Arrests Made In Santa Cruz Homicide

Photo: Brandon Thomas, 22.

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Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of an 18-year-old man in Santa Cruz on Friday evening, according to police.

Brandon Thomas, 22, and Jonah Namauu, 23, were each booked into jail on suspicion of murder with a gang enhancement, attempted murder, discharge of a firearm, discharge of a firearm from a vehicle and conspiracy, police said.

Both were taken into custody Saturday as police investigated the death of 18-year-old Samuel Weinberg.

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• Man Dead In Santa Cruz Shooting
• One Arrested, One Detained In Fatal Shooting In Santa Cruz
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Weinberg, a resident of the Santa Cruz area, was found shot when police responded around 7:30 p.m. Friday to a report of shots fired in the area of River Street and North Pacific Avenue, about two blocks north of the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park.

Officers found the victim, later identified as Weinberg, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Saturday, Santa Cruz police arrested Thomas after he tried to escape on a Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District bus and detained a second person, Namauu, for questioning in connection with the homicide, police said.

Police had issued a $1 million warrant for Thomas’s arrest.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, he was spotted in the area of Broadway and Ocean Street and then tried to flee by boarding the Metro bus, according to police. Officers flagged down the bus in the vicinity of Soquel and Seabright avenues and arrested the suspect, police said.

No one on the bus was injured.

Namauu was initially detained for questioning and booked into jail on a parole violation. Police later booked him on suspicion of Weinberg’s murder as well.

Police are continuing to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information has been asked to call the Santa Cruz police tip line at (831) 420-5995.

--Bay City News

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