Santa Cruz

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As Tide Rose, Stranded Man Made a Plea for 'HELP'

California kite surfer rescued near Santa Cruz after spelling out message in rocks

(Newser) - A California kite surfer who found himself stranded on a narrow stretch of beach between a rising ocean and towering cliffs was rescued Sunday after using nearby rocks to spell out "HELP." The man became trapped on Davenport Landing Beach, northwest of Santa Cruz, amid challenging weather conditions,...

Surfboard-Stealing Otter's Aggression Explained by a Birth

Otter 841 spotted with pup off Santa Cruz

(Newser) - Attempts to capture an aggressive surfboard-stealing sea otter in California are on hold as "Otter 841" is now accompanied by a pup. The female sea otter has reportedly given birth and was spotted Wednesday "far off the Santa Cruz coast, rolling and spinning in the kelp and waves...

Watch Out for This Surfboard-Swiping Sea Otter
Surfing Otter Eludes
Capture Again
updated
Jul 20, 2023 11:38 AM CDT

Surfing Otter Eludes Capture Again

Officials say 'Otter 841' has been aggressively going after surfers off of Santa Cruz, California

(Newser) - A sea otter that has drawn national attention for its unique ability to steal surfboards from surfers and then hop aboard them continues to elude capture, reports the Los Angeles Times . This week, for example, California wildlife officials went out to the otter's known area by boat and put...

'Evil Elmo' Has Become 'Creepy Monster,' Cops Warn

'Do not engage' with man wearing Cookie Monster costume in Santa Cruz, they say

(Newser) - "Do not engage" with Cookie Monster. That's the message from police in Santa Cruz, California, where a street performer wearing a costume of the Sesame Street character has been harassing people. "It's the creepy monster, not the Cookie Monster," a visitor to the Santa Cruz...

Entrepreneur's Murder Shows 'Absurd' Side of Legal Pot

Tushar Atre was murdered for his cash, but his case is riddled with warning signs

(Newser) - In Santa Cruz, known for its surf culture and "blissed-out natural settings," Tushar Atre was not a rare breed, Scott Eden writes for Inc. The entrepreneur brought a track record of tech-industry success, a hard-edged management style, rich connections, and a pioneering vision for industrial-scale THC extraction. In...

Tiny California House Sells for Not-So-Tiny Price
Tiny House Sells for $1M,
and It Is Really Tiny
in case you missed it
Nov 6, 2021 6:30 AM CDT

Tiny House Sells for $1M, and It Is Really Tiny

328 square feet, to be exact, smack in the middle of Santa Cruz, Calif.

(Newser) - What would you pony up for a one-bedroom, one-bath tiny house? If your answer stretches into the seven figures, you would've been a good candidate for an abode in California's Santa Cruz that did not come with a tiny price tag. The Sacramento Bee notes that, per Home...

Kids in Sailing School Get Unexpected Lesson

5 children had to be rescued from waves off Santa Cruz, Calif., on Sunday

(Newser) - Five children had to be rescued from waves off Santa Cruz, Calif., over the weekend after their boats capsized during a sailing lesson. Several small sailboats flipped as a large wave struck near the mouth of Santa Cruz harbor around 4:30pm Sunday, per NBC News . Though an initial call...

As He Fought a California Fire, an 'Absolutely Disgusting' Act

Firefighter's wallet stolen, account drained while he worked; looters also break into evacuated homes

(Newser) - While some firefighting crews are working 72-hour shifts to battle the massive blazes now ravaging California, opportunists are taking advantage of both those on the front lines and residents affected by the fires. "Absolutely disgusting behavior," "saddening," and "sickening" is how fire officials are describing...

100mph Police Chase Ends at Cliff's Edge

Carjacking suspect drove right off the precipice and into the Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz, Calif.

(Newser) - A police chase this week in California led to a carjacking suspect plunging over the side of a cliff in the vehicle he was driving—and living to tell the tale. In a statement cited by NBC News , the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office says a report came in...

Anonymous Donor Thanks Hospital Staff With $1M

Anonymous donation will be split amongst California hospital's workers

(Newser) - It's a stressful time to be a hospital worker—and an anonymous donor is saying thank you in a big way. Employees at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, Calif., will split a $1 million donation from an unnamed local resident expressing gratitude for their work during the coronavirus pandemic,...

Tech Exec Found Dead Hours After Kidnapping

Police in Santa Cruz believe robbery was the motive

(Newser) - A wealthy tech executive was kidnapped from his oceanfront home in Santa Cruz at 3am Tuesday and found dead later that day, police in California say. Police say they received a 911 call reporting a kidnapping and home invasion early Tuesday from the home of Tushar Atre, the 50-year-old founder...

Coffee Shop: Big Company Has 'Ridiculous' Claim on Word 'Cat'

Cat and Cloud Coffee is pushing back on Caterpillar's trademark infringement claim

(Newser) - The world of copyright and trademark infringement is a tricky one that often involves David vs. Goliath battles—a truth that a coffee shop in Santa Cruz, Calif., is finding out the hard way. KSBW reports that Cat and Cloud Coffee first received a cease-and-desist order last August from none...

Call Girl Guilty in Google Exec's Death May Be Deported

ICE detains Alix Tichelman upon release from jail

(Newser) - The prostitute who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and administering drugs in the 2013 death of a Google executive aboard his yacht has been released from custody early due to good behavior—but she might not be hanging around the US for long. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office...

Coroner: Here's How Maddy Middleton Died

She suffered positional asphyxiation, stab wounds to neck

(Newser) - The cause of death has been established: Maddy Middleton, the 8-year-old girl found dead in a trash bin inside an apartment building garage in Santa Cruz, Calif., died of positional asphyxiation and stab wounds to the neck, the San Jose Mercury News reports, via a coroner's report. A sheriff...

After Maddy's Murder, an Unlikely Motherly Bond

Laura Jordan says she told accused killer's mom 'I love you'

(Newser) - The mother of slain 8-year-old Maddy Middleton doesn't blame the mother of alleged killer Adrian Jerry Gonzalez, 15. In fact, she says she's consoling her friend while dealing with the unimaginable loss of her daughter. Laura Jordan, Maddy's mom, says she found Reggie Factor on her knees...

Teen Lured Maddy Middleton With Ice Cream: Report

More details emerge about suspect AJ Gonzalez after 8-year-old's murder

(Newser) - A source said to be close to the investigation into the death of 8-year-old Madyson "Maddy" Middleton tells the San Francisco Chronicle that the 15-year-old accused of raping and killing her lured her into his family's Santa Cruz, Calif., apartment with ice cream, then jumped her. Surveillance video...

Teen Charged as Adult in Rape, Murder of Girl

AJ Gonzalez faces six felonies in Maddy Middleton's brutal death

(Newser) - The 15-year-old boy accused of murdering his 8-year-old neighbor in Santa Cruz, California, has been charged as an adult, reports the Los Angeles Times , and the reason makes for tough reading. Authorities say AJ Gonzalez lured Maddy Middleton to his family's apartment when nobody was home, at which point...

Guy Dressed as Fox Reporter Attacked on Halloween

By Sean Kory, new candidate for 'hot mugshot man'

(Newser) - A guy dressed as a Fox News reporter on Halloween experienced the downside of media politics when a stranger allegedly attacked him, yelling, "I hate Fox News!" What's more, the Fox-hater may be a new candidate for "hot mugshot man." Police say the victim was...

2 Cops Shot Dead in Calif. Sex Assault Investigation

Suspect in Santa Cruz also killed

(Newser) - Two police officers investigating a sexual assault complaint in Santa Cruz were shot dead yesterday in what the California city's police chief says is the darkest day in his department's history. The two veteran officers, one male and one female, were gunned down when they arrived at the...

Cops Using Math to Predict Crime

Algorithm anticipates where and when a crime might occur

(Newser) - Didn't anyone pay attention to how things went for Tom Cruise in Minority Report? Cops in Santa Cruz, California, are using a computer math algorithm to anticipate when and where crimes are most likely to be committed, reports ABC News . Based on earthquake prediction technology, the system uses years...

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