3 WATSONVILLE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR MANUFACTURING AND SELLING FRAUDULENT GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS. EVANGELINA VASQUEZ, TERESA RUIZ, AND FRANCISCO ALVAREZ WERE FOUND TO BE IN POSSESSION OF FAKE SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS, AS WELL AS TEMPORARY (AND PERMANENT) RESIDENT ALIEN CARDS. WHEN THEIR HOMES WERE SEARCHED, OFFICERS FOUND A SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM THE 3 ALLEGEDLY USED TO MANUFACTURE THE ILLEGAL DOCUMENTS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT VASQUEZ, RUIZ, AND ALVAREZ COULD HAVE PRODUCED HUNDREDS OF FRAUDULENT I.D. CARDS. THEY WERE BOOKED INTO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY JAIL.

LOCAL JAZZ GREAT RALSTON BROWN PASSED AWAY LAST NIGHT, AFTER A BRIEF BATTLE WITH CANCER. RALSTON WAS WELL-KNOWN, AND WELL-LOVED, IN SANTA CRUZ?A MEMBER OF THE SANTA CRUZ JAZZ SOCIETY, AND A REGULAR SINGER AT BOCCI?S CELLAR SUNDAY JAZZ JAM. AMONG THE MANY BANDS WITH WHICH HE PLAYED IN THE 30?S AND 40?S, HE WAS PROBABLY BEST REMEMBERED AS THE SINGER (AND DRUMMER) FOR THE ?INK SPOTS?. RALSTON DIED SURROUNDED BY HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THERE WILL BE A MEMORIAL SERVICE NEXT WEEK IN SAN JOSE, AND A SWING BAND TRIBUTE THIS SUNDAY AT BOCCI?S, BEGINNING AT 1 P.M.

A 22 YEAR-OLD WOMAN WAS ARRESTED IN SALINAS YESTERDAY, AFTER SHE TRIED TO PASS A STOLEN CHECK AT A WELLS FARGO BRANCH THERE. RITA SALAS ALSO ADMITTED TO CASHING SEVERAL CHECKS PREVIOUSLY, AND MOST OF A WHOLE STOLEN CHECKBOOK WAS FOUND IN HER PURSE. SALAS WAS BOOKED INTO MONTEREY COUNTY JAIL ON FORGERY-RELATED CHARGES.

SALAS?S MOTHER AND BOYFRIEND, WHO WERE WITH SALAS IN HER VEHICLE, WERE ALSO ARRESTED. 44 YEAR-OLD ANGELA ORTIZ AND 22 YEAR-OLD LUIS FUENTES WERE ARRESTED FOR FALSE IMPERSONATION, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OUTSTANDING WARRANTS. ADDITIONALLY SALAS? MOTHER WAS CHARGED WITH BEING IN POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.

THE SANTA CRUZ AREA CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL IS PARTICIPATING IN THE ?CHiP?S FOR KIDS? TOY DRIVE. PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO BRING NEW (UNWRAPPED) TOYS TO THE APTOS C.H.P. OFFICE. A COLLECTION BARREL HAS BEEN PLACED IN THE LOBBY THERE. THE C.H.P. IS ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE CENTRAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT IN COLLECTING TOYS FOR CHILDREN AT THE CAPITOLA MALL, TOMORROW THROUGH DECEMBER 11TH.