Police Blotter: Standoff Arrestee Released From Jail

One of the two men arrested following a four-hour standoff with sheriff's deputies Tuesday was released from jail a few hours after tactical unit officers pulled him from a hiding place in the attic of a mixed-use building in a normally-quiet Watsonville neighborhood.

Andrew Rodriguez Casillas, 27, of Watsonville was a suspect in a home burglary earlier in the month where a gun was stolen, sheriff's deputies have said.

Casillas, who deputies also had listed a last name of "Castillas" for, was booked into County Jail on suspicion of receiving stolen property and resisting arrest. His bail was set at $2,000 and he was released after being booked around 7:30 p.m., according to jail records.

The other man found hiding in the building at 200 Prospect St., Dominic Jerome Mower, 37, of Aptos, remained behind bars Wednesday, jail records showed. He was wanted on warrants for petty theft and driving on a suspended license, and also was on probation. Jail records show his probation was revoked when he was arrested Tuesday.

The police standoff shut down the neighborhood for much of Tuesday afternoon, as members of the Sheriff's Office SWAT team surrounded the house after Casillas and Mower refused them entry into the building. Nearby homes were evacuated and snipers took up positions on the roof of a nearby church because deputies believed the men holed up inside the building could be armed.

No weapons were found at the property, according to sheriff's deputy April Skalland.

"They did not find the gun there, but they're continuing the investigation," Skalland said.

Skalland said the massive police response was, in part, because the first deputies at the scene saw motion-activated surveillance cameras tracking their movements outside the building and were concerned about the possibility of firearms inside.

At one point, the tactical unit officers cut power to the building to eliminate the cameras before raiding the building, Skalland explained.

Watsonville Police Log, Wednesday, Feb. 29

12:14 a.m.—A 30-year-old man was arrested for being drunk in public on the 500 block of Rogge Lane.

Tuesday, Feb. 28

11:02 a.m.—A thief withdrew more than $950 from the bank account of a 79-year-old Watsonville man.

1:15 p.m.—A burglar broke a window at a building on the 200 block of Stanford Avenue and tried to get inside.

2:29 p.m.—A 46-year-old woman shoplifted from Kmart. She was caught and cited for petty theft.

2:31 p.m.—A wanted man was arrested for a felony bench warrant on the 100 block of Elm Street.

6 p.m.—A 58-year-old man was ticketed for a warrant on the 100 block of Jefferson Street.

8:46 p.m.—A 34-year-old man shoplifted from Kmart and was caught. He has three prior theft convictions so he was taken to County Jail.

Monday, Feb. 27

9:21 a.m.—Vandals damaged two exterior lights on the 100 block of Lawrence Avenue. The damage happened over the weekend.

9:24 a.m.—A vandal broke a car window on the 100 block of Madison Street during the weekend.

11:17 a.m.—A vandal keyed a car on the 200 block of Alvarado Street overnight.

11:26 a.m.—Police investigated a petty theft case on the 100 block of Walker Street.

1:40 p.m.—A Rolling Hills Middle School student was ticketed for having marijuana and fighting with another student.

6:35 p.m.—A woman reported leaving her iPad in a grocery cart in the Safeway parking lot on the 2000 block of Freedom Boulevard. When she came back looking for the device, it was gone.

10 p.m.—A 42-year-old man was arrested for a parole violation on the 100 block of East Beach Street.

10:24 p.m.—A man was arrested with a methamphetamine pipe and a small amount of meth on the 1300 block of Main Street.

Sheriff's Office, Monday, Feb. 27

A wanted man was arrested on Calle Cuesta after deputies responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area.