Police Blotter: Man Asks to Go to Jail

A 30-year-old man was arrested Monday night after he asked for it—literally.

Manuel Florez called 911 from a pay phone at least four separate times and demanded to be arrested. The first few times, he cursed at emergency dispatchers, Watsonville police reported.

Eventually, officers went to check on Florez, but he fled, police said.

Florez was later arrested on the 600 block of Rodriguez Street, where he was uncooperative and got violent with officers, police reported. He also was drunk, police said.

He was jailed on suspicion of resisting arrest, battering an officer, disorderly conduct and making harassing phone calls to 911.

California Highway Patrol, Monday, July 18

Tuesday's northbound commute on Highway 1 probably felt like a breeze after the disastrous road conditions Monday morning.

Around 7:30 a.m. Monday, a pickup towing a trailer north up the highway lost its load on Highway 1 near Buena Vista Drive, spilling construction materials across two of the three lanes, according to California Highway Patrol officer Sarah Jackson.

The wood, nails and other materials created quite the hazard. It took more than two hours to clean up the mess, which meant traffic was relegated to one lane during the morning rush hour, Jackson reported.

There was a second crash in the same area around 8:30 a.m. No one was hurt in either accident, Jackson added.

Watsoville Police Log, Monday, July 18

12:12 a.m.—Abel Cortez, 26, was arrested for being drunk in public on the 100 block of California Street.

7:15 a.m.—A burglar broke out the window on a parked pickup and stole items. The theft happened on the 100 block of Quiet Meadow Drive.

8:41 am.—Overnight, a thief got into an unlocked vehicle on the 100 block of Oakridge Street and stole things.

9:45 a.m.—Police arrested Juan Romero, 24, on suspicion he was high on drugs. He caught their attention because he was reportedly peering into vehicles parked on the 100 block of Sudden Street.

10:50 a.m.—A vandal threw something through the front windshield of a car parked on the 600 block of Blackburn Street.

6:50 p.m.—Vandals etched letters onto a car parked on the 100 block of Western Drive.

Sheriff's Log, Sunday, July 16

6:30 p.m.—A Corralitos woman reported someone stole $700 cash from her purse during a get-together with friends at her Howell Lane home.

Friday, July 15

5 p.m.—Theives stole copper from the on Thursday or Friday.

7:30 p.m.—Deputies went to a group home on the 100 block of Pauline Drive to deal with an unruly teenager. While they were there, the group home manager came back drunk. Meghan Marie Bofenkamp was arrested on suspicion of DUI.