SCOTTS VALLEY — Police have arrested two highschool college students in reference to a critical assault on a homeless man in Santa Cruz.
Scotts Valley law enforcement officials detained two college students, minors whose names weren’t launched attributable to their age, shortly earlier than 11 a.m. Monday on the Scotts Valley Excessive College campus, in response to Capt. Scott Garner. The arrests had been in reference to what was described as “an aged male was battered” shortly earlier than 8:30 p.m. Friday on the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue, in response to a Santa Cruz Police Division media log.
The kids — together with a 14-year-old Santa Cruz resident and a 16-year-old Scotts Valley resident — had been booked into Santa Cruz County Juvenile Corridor on suspicion of felony assault by means more likely to trigger nice bodily harm.
Witnesses to the assault described seeing three juveniles attacking a person and “stomping” on his head, in response to a Santa Cruz police launch. Investigators later obtained video displaying the assault sufferer working away from the juveniles on Ocean Avenue earlier than they struck him down after which fled in a car.
The 53-year-old man was transported to Bay Space Trauma Heart in important situation for remedy of head accidents. On Tuesday, Santa Cruz Deputy Chief of Police Jon Bush stated the beating sufferer remained within the hospital recovering from his accidents, however was acutely aware and talking. Bush dispelled rumors of the person’s demise, a thread that had run rampant on social media for the reason that teenagers’ arrest.
Homelessness providers supplier Brent Adams, who operates the close by Footbridge Companies on the finish of Felker Avenue, stated the injured man was considered one of his purchasers. He, too, advised the Sentinel that he had heard that the person was deceased.
“On the night time of the assault, considered one of my purchasers arrived asking for a change of garments as a result of she had blood throughout her for making an attempt to save lots of him,” Adams wrote in an e-mail to the Sentinel. “One other consumer reported to making an attempt to battle the attackers.”
Adams described the injured man as an “unbelievably candy” one who usually did odd jobs for Footbridge Companies and companies within the neighborhood. Adams stated that the person, although homeless, had long-time connections to the Santa Cruz group.