Suspects arrested in alleged robbery spree

Santa Cruz police take one of two suspects into custody on Soquel Avenue Monday night following a string of brazen armed robberies that began in Watsonville. (Photos by Tarmo Hannula).

SANTA CRUZ — Two Salinas men were snared in a dramatic “high-risk” car stop by Santa Cruz police Monday night following a brazen string of armed robberies.

Zach Friend of the Santa Cruz Police Department said the bizarre chain of events began in Watsonville at about 8 p.m. when the suspects, Rudy Ruiz, 20, and Ruben Hernandez, 20, pulled up in front of a home on the 100 block of West Fifth Street in a black BMW. Ruiz and Hernandez reportedly stopped a resident outside his home at gunpoint and demanded cash and other items from him, Friend said. The suspects then forced him into a nearby garage where they stopped another man at gunpoint and robbed him as well.

About 20 minutes later, with Ruiz being the driver, the pair allegedly stopped another man at gunpoint on the 2100 block of 41st Avenue in Capitola. Friend said Ruiz and Hernandez didn’t stop there; moments later they robbed another man on the 4200 block of Capitola Road before driving off to Santa Cruz.

Then, at 8:54 p.m. Santa Cruz police got a report of a man that was robbed at gunpoint by two Hispanic men on Gault Street in the Seabright area. One witness managed to provide a partial license plate to police and a description of the black sedan.

A countywide “project rope” bulletin was broadcast with hopes of catching the suspects as they drove through key intersections or on main arteries leading from the crime scenes.

Moments later one of the responding Santa Cruz police officers noticed a vehicle matching the description near Soquel and Capitola Road, Friend said. Numerous Santa Cruz Police officers conducted a high-risk car stop about a half-mile north of the siting in the parking lot of a Taco Bell restaurant at Morrissey and Soquel avenues.

Ruiz, the driver, refused multiple commands from officers to get out of the car, Friend said. As officers removed him from the vehicle they spotted a loaded .45 caliber handgun in the car within arm’s reach of Ruiz.

Hernandez and Ruiz were taken into custody at the scene, Friend said.

“We are really glad Santa Cruz police were able to stop these suspects before they could continue,” said Watsonville police Sgt. Saul Gonzalez. “It was immeasurable what these two were capable of. We’re glad no one was hurt.”

Watsonville and Capitola police responded to the scene to conduct in-field lineups. The victims in those cases identified Ruiz and Hernandez as being involved in the armed robberies, Friend said.

Santa Cruz Police detectives are conducting follow-up interviews and line-ups with the Santa Cruz victim to determine if the two suspects were involved in the Santa Cruz incident as well.

Investigators in Capitola, Watsonville and Santa Cruz are collaborating on the investigation.

The two suspects are believed to be gang members, Friend said. Watsonville gang investigators are working with Salinas Police to determine additional information on the two suspects’ gang involvement.

Ruiz and Hernandez were booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail for armed robbery, possession of a loaded concealed weapon and obstruction/delaying a peace officer.

Anyone with information about these incidents is encouraged to contact Santa Cruz Police Investigations at 420-5820 or leave a tip via their website at www.santacruzpolice.com.











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