Crime & Safety

Scotts Valley Teen Arrested in Attempted Homicide Out of Tuolumne County

Local authorities took the lead in finding 18-year-old accused in robbery, assault and carjacking—and recovering stolen gun.

Two local agencies took the lead last week to capture a Scotts Valley teen charged with attempted homicide after a robbery, assault and carjacking in Tuolumne County. And this week, they recovered one of the stolen guns.

Richard Zachariah Souza, 18, was arrested in Aptos on Aug. 24, after he was involved in an accident on Highway 1 and Park Drive, according to the Santa Cruz office of the California Highway Patrol.

The arrest happened just a day after Souza reportedly stabbed and robbed two victims in Sonora on Aug. 23 and left them in critical condition. He is also accused of using a gun to carjack a burgundy 1994 Cadillac Seville before he left Sonora with a passenger, according to an incident report from the CHP.

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Santa Cruz CHP officers found the stolen Cadillac after they were notified of an accident at 1:30 a.m. Aug. 24 involving the car and a deer. When officers arrived, the Cadillac was empty, but they found the suspect and his passenger walking in Aptos shortly afterward.

Souza was arrested for vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, receiving stolen property, and hit and run. All but the last charge are felonies.

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A week later, on Tuesday, Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputies discovered a revolver that is believed to belong to the victims. One of the stolen guns remains unaccounted for, deputies said.

Souza was extradited to Tuolomne County, where he also faces attempted homicide charges.  

Anyone with information on the incidents is encouraged to contact the Tuolumne County Sheriffs Department at 209-694-2900.


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