Stanford preschool teacher, friend arrested in Santa Cruz County killing
By Jesse Gary
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV)-A Children's Center of the Stanford Community preschool teacher was arrested last week in connection with the death of 24-year-Old Oliver Waterfall in Santa Cruz County.
The teacher, 22-year-old Diana Ornelas of Santa Clara, and her friend, 27-year-old Dennis Novoa, have been charged with murder, per the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.
"Through investigations of people who last saw him, who last saw our victim, mister waterfall, and reviewing surveillance footage, they were able to make that connection," said Ashley Keehn, a spokesperson for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities found Waterfall's body on a hillside of Highway 9 near mile marker 3.56. Officials said Waterfall was fatally shot and knew Ornelas and Novoa.
"His body was found off of the side of the road, kind of down a hillside. But it is a very wooded, kind of remote area of Hwy 9," said Keehn.
Authorities did not describe how the three knew each other but said the motive is "believed to be of a personal nature."
"The arrest happened at naptime, outside of the perimeter of the CCSC campus. Children were not present when this occurred, and it did not disrupt operations," the university said in a statement.
Following her arrest, Ornelas is no longer employed at the preschool. Both suspects remain in jail without bail.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Twitter, @JesseKTVU and Instagram, @jessegontv
Two suspects arrested for murder of man found down a hillside of Highway 9
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV)- The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office announced they solved a homicide case Thursday for a body found down a hillside of Highway 9 near mile marker 3.56 in early April.
At around 7 p.m. on April 11, 2023, deputies were called for a report of a dead body found. Detectives determined the death was suspicious.
The Santa Cruz County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Oliver Waterfall, 24, of San Jose. An autopsy determined his cause of death was a gunshot.
Detectives spent two weeks interviewing people and checking surveillance footage.
Wednesday, they arrested Dennis Nova, 27, of San Jose, and Diana Ornelas, 22, of Santa Clara, for the murder of Waterfall. The motive is believed to stem from a personal matter, said detectives.
