Damian Baxter and Brandon Ruiz Martinez booking photos
The Department is Motivated To See That Justice Served For All
WATSONVILLE—Detectives with the small police department in Watsonville have made great strides to bring justice to the victims of three senseless crimes in their community. Within a 48 hour span, they arrested 16-year-old Daniel Garcia, 29-year-old Damian Baxter, and 22-year-old Brandon Ruiz Martinez.
The first arrest happened on November 22 when the Watsonville Police Department arrested juvenile Daniel Garcia for the murder of 19-year-old Mario Daniel Hernandez on the 200 block of Clifford Avenue in Watsonville. Garcia was arraigned on Wednesday, November 25, and faces first degree murder charges. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office has decided to charge Garcia as an adult.
Detectives had been looking for the subject in the next case ever since the murder of 33-year-old Jesus Rocha on Tuesday, November 17. Their suspect, Damian Baxter, had eluded them until Tuesday, November 24, when Watsonville police detectives tracked him down to an apartment complex in the city of Greenfield.
When police approached the apartment, they witnessed Baxter bolt out the back sliding glass door while wearing a cast on his foot. He made it to a common area of the apartment complex, and into the waiting arms of WPD’s finest. He was arraigned on Monday, November 30.
Brandon Martinez is turned over to Watsonville authorities.
After months of negotiating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Mexican authorities, the Watsonville Police Department finally took Brandon Martinez into custody. Martinez is one of many suspects now arrested for the murders of 4-year-old Jaelyn Zavala and Ramon Rendon. To this date, Watsonville authorities have arrested a total of nine people for the Valley Inn murders. They included two shooters, six-co-conspirators and one person for aiding and abetting the suspects after the murders.
“The men and women of the Watsonville Police Department work tirelessly to make sure justice is served.” Watsonville Police Lieutenant Saul Gonzalez said, “Although we have a small number of detectives, they are motivated, creative, and will stop at nothing to make sure people are held accountable for the crimes they commit.”
