Suspect identified in Watsonville shooting investigation
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- UPDATE 6/24/21 4:53 p.m. A 47-year-old man has been identified as the suspect in a Wednesday night shooting off Highway 129 in Watsonville.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as Edgar Ayala. The sheriff's office says Ayala is considered armed and dangerous and those with information on his whereabouts should contact 9-1-1 immediately.
Ayala is accused of shooting an individual off Highway 129 and Riverside Rd. The victim is expected to be okay after transporting themselves to a local hospital.
Investigators say when deputies got to the scene, they believed the suspect was inside a nearby RV.
After hours of closing off Highway 129 near Blackburn and Lakeview, Swat and Crisis Negotiation teams did not locate the suspect.
UPDATE 6/24/21 3:55 p.m. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office has reopened Highway 129 between Blackburn St and Lakeview Rd as they continue investigating a shooting that happened overnight.
Investigators say the shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night, with one victim located who is expected to be okay.
Deputies were seen searching an RV for the person they believe was involved in the shooting. The person was not located by investigators.
The sheriff's office says they're still trying to determine a motive in the shooting but don't believe this was a random act of violence.
ORIGINAL STORY
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office has closed off parts of Highway 129 as a shooting investigation is underway.
Investigators say the shooting happened overnight and has led deputies to close off Highway 129 between Blackburn Street and Lakeview Road. The closure was reported around 5:30 Thursday morning.
The sheriff's office says they were initially looking for the suspect in the shooting but were unable to locate him in an RV he was reportedly in.
For now they're still combing the scene for evidence and are calling it an active crime scene.
Investigators say one person was injured in the shooting, but is expected to be okay.
The sheriff's office says this shooting is unrelated to a shooting that happened on Highway 129 Wednesday.
