Suspect arrested in Soquel homicide, one dead

UPDATE 12/13/16 11:38 AM: A suspect has been arrested after a deadly shooting in Soquel Monday afternoon, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said Santiago Avalos Sanchez, 28 of Soquel, and Maria Ponce Rocha, 32 of Watsonville, were found shot several times at about 2:24 p.m. Monday near Soquel Dr. and North Rodeo Gulch Rd.

Investigators said Jose Ramos, 31 of Watsonville, was identified as the suspect and knew Rocha. They said he was located in the 3000 block of Porter St. and also had methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia at the time of his arrest.His vehicle was found Porter St. and a wrapped item found near Ramos is being examined to figure out if its a gun or something else.

Ramos was taken to the Santa Cruz County Jail, accused of murdering Sanchez and attempted murder of Rocha. His bail is set at $2 million.

An autopsy is scheduled for Sanchez on Tuesday to determine his cause of death.UPDATE 12/12/16 10:14 p.m.: Santa Cruz County deputies say they are exploring several leads that could point to 31-year-old Jose Ramos’s whereabouts.

Officials have not recovered any weapon from the scene and say Ramos might be armed.

“I would advise using extreme caution with regards to contacting him. Obviously, we would want people, should they see him or should they see that vehicle, to give us a call. We don’t want to place anybody else in harm’s way,” said Sergeant Chris Clark with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

A man and a woman are being treated for serious injuries at an undisclosed hospital.UPDATE 12/12/16 6:30 p.m.: Santa Cruz County deputies are looking for 31-year-old Jose Ramos of Watsonville as a person of interest in a shooting Monday afternoon. Deputies are not calling Ramos a suspect at this point as its early in the investigation.

Officials are looking for a 2013 white Honda sedan with a license plate number of 7PXV944.

No information has been released on what led to the shooting or how the victims were shot. The victims are currently at the hospital in critical condition.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or ( 831) 471-1121.

UPDATE 12/12/16 5:38 p.m.: Soquel Drive is back open but law enforcement officers are still on scene to guide traffic. One lane is closed on Rodeo Gulch, but traffic is being let through.

UPDATE 12/12/16 4:04 p.m.: The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said a man and a woman were shot near Soquel Drive and Rodeo Gulch earlier this afternoon.

They were taken to the hospital in serious condition.

So far the suspect description is limited. Deputies said they are looking for a white compact car.

UPDATE 12/12/16 3:47 p.m.: According to CHP, officers were in pursuit of a car on Highway 17 and Vine Hill believed to be involved in the shooting. No word on whether an arrest was made or not yet.

UPDATE 12/12/16 3:16 p.m.: Soquel Drive is closed at Rodeo Gulch while deputies investigate the scene.

PREVIOUS STORY: Law enforcement in Santa Cruz County are investigating a shooting Monday afternoon in Soquel.

The incident was reported near Soquel Drive and North Rodeo Gulch, according to Santa Cruz County Communications.

KION has a crew on the way and this story will be updated.