Cruz

Former Gang Member Convicted of Gang-Related First-Degree Murder in Santa Cruz County

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SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – A former Watsonville man was found guilty of gang-related first-degree murder by a Santa Cruz County jury this week after an extensive trial and nearly three days of deliberation. The 29-year-old, Jason Cortez, was convicted for killing his Santa Cruz County Jail cellmate, German Carrillo, on October 13, 2022. Cortez’s conviction follows the separate trial and guilty verdict of another cellmate, Mario Lozano, who was sentenced to multiple life sentences for Carrillo’s murder, as well as an unrelated 2004 slaying in Watsonville. During the trial, Cortez took the stand in his … Read more

Former UC Santa Cruz Police Officer Awarded $7 Million in Lawsuit Alleging Racial Discrimination

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SAN JOSE, California – A former University of California police officer has been awarded over $7 million in damages after a jury found that he was unjustly terminated due to his race. Glenn Harper, a former lieutenant in the UC Santa Cruz Police Department, filed a lawsuit against the UC Regents in 2019, alleging that his termination in 2017 was racially motivated. The jury reached a unanimous verdict in favor of Harper after three hours of deliberation. According to the lawsuit, Harper’s firing stemmed from an internal dispute over a firearms investigation. Despite having 27 … Read more