Santa Cruz police arrested Jose Banuelos, Guadalupe Escoto and Anthony Sanchez-Escobar in connection with the Santa Cruz shooting on July 13 in the 500 block of Errett Circle. The case stayed active after detectives served search warrants in Santa Cruz and Watsonville and kept working the investigation.
Errett Circle in Santa Cruz
The shooting happened at about 8:07 p.m. in Santa Cruz’s Circles neighborhood, and no injuries were reported. Chief Bernie Escalante said that, "according to evidence and witness reports, an armed suspect walked up to a victim’s vehicle and shot at the victim from outside the vehicle". When officers arrived, the suspects had already fled the scene.
Banuelos and Escoto Charges
Banuelos was charged with attempted murder, assault with a firearm, discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle and conspiracy to commit a crime. Escoto was charged with attempted murder, assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle. Sanchez-Escobar was charged with carrying a loaded firearm in public.
Detectives worked throughout the night collecting evidence after the shooting, then served search warrants across two cities as the case developed. The arrests moved the investigation from the scene into the charging stage, but the public still has one practical path if more details can help: contact the Santa Cruz Police Department at 831-420-5995.
