Police Blotter: Off-Duty Officer Spots Wanted Man

A wanted parolee convicted of gang and drug crimes during a large gang investigation four years ago was re-arrested Thursday when an off-duty cop recognized him, Watsonville police reported.

Because of the tip, Rene Lozano, 40, was pulled over on Main and First streets around 8:10 p.m., according to police.

A grand jury indicted Lozano and 13 others in 2007, the culmination of the six-month "Operation Red Bull" investigation. The probe, conducted by the county's Ant-Crime Team, uncovered a gang that was fencing weapons, selling drugs and stealing cars.

Lozano has been a parolee-at-large, police said. He was booked into County Jail. A second man, 24-year-old Ruby Bernabe Sanchez, also was arrested for public intoxication during the stop.

Watsonville Police Log, Thursday, July 21

1:35 a.m.—Police investigated a gang-related burglary and vandalism on the 1100 block of South Green Valley Road.

6:32 a.m.—A vandal threw a rock through the drivers side window of a car parked on the 100 block of Lincoln Street.

9:17 a.m.—Thieves broke out a car window and stole a CD/DVD stereo, DVD monitor and GPS unit from a vehicle on the 100 block of Silver Leaf Drive.

10:05 a.m.—Juan Garcia, 21, was arrested for allegedly having heroin, drug paraphernalia and a switchblade knife. He was sitting in his car on the 200 block of Silver Leaf Drive.

12:17 p.m.—Mark Crepinsck, 51, was arrested for trespassing at 150 Second St. and violating his probation.

3:44 p.m.—A 51-year-old man reported someone stole his identity, got a job in Florida and then accrued a $2,396.69 debt to the IRS.

4:20 p.m.—Noe Martinez, 24, was arrested on the 400 block of Rogge Street on suspicion of assault, making threats and violating his probation.

4:35 p.m.—Eduardo Arguello, 43, was arrested for a parole violation on the 100 block of Littleway Lane.

4:44 p.m.—A teenager was arrested during a traffic stop for a warrant. The car had been pulled over at Lincoln and Stanford streets.

5:04 p.m.—Two shoplifters stole three Wii remotes from Target and sold them to Game Stop.

5:09 p.m.—Two burglars broke out the passenger window on a vehicle parked on the 1800 block of Main Street and stole a woman's purse.

5:56 p.m.—A 29-year-old woman's home was broken into and vandalized between 11:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. She lives on the 100 block of Blackburn Street.

6:07 p.m.—Johnny Hicks, 42, was arrested for a parole violation on the 200 block of Union Street.

6:58 p.m.—Charity Grigsby, 28, was arrested on the 100 block of Second Street for a warrant.

Wednesday, July 20

1:36 a.m.—A shoplifter took a three-pack of beer from a store on the 2100 block of Freedom Boulevard without paying.

10:06 a.m.—A vandal keyed a vehicle parked on the 100 block of Riverside Drive and broke out the back window overnight.

2:05 p.m.—Michael Manning, 18, Michael Ramirez, 20, and a teenage boy were fighting on Rodriguez and Second streets. Manning was allegedly violating his probation and Ramirez had a small amount of marijuana with him. They were arrested.

4:08 p.m.—A woman's house was burglarised while she was at work. She lives on the 100 block of Rosewood Drive.

4:38 p.m.—Police arrested someone on a warrant on Holm Road and Main Street.

5:10 p.m.—Kelly Carsey, 24, was cited for shoplifting from Target.

8:23 p.m.—Hector Garcia, 35, was pulled over but then ran from police and tossed methadone pills and a small amount of heroin. Officers caught up to him on Bockius Street and arrested him for four warrants and drug charges.

11:23 p.m.—Josue Jimenez, 31, was arrested for being drunk in public when police responded to a disturbance on the 100 block of West Beach Street.