A Watsonville man employed at the Aromas Nursery florist shop
was arrested Wednesday at the store on suspicion of threatening
to
”
shoot and kill
”
other workers with his loaded handgun, according to Sheriff’s
Department officials.
A Watsonville man employed at the Aromas Nursery florist shop was arrested Wednesday at the store on suspicion of threatening to “shoot and kill” other workers with his loaded handgun, according to Sheriff’s Department officials.
Marcos Bautista, 27, was booked into the San Benito County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. He was charged with four felony counts: possession of a concealed weapon, possession of a loaded handgun, threats and resisting arrest.
San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill lauded the deputy, Jack Smiley, who apprehended Bautista.
“I can’t wait to see that deputy,” Hill said. “We could have had a mass murder on our hands in a heart beat.”
The Sheriff’s Department received a call late Tuesday afternoon reporting that Bautista had threatened to shoot other employees, according to Lt. Pat Turturici.
Store owner Junko Haneta said Bautista threatened the workers Monday, though it is unclear what set him off. She said she was notified of the behavior Tuesday, and called authorities after learning of the threats.
Smiley responded to the nursery, located at 238 Carpenteria Road, Tuesday, but Bautista had not shown up to work that day, Haneta said.
The suspect did work Wednesday, however, and Smiley returned at about 8:30 a.m.
When Bautista was confronted inside the nursery he reached into his pants pockets, according to Turturici. Smiley drew his gun and told Bautista to keep his hands in sight as he ordered him to the ground, Turturici said.
After detaining Bautista, the deputy found a loaded .32-caliber semi-automatic handgun in the man’s jacket pocket – along with an extra loaded clip.
Hill also complimented the communication between San Benito County sheriff’s deputies and Santa Cruz County law enforcement officials.
Aromas is the cross section of Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The man’s residence is within Santa Cruz jurisdiction; however, San Benito Sheriff deputies responded because the nursery lies inside their county.
Haneta said Bautista had been working as a laborer at the nursery. Including Bautista, nine people were employed at the store, she said. Bautista had not caused problems in the past, she said.
“He was normal until (authorities) came,” she said.
