Watsonville Police Capture Man Suspected Of Attacking Elderly Man

WATSONVILLE, CA — The suspect at the center of an April 20 attack on a 70-year-old man outside a restaurant on Auto Center Drive has been arrested by Watsonville Police, officials announced. Agustin Rangel Tapia, 30, is behind bars at the Santa Cruz County Jail after Watsonville Police officers spotted him Monday afternoon outside a home on Palm Avenue. Police said Tapia confessed to the broad daylight attack, which was caught on a surveillance camera.

That video showed a suspect trying to grab the elderly man's wallet and car keys, but the senior citizen fended him off with his cane. The suspect ran away and left the busy shopping center on a bike. The elderly man, who fell to the ground during the attack, was treated and released from a hospital with minor injuries, according to police.

"Thanks to anonymous tips that we received from several community members, our detectives were able to identify the suspect and areas that he was known to frequent, including the Palm Avenue home where he was arrested," Watsonville police announced late Tuesday.

Tapia is now facing elder abuse and robbery charges. The suspect also had an active arrest warrant for a felony burglary case from 2015, according to police.