Category: kion-local-news

Dania Romero

MORGAN HILL, (Calif.) — Morgan Hill Police released new video of body cam footage showing the chaos inside a Safeway store back on April 18 where officers shot a man who allegedly attacked a store employee.

Police arrived at the scene and tried to ask the man to drop the knife he held in his hand.

The suspect, later identified as Shaun Hillman, didn’t comply and ran to the back of the store.

It was during that time some body cam video showed Hillman appearing to strike a Safeway employee with a wine bottle.

After that, police tried to subdue Hillman using tasers and bean bag rounds with no success.

It was also during that time video shows Hillman tossing wine bottles at officers.

Eventually, an officer shot Hillman in the leg and police were able to arrest him.

Hillman is facing Assault with a Deadly Weapon charges, including on a police officer.

Both Hillman and the store employee survived the encounter.

Police were also able to recover the knife Hillman had in his possession.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney is investigating the incident.

The full video can be watched by clicking here

One person shot by police at a Morgan Hill Safeway

On April 18, 2025, at approximately 12:20 a.m., Morgan Hill Police officers responded to the Safeway grocery store, located at 840 E. Dunne Avenue, to investigate the report of an in-progress disturbance, according to MHPD. Upon arrival, officers contacted 40-year-old Shaun Hillman, from Van Nuys.

During the investigation, officers located a victim who had been attacked by Hillman and sustained injuries due to the assault.

Officials say that because of Hillman’s actions, officers shot at him. Following the shooting, Hillman received first aid until he could be transported to a local hospital, according to MHPD.

Hillman’s injuries are not considered to be life-threatening at this time. According to MHPD, no officers were injured during this incident.

Hillman was arrested for multiple felony violations, including assault with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, and resisting a police officer, according to officials.

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Victor Guzman

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said investigators recovered more than $30,000 in stolen bikes and tools from a homeless camp on Tuesday.

The sheriff’s office said deputies were conducting a foot patrol at a protected habitat area where homeless camping is illegal.

It was there the deputies made the discovery into the stolen items.

Items of which the sheriff’s office said included multiple mountain bikes, E-bikes, E-scooters and dozens of tools believed to have been stolen.

The sheriff’s office said the thefts were taking place from the Arana Gulch area into the Live Oak community.

At the camp, deputies approached a man who was detained and arrested after a brief pursuit.

A social media post from the agency identifies the man as Joshua Morris.

Deputies said Morris had over 10 grams of fentanyl, drug packaging materials, cash and police scanners.

The sheriff’s office said they’re working to return the stolen items to their owners.

If you believe your property may be among the recovered items, please contact Detective Alex Spencer 831-454-7636 or email him at alexander.spencer@santacruzcountyca.gov.

Investigators said Morris is booked on multiple felony charges in connection to this investigation.

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jose.romo

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — Two arrests were made in Monterey County after alleged cases of sexual assault where the perpetrator contacted victims through social media. Salinas PD confirms two victims, while Soledad has mentioned at least five minors reported being victims of that case. Both departments are saying, while the cases are similar, they do not have a connection. 

“Our officers and detectives have been investigating Saúl Hernández for sexually based crimes against juveniles,” Sergeant Zack Dunagan with Salinas Police says. “We were able to obtain enough information in the investigation to warrant an arrest for those charges.” 

In Salinas, 28-year-old Saúl Hernández was arrested facing various charges related to sexual offenses involving minors. Detectives say Hernández used social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat to target victims under the age of 16. 

“We have been able to confirm two separate victims who don’t know each other,” Dunagan says. “That’s why our concern is, there are more out there potentially.”

In an unrelated case, but with similar circumstances, Soledad police arrested 33-year-old Rutilio Calihua Quiahua, a resident of King City. He is presumably responsible for committing sexual offenses, targeting the Oaxacan community. Officials are confirming five victims total. Dunagan is adding that cases like these must be handled with care. 

“It’s hard to reach victims because this is something that people don’t necessarily want to talk about. So it’s a constant back and forth of us trying to reach out but not trying to push too hard, where… we still want victims to understand that they are a victim of a crime.” 

That is why agencies like the binational center for the development of Oaxacan indigenous communities reiterate their support to potential victims. In a statement, they say they continue providing services in their greenfield and offices.

Still, Dunagan reminds parents to stay vigilant of their children’s social media activity. 

“There are a lot of ways to hide apps. And I think parents just need to stay on top of that accessibility and also know what is prevalent in the social media world at the time, because that’s what kids are going to flock to.”

Sargent Dunagan says that although access to internet and social media presence is more prevalent, they have not seen a rise in these types of cases.

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Jeanette Bent

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) — Cal State Monterey Bay announced Tuesday that the new Otters for Life statue was defaced in what they believe was an attack against student housing.

“We were deeply saddened that our new Otters for Life statue was defaced,” said university spokesperson Walter Ryce. “Actions such as these divide our community and are not in alignment with our Cal State Monterey Bay values of engaging in respectful and productive dialogues.”

According to Ryce, the investigation is ongoing and active as the school tries to identify the vandals.

“Any individual found responsible will be held fully accountable for all related expenses, and if the person is a student, they will face student conduct consequences,” said Ryce.

Ryce says that the otter statue represents the strength of CSUMB’s Otter Raft as well as the school’s dedication to community and belonging.

The graffiti made statements directed at student housing and even called out the director of Student Housing & Res Life W. Jeff Cooper.

“We currently have a waitlist for student housing for fall 2025, and our Student Housing and Residential Life team is working diligently to place students on the waitlist in available spaces,” said Ryce, addressing the graffitied statements.

Ryce also cited rising rental costs in the surrounding area as adding further pressure on the housing committee as more students are applying for on-campus living.

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Victor Guzman

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION) — The California Highway Patrol has identified the vehicle that could have been involved in the deadly hit-and-run on Highway 1 near Scott Creek.

Investigators say that a black Subaru Impreza with damage to its front left corner may have been involved in this crash.

CHP hopes these photos of the 2017 to 2023 models will help people identify the vehicle.

Hit and run investigation underway after pedestrian hit, killed along Highway 1 near Scott Creek

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — CHP-Santa Cruz says they’re investigating a deadly hit and run collision where a pedestrian was struck by a car late Sunday night.

The CHP says it happened around 11:17 pm near Swanton and Scott Creek.

An unknown vehicle was traveling south on Highway 1 in that area when the CHP says it struck a man who was walking in the southbound lane of the highway.

The CHP says the pedestrian was possibly hit by multiple other vehicles before investigators arrived. Officers say the man died at the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP.

The victim was not immediately identified by investigators and they’re working to find information on the suspect vehicle.

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Victor Guzman

MARINA, Calif. (KION-TV) — Marina Police said they arrested a 39-year-old man for setting fire to several large eucalyptus trees in Marina early Friday morning.

Police identified the man as Sean Canava, who they described as a transient.

Police said he was observed leaving a wooded area and admitted to officers he set the fire along Beach and Melanie Road around 12:35 a.m.

Police said the fire was threatening the nearby Canaan Korean United Methodist Church by the time they got there.

Officers said when they tried to detain Canava he resisted but was ultimately arrested.

No injuries were reported and the fire was contained to the trees and fence.

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Maxwell Glenn

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) – The Sand City Volleyball Club’s 18 Gold girls’ team will be traveling to Utah for the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship.

The team is comprised of some of the best talents from around the Central Coast, but also includes skilled players from outside the area, like Ava Van Brasch from San Luis Obispo.

“I think it just shows how much we love this sport,” Van Brasch said. “How much we’re willing to dedicate parts of our lives for it.”

Van Brasch and others regularly make the commute to practice and play for the club.

Despite the distance, it’s a tight-knit group. That’s something that stands out to players like Natalie Mendoza.

“I think it is really important that we connect off the court, too, as well as on,” Mendoza said. “When you’re on the court, it all just makes sense.”

But it’s on the court where Hannah Garrett said the team ran into a variety of setbacks.

“Everyone was sick. We had hurt players,” Garrett said. “We had people with their backs hurt, people with hurt shoulders. We just came out, and we were down a lot in a lot of the sets, but we came back and won.”

The team persevered, qualifying at the NCVA Sierra National Qualifiers in Sacramento to punch their ticket to Nationals for a fourth straight year. Maya Giannini called it a special moment for the team.

“I think we’ve seen our downs and our ups, and I think we’ve overcome so much as a team that we can put our best foot forward to succeed in the tournament,” Giannini said.

SAND will begin competition at the three-day tournament, starting Friday, April 25.

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jose.romo

The Santa Cruz County Volunteer Center is facing budget challenges in part due to federal budget cuts. Still, with National Volunteer Week, the organization is counting on community support to keep its services running. 

“You feel good, you know, really and truly. It just makes me feel like I’m doing something in the Santa Cruz County.

Sue Benazo donates her time as a receptionist at the local volunteer center, an organization that, since 1967, has been connecting people to more than 300 local non-profit school and government services. Their offices are home to more than 20 programs, including Adopt a Family, Empowered Aging, and an English literacy program. 

“Each of those students is cared for and supported by an individual volunteer that helps them through their journey of learning English and improving their communication with their children’s teachers, or for employment, or for their doctor visits.” Christina Thurston, director of volunteer engagement, mentions the program makes serious impacts for the community.  

Fueled by rising costs and several budget cuts, the organization is facing a close to 300 thousand dollar budget shortfall. “Even smaller budget, really it isn’t just like oh we would serve half as many students, it’s actually like maybe no students because the budget is for the rent, the computers, the classroom, those sorts of features that you can’t cut in half,” Thurston says. 

Kareen Delany, Executive Director, says they are receiving donations of money and volunteer services to keep these programs going. “When we’re talking about cuts in every sector of our lives, 10, 15, 20, 30% cuts are the numbers that are being batted around. What that means is if we want our community to stay whole, then all of us, the ones who are volunteering and the ones who aren’t, it’s a call to action.” She adds that the center has overcome several obstacles. She invites community members to find a way to continue providing service to the community by visiting scvolunteercenter.org/programs/volunteer/.

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Jeanette Bent

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) — Some people in the local museum scene in Santa Cruz are frustrated over budget cuts that are directly impacting the institutions and community.

Now, they’re hoping to save a piece of the local culture.

“Community spaces are so essential; community spaces that encourage something positive like appreciating art, appreciating cultures other than what you’re familiar with,” said Kelso Cochran a biology researcher at UCSC.

The community as well as museum employees are left to navigate how these institutions will supplement lost revenue while still providing necessary resources.

“We want to apply above and beyond services, we want to be one of the greatest museums in the country,” said Rhiannon Crain, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery (SCCMOD).

Crain says that the recent federal funding cuts to certain non-profit grants, directly impacts local museums.

“Those grants were summarily cancelled on April 8,” said Crain. “We thought that maybe there would be some sort of review process that we would go through that to see if our grants aligned with the current administration priorities, but nothing like that happened… they just sent us a letter saying, ‘You’re no longer funded.'”

Crain says that she doesn’t directly count on the grants in the museum’s daily budget, but that loss still impacts certain programming, community outreach efforts and a variety of activities that the museum could have potentially hosted.

Some other organizations aren’t so lucky.

“Our budget is $1.5 million, so to receive a $250,000 cut in federal funding has a significant impact on the museum and the community that we serve,” said Ginger Shulick Porcella, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH).

Porcella mentioned that some grant-funded staff positions may be at jeopardy, along with a handful of other future exhibits and resources.

And, as far as the cuts trickling down into the community, some fear a threat to local culture.

“Loosing that because of ridiculous spending cuts where people don’t find art and history essential, is how you loose that sense of culture that your community really fosters,” said UCSC biology researcher Kelso Cochran.

Both the SCCMOD as well as the MAH say that tens of thousands of families come through their doors annually. And, while the community may not feel the financial impacts immediately, they are likely to down the road.

“For the public, for our communities; it’s exhibits not happening, it’s programs not being offered,” said Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Executive Director Felicia Van Stolk. “It’s perhaps underserved or historically excluded groups continuing to not be included or welcomed in because of accessibility programs that are being cut.”

One parent and second grade teacher at the Mount Madonna School, Karlee LaHue, said that her family and school depends on accessible resources like museums and libraries for cultural education.

“These programs that are available to schools–of all income backgrounds at a free or discounted rate–are so important because kids count on those to start experiencing their community,” she said.

Since 1997, Santa Cruz museums have received over $3.7 million in grant funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

Now, these institutions–the SCCMOD and the MAH–are facing a total loss of $250,000, limited future programming and resources, as well as threat to other community services.

They are hoping to find alternative funding sources, and to receive support from volunteers and members.

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Jeanette Bent

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — Monterey County Regional Fire confirmed Thursday that there was a structure on the 22300 block of Capote Dr near Salinas.

According to Monterey Regional Fire, the structure was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

Monterey Regional Fire was on scene, working to contain the fire to the garage at a home on the 22300 Block of Capote Drive.

They also said that as of 12:25 p.m., the fire was out, and units on the scene were working on mop-up and looking for extensions.

The fire department does not know what started the fire, and they are continuing investigations.

A view inside the garage that was on fire at a home on the 2230 Block of Capote Drive.

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