By Jon Chown
SALINAS — No charges will be filed against Joshua Holtzclaw of Aromas in the death of Aptos man Trenton Black, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced today. Black died during a confrontation with Holtzclaw at Moss Landing Harbor nearly six months ago.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon said investigators spent a lot of time and effort on the case, but Holtzclaw was defending himself from Black, so charges are not appropriate.
Joshua Holtzclaw
“When somebody dies like this, we want to very much file charges if we can,” he said. “But it was clearly a situation where Mr. Holtzclaw acted in self-defense.”
On June 11, according to a press release from the district attorney, Holtzclaw fished from his stationary boat in Monterey Bay outside and south of Moss Landing harbor. At around 8:30 a.m., Black, who that morning traveled in his fishing boat from Santa Cruz, motored to the area where Holtzclaw fished. Other fishermen in boats just south of Holtzclaw’s position witnessed what occurred next. One of them had previously agreed to provide Black some bait that day, so that fisherman assumed Black was coming for the bait.
Instead, Black motored southbound and approached Mr. Holtzclaw’s boat. He then made a U-turn around it at a radius of about 20 feet, then headed northbound to the harbor. Based on the actions they witnessed, it was obvious that Black and Holtzclaw exchanged words during the turning maneuver, but the witnesses could not hear what was said.
Holtzclaw then followed Black. A camera pointing northbound toward the channel, about 200 yards from the confrontation, caught what happened next. After Black entered the channel, he slowed down. Holtzclaw came rapidly from behind Black’s boat and, slowing a bit before the collision, intentionally rammed the rear of it.
As the boats continued to move into the harbor, Black leaped from his boat onto Holtzclaw’s boat. A fight ensued. Two witnesses on opposite sides of the channel, each about 80 yards away, described Black as dominating the fight.
One witness could see Black, the whole time, “beating the hell out of the other guy.” Holtzclaw was in the bottom of the boat with Black over him, holding Holtzclaw in a headlock and delivering blows. During the struggle both men tumbled into the water. Holtzclaw got back into his boat and then swung at Black with an oar or pole. A larger commercial boat arrived on scene as Holtzclaw paddled his boat away from Black.
The crew saw Black in the water and heard him calling for help. When asked what happened, Holtzclaw replied, “He tried to kill me.” By the time the crew maneuvered the boat so they could throw a life ring toward Black, he “went under” and was no longer visible. Holtzclaw started his boat’s motor and moved off.
The pathologist who performed Black’s autopsy determined his death was caused by asphyxia due to drowning.
Brannon said that if the two men had been in vehicles, the crash would be similar to a fender bender. If charges are to be filed regarding Holtzclaw’s operation of his vessel, that will be up to the Coast Guard.
“It wasn’t of sufficient force to qualify for assault with a deadly weapon. Black didn’t even fall down in his boat. He immediately boarded Holtzclaw’s boat,” Brannon said.
Brannon said investigators spent a lot of time looking at the case, and that there was clearly an ongoing beef between the two. A screenshot of a “nasty text exchange” between the two was found on Holtzclaw’s phone, wherein Holtzclaw “was far less measured in language” than Black. Unfortunately, Brannon said, Holtzclaw had deleted all of the actual text exchanges between the two. As for Black’s phone, Brannon said the DA’s office was fairly certain it was stolen and who did it.
Brannon said an associate of Black’s, who clearly did not like Holtzclaw, is suspected of taking it. The phone was on the boat, he said, and a man was seen on the same video around Mr. Black’s boat. “The phone was there and suddenly it was missing,” he said. “And this individual, when questioned about being a witness, had two phones on his person. He pulled one out of his pocket and it looked like Mr. Black’s phone. It was suspicious.”
Brannon said a search warrant was served at the man’s home, but the phone was never found. The DA’s office also obtained phone records from service provider, but received nothing useful.
“It’s one of the reasons the investigation took so long,” Brannon said.
Brannon said the DA’s office made the final decision on Tuesday and shared it with the family before letting the public know.
“They’re understandably disappointed and I sympathize with them,” he said.