SC Sheriffs: Watsonville teen gang members burglarize five pot shops

Three suspected gang members out of Watsonville are accused of burglarizing five marijuana dispensaries in Santa Cruz County Wednesday night, according to the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say it all started at about 10:00 p.m. when the teens began the burglary spree. By early Thursday morning, deputies spotted the teens in a vehicle on the 10000 block of Highway 9.

A deputy tried to stop them, but the suspects sped off and deputies chased the vehicle. The pursuit ended after the teens crashed on that same highway, near Glen Arbor.

With the help of a Santa Cruz Police Department K9 and California Highway Patrol Officers, deputies arrested Edgar Alfaro, Gerardo Patricio, both 19, and Benjermen Sanchez, who is 18 years old. All three are from Watsonville.

Deputies said the car was filled with stolen items from the burglaries, including marijuana, edibles, cash and more.

The burglaries happened at dispensaries in Aptos, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek and Live Oak.