Three Watsonville men accused of vandalizing multiple downtown businesses

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION) Three Watsonville men are facing felony charges for allegedly vandalizing more than half a dozen businesses downtown Saturday morning.

Police said they responded to a report of graffiti in-progress near West Lake Avenue and Main Street at around 3 a.m. When officers got there, they detained three men found sitting in a parked car in the area where the suspects were last seen.

Officers said the suspects- 40-year-old Richard Betancourt, 29-year-old Javier Alvarado and 23-year-old Juan Bautista- were intoxicated. Witnesses identified them as the graffiti suspects, and surveillance video was used in the investigation. Police said the suspects had paint spray cans and a small amount of cocaine in the car.

All three were booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on felony vandalism, public intoxication and possession of a controlled substance charges.

The police department said it is working with eight businesses to find out how much it will cost to repair the damage.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Tyler Wildey at 831-768-3356 and reference case 20W-03712.