Teen Shot, Killed By Santa Cruz Co. Deputies In Boulder Creek Identified

A 17-year-old boy shot and killed by deputies during a dispute at a Boulder Creek home late Thursday night was identified today as Cyrus Hurtado, a Santa Cruz County sheriff’s spokesman said.

Around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, two deputies responded to a reported family dispute at a home in the 15000 block of Fern Flat Road, sheriff’s Lt. Kelly Kent said. Hurtado’s grandparents had reported that the boy allegedly killed the family’s kitten, broke furniture and windows and had access to guns, Kent said.

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The boy also allegedly used a club to beat his 70-year-old grandfather, who was injured across the back and chest and later treated at the scene, according to Kent. The deputies set up a perimeter and established communication with the boy from outside the residence, according to the lieutenant.

Hurtado, who stood about 6 feet tall and weighed 220 pounds, stepped out of the home for a moment but when back inside, the lieutenant said. The deputies saw the boy grab a shotgun and a rifle, then saw him come out of the house with the rifle that he allegedly pointed at one of the them, Kent said.

At about 11:15 p.m., the deputies shot Hurtado three times in the torso and once in the hand, according to Kent. The boy received aid from the deputies and was transported by ambulance to a helicopter that airlifted him to a Bay Area hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 4:30 a.m. Friday, Kent said.

The deputies were not injured in the shooting and have been placed on paid administrative leave, the spokesman said.

The names of the involved deputies, a six-year veteran and a two-year veteran, will not be released until the sheriff’s investigation has been completed, according to Kent.

The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office is also conducting a separate investigation into the shooting, Kent said.

--Bay City News