Heroin Kilo Worth $80K, Assault Rifle Seized Tuesday, Police Say

WATSONVILLE, CA — A Watsonville man was arrested Tuesday after police found a kilo of heroin worth at least $80,000 and an assault rifle while executing a search warrant.

Gerardo R. Valencia, 29, was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale and an illegal weapon, jail records show. He was booked into the Santa Cruz County jail.

Wilkie Avenue residents were directed to shelter in place around 6:30 a.m. as police executed the search warrant. The Watsonville police Special Response Team and Santa Cruz Police Department Emergency Services Unit were called in to help execute the warrant, since Valencia had access to powerful weapons, police said.