to go in, the door was closed and locked.

One of the residents unlocked the door and went in to confront the suspects. A struggle followed.

According to police, the suspects tried to run from the home. Witnesses and the residents detained the teenager until police arrived. The 37-year-old, Dennis Welsh, a Santa Cruz resident, was found a short distance from the home.

Police believe there was a third suspect involved, but he was not located.

Welch and the teenager were treated at the hospital for minor injuries and taken into custody.

The victims recovered their property.

Anyone with additional information about this case is encouraged to call Santa Cruz Police at 831-420-5820.


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