WATSONVILLE — A Watsonville father and son, both felons, were arrested this month after allegedly transporting cannabis with intent to distribute.
A CHP officer stopped driver Eli Jacob Gutierrez, 29, with passenger Elias Ayala Gutierrez, 50, shortly after 11 p.m. April 19 on Holohan Road near Green Valley Road on suspicion of speeding. Both men had been released from prison on community supervision and were eligible for a probation search by law enforcement, according to the CHP. Inside their car, officers found nearly 5 pounds of cannabis.
The two men have bailed out of Santa Cruz County Jail and are scheduled to return for a Santa Cruz County Superior Court hearing May 25. Both are facing felony charges of possession of cannabis with intent to distribute, transportation of cannabis with intent to distribute/furnishing cannabis and violation of felony probation.
A year ago this month, the older Gutierrez pleaded no contest to maintaining an illegal Watsonville marijuana establishment, a felony charge, and use of a firearm, along with several other related charges. Similar charges against the Gutierrez son had been dismissed nearly two years earlier.
The men also had come to the attention of law enforcement in June 2018, when they were believed to be involved in a shootout with two other men who robbed the Gutierrez’s Lawrence Avenue residence of a large amount of cash and marijuana, according to police reports at the time. One of the robbers, Dominic Quintana, 32, of Watsonville, died during the exchange of fire. The second man was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery. The Gutierrez father and son initially were arrested on suspicion of murder in that case.
