A known Watsonville gang member was sentenced to spend 35-years to life in prison yesterday for a 2009 Surf Shop robbery. Martin “Fester” Tapia-Reyes, who acted as an accomplice in the La Selva Surf Shop theft in June, pleaded not guilty to robbery, active participation in a criminal street gang, and an assault on a prisoner in Santa Cruz County Jail, he was convicted of robbery and active participation in a criminal street gang.
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A Scotts Valley woman was taken into custody early yesterday on a driving under the influence charge. 22-year old Ashleigh Underwood was traveling southbound on Bean Creek Road around 3:30 a.m. when she lost control of her Toyota Tacoma and crashed head-on into a tree. Underwood was treated for minor injuries and booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on D-U-I charges.
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The owner of a Santa Cruz restaurant pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of possessing child pornography. After a nearly year-long cyber-crime investigation, 45-year old Giovanni DiMaio was arrested on July 1st on charges of possessing child pornography and distributing harmful matter. DiMaio, the head chef and co-owner of Limoncello, a Water Street restaurant, allegedly sent images of children engaging in sex acts and inappropriate photos of himself to children to solicit similar photos from the kids. Federal authorities have begun deportation proceedings to send DiMaio back to his native home country. He is slated to return to court on September 2nd.
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Dozens of protesters rallied in downtown Santa Cruz last night opposing Arizona’s Immigration law,SB 10-70, which went into effect earlier in the day. Marchers, who held signs voicing outrage over living in fear of deportation, proceeded down Pacific Avenue from Depot Park around 6 p.m. Some of the groups participating in the march included groups from Davenport Resource Service Center, Beach Flats Community Center, U.C. Santa Cruz’s Students Informing Now, fieldworkers, and day laborers. Police say it was a peaceful rally, no arrests were made.
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