A Boulder Creek home surveillance video and a sharp-eyed Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy combined Tuesday to end nearly 40 anxious hours in the San Lorenzo Valley, with the arrest of a 22-year-old Santa Cruz man and an 18-year-old female companion.
The pair were charged with multiple felony counts related to shooting a revolver into cars, homes and businesses along a 10-mile stretch of Highway 9, from north of Boulder Creek to Felton between 10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26 and 1 a.m. Monday Feb. 27.
Brett Caplin, 22, and Samantha Self, 18, of Boulder Creek, were arrested Tuesday afternoon without incident in a parking lot off Emeline St., in Santa Cruz, by Sgt. Nick Baldridge, a patrol supervisor with the Sheriff’s Office. Baldridge had spotted the car from a video taken by a home surveillance camera in Boulder Creek near the first reported shooting, and followed it for a few blocks before apprehending the suspects.
Later in the day, deputies recovered a weapon at Self’s home in Boulder Creek that matched the 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun they was used in the shootings.
“Luckily, no one was injured,” said Sgt. Chris Clark, the Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
He said investigators were still looking into a possible motive for the apparently random drive-by shootings. He said they haven’t determined how many rounds had been fired.
They were charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling, negligent discharge of a firearm, felon vandalism, and Caplin was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Deputies had received multiple reports of gunshots echoing through the mountains late Sunday, from Boulder Creek to downtown Felton.
“The case is still being investigated,” Clark said.”Should you or anyone you know that had their vehicles or residences shot during this period or near the areas described, please contact the Sheriff’s office at 831-471-1121,” Clark said.
So far, deputies identified five shooting locations, where bullet holes, bullets and shell casings were found in houses and cars.
The 400 block of More Drive, north of Boulder Creek.
Two residences and vehicles in the 8700 block of Highway 9, south of Ben Lomond.
Felton Automotive Sales, 6420 Highway 9, Felton.
Cornerstone Automotive, 6320 Highway 9, Felton.
Also, a bullet casing was found on Graham Hill Road, south of Pasatiempo Golf Course.
Clark also said that property was stolen from one vehicle at one of the shooting scenes.
Additionally, one vehicle had property stolen at one of the shooting scenes.
