THE CAUSE OF A MONDAY AFTERNOON FIRE IN THE 200 BLOCK OF TRESCONY STREET IN SANTA CRUZ HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. AN EXTENSION CORD UNDER CARPETING IS BELIEVED TO HAVE CAUSED THE GRANNY UNIT
BLAZE THAT DISPLACED A RESIDENT. THE FIRE ALSO DAMAGED A GARAGE.

MEMBERS OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT ARE SADDENED AT THE DEATH OF THEIR COLLEAGUE, LIEUTENANT JOE HEMINGWAY. THE 48 YEAR-OLD, WHO HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF THE COMMUNITY POLICING DIVISIONS FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, PASSED AWAY JUST A WEEK AFTER HE UNDERWENT EMERGENCY SURGERY TO STOP A BRAIN HEMORRHAGE. HEMINGWAY WAS WITH THE SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT SINCE 1979, AND WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT IN 1990, AND TO LIEUTENANT IN 2003.

ALTHOUGH IT?S NOW UNDER CONTROL, MORE THAN 120 FIREFIGHTERS (FROM SANTA CRUZ AND MONTEREY COUNTIES) ARE STILL ON THE SCENE OF THE LARGEST STRUCTURE FIRE WATSONVILLE HAS EVER SEEN. LORRAINE WASHINGTON, THE WATSONVILLE CITY CLERK (AND P.I.O.) REPORTED THIS MORNING ON THE 5-ALARM BLAZE AT BEACH STREET AND RODRIGUEZ. SHE SAID THAT THE 50 RESIDENTS WERE EVACUATED TO AREA MOTELS AND HOTELS, AND THAT 2 PEOPLE REPORTEDLY SUFFERED MILD SMOKE INHALATION PROBLEMS, WHILE A 3RD PERSON SUFFERED AN ANXIETY ATTACK.

THE 4-STORY WALL STREET INN WAS BUILT IN 1911, AND WAS A HOTEL BEFORE IT BECAME AN APARTMENT BUILDING.

IN AN UPDATE ON THE 2 MURDERS COMMITTED TUESDAY IN SALINAS, AUTHORITIES HAVE RELEASED THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS. SHOT TO DEATH, WHILE SITTING IN A CAR PARKED AT JOHN STREET AND JOHN CIRCLE WERE 25-YEAR-OLD JOHN CARRANZA AND 27-YEAR-OLD HORACIO SOTO . ONCE AGAIN THE SALINAS POLICE DEPARTMENT ASKS THAT ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THESE HOMICIDES CALL THEM, OR USE THEIR ANONYMOUS TIP LINE.