Watsonville Police Release Details On Center Street Standoff

WATSONVILLE, CA — A parolee who was on the run is back behind bars after a police standoff Tuesday afternoon. David Melgoza, 39, was arrested shortly before 6 p.m. after a nearly three-hour stand-off that caused a community alert from police.

According to the Watsonville Police Department, officers spotted Melgoza in the 200 block of Center Street. As officers approached, Melgoza made a run for it into a family member's home and refused to come out.

"Our officers have had several encounters with him in the past and this type of behavior is very common, given that he always runs from us," WPD said in a statement.

As the standoff was underway, the WPD issued an alert asking the public to avoid the 200 block of Center Street. "Police activity underway," the alert stated.

WPD's special response team was called to the standoff and eventually Melgoza surrendered. Just before 6 p.m. police notified the public via social media that they had their suspect in custody.

According to police, Melgoza was most recently placed on parole for felony hit-and-run and felony reckless driving with great bodily injury.

"We’d really like to thank all the residents on the 200 block of Center Street for their patience during the incident; it makes our job a lot easier, so thank you!" the WPD said.