19-Year-Old Suspect Turns Himself In After Shooting at Freedom Boulevard Shopping Center
WATSONVILLE, CA — Officers with the Watsonville Police Department have resolved an attempted murder investigation linked to a shooting incident that took place on September 8th of 2024 in a shopping center located on the 1700 block of Freedom Boulevard. The event involved gunfire in the parking lot, where responding officers found several spent shell casings but initially no victims or suspects.
Surveillance video from the shopping center captured the moment the suspected shooter, 19-year-old Pedro Taz Hernandez, of Watsonville, confronted two individuals as they left a store. The footage shows the victims fleeing to their car and escaping as Hernandez fired at the moving vehicle. Remarkably, there were no injuries reported.
Following a detailed investigation, detectives executed multiple search warrants earlier this month related to the incident. Although Hernandez was not found during the execution of these warrants, he later turned himself into the authorities this week. Additionally, a 17-year-old was arrested as part of the investigation. Hernandez is now facing several felony charges including attempted murder, willful discharge of a firearm, shooting at an occupied vehicle, and assault with a firearm. These charges reflect the severity of the offenses and the danger posed to public safety.
