Watsonville mother, 24, found dead in Santa Cruz

Police are searching for husband

The body of a 24-year-old mother of two was found Thursday in a car parked near her workplace in Santa Cruz.

The body of a 24-year-old mother of two was found Thursday in a car parked near her workplace at Dignity Health Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz.

The woman’s husband, Cesar Hernandez, 47, is the primary suspect in this case, according to police. Watsonville police officials said they were not aware of Hernandez having any past criminal history.

“At this time, everything in our investigation points towards the victim’s husband and that’s based on what we were able to gather this morning,” Watsonville Police Department spokesman Michelle Pulido said during a late-Thursday press conference.

The Watsonville Police Department explained that the woman was reported missing at 3 a.m. Thursday morning by family. The case turned into a murder investigation after the woman was found, shortly before noon Thursday on Mission Drive, in the family’s only vehicle, police officials said.

“We believe that the murder occurred on the 700 block of Rodriguez Street,” Pulido said. “The victim was later taken to Santa Cruz and she was found inside of her vehicle.”

D o m i n i c a n Ho s p i - tal President Dr. Nanette Mickiewicz, in a statement to the Sentinel, wrote that “Dominican Hospital is deeply saddened to learn of the loss of one of our own” and that its “hearts go out to the family and friends” of the deceased woman. The Sentinel is not releasing the identity of the woman until the Santa Cruz County Coroner’s Office completes its process of notifying her family.

The couple’s two young children, both younger than the age of four, were dropped off with other family members between 2-2:30 a.m. Thursday, detectives and Pulido said during the press conference and on Friday. The time of night the kids were dropped, their young ages and the unusualness of the circumstances were red flags for the department, detective Pablo Andrade said.

“What I can tell you is they have been married for several years, they have two young children, they’re both from Watsonville and so, at this time, we’re asking for the community to keep an eye out,” Pulido added. “If they see the suspect, please call this in. If they have any information about his whereabouts, we are asking that you please call this in.”

The county medical examiner is working to determine the victim’s cause of death.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is assisting in the case, based on where the body was located in Santa Cruz, and the state Department of Justice was called in to process the family’s Rodriguez Street home and potential crime scene, Pulido said.

Those who have information regarding Hernandez’s whereabouts or any details on this case can contact Andrade at 831471-1151.