Man coaxed out of attic, arrested during warrant search

A Watsonville man wanted on several warrants was arrested on Tuesday after police negotiators coaxed him out of his attic, police said.

Edgar Alfaro, 20, had warrants for resisting arrest, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, possession of a controlled substance and a gang enhancement.

Around 6 p.m. on Jan. 13, police saw Alfaro walking at Main and East Front streets in Watsonville, but he fled after seeing the officers, police said.

Just before 11 p.m. that night, police drove to Alfaro’s home at 129 Atkinson Lane, near the Portuguese Community Hall, and saw his vehicle pulling out.

The driver of the vehicle led police on a slow pursuit that ended when the front passenger jumped out and ran off, tossing an illegal short-barreled shotgun, police said.

Police did not catch the passenger but recovered the shotgun, which had been reported stolen in a home burglary along with other guns.

On Tuesday, police detectives, a California Highway Patrol K-9 officer and Santa Cruz County Auto Theft Task Force agents served a search warrant for other stolen firearms at Alfaro’s home, police said.

Officers seized a loaded handgun not believed to have been stolen.

They did not immediately find Alfaro, but when they determined that he was in the attic, called in more officers, including crisis negotiators.

Within a few minutes, negotiators convinced Alfaro to come out of hiding and arrested him. He was taken to the Santa Cruz County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday afternoon.