On February 18, 2014, at approximately 2PM, Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team (SCCACT) agents spotted wanted felon Paul Garcia (Photo Attached) driving a silver Nissan Maxima in the area of 3rd St and Riverside Ave. Since Garcia is believed to be armed with a handgun, taskforce agents began following the vehicle driven by Garcia out of the beach area in their unmarked police vehicle until additional officers arrived. Before additional marked police units could be directed in to assist with the capture of Garcia, suspect Garcia sped away from the trailing unmarked police vehicle at a high rate of speed in the 700 Block of Seabright Ave. Taskforce agents activated their emergency lights and siren in an attempted to stop Garcia, but he failed to stop. The brief vehicle pursuit traversed off of Seabright Ave, and quickly ended in the area of the Woods St. and Bronson St. Suspect Garcia and an unidentified male passenger abandoned Garcia’s vehicle at Woods St. and Bronson St. Garcia and the unknown male passenger ran from the abandon vehicle into the Bronson St. neighborhood. Garcia and the unknown male passenger were last seen jumping fences to the rear of a residence in the 200 block of Hall St.
Officers from the Santa Cruz Police Department and SCCACT quickly set up a perimeter around the neighborhood and began a yard-to-yard search. Neighbors in and around the Bronson St. neighborhood were notified of the police activity via a dispatch out-call notification system. Despite the exhaustive 2-hour search effort by police, Garcia and the unknown male passenger were never located.
Paul Garcia is a wanted felon, who is believed to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is encouraged to call 911.