DEATHS OF TEENAGERS PUZZLE AUTHORITIES
- Santa Carla Sentinel, November 7th, 1987
Santa Carla police are still trying to figure out what killed several local young persons Friday morning. Three bodies - two male and one female, all in their early-to-mid-twenties - were found in a house in the Quartz Cliffs area of unincorporated Santa Carla County.
An anonymous tipster led police to search the home, finding the victims inside. There were no signs of forced entry or burglary. Police are remaining tight-lipped about the causes of death, though stress that citizens should not be alarmed. An update on the case, pending completed autopsy results from the county coroner's office, is expected on Monday. At this time, an inside source who spoke with the Santa Carla Sentinel on the condition of anonymity said foul play is not suspected and this tragedy appears to have been some kind of ritualistic suicide.
Bob Donner, owner and president of local business 'Donner Doors & Floors' and a longtime resident of Santa Carla, resides several house down from the crime scene. Mr Donner told the Santa Carla Sentinel that he had voiced repeated complaints to local authorities about the home's occupants through the last few years.
"Yeah, there were a lot of kids coming and going at all hours sometimes. The cops told me they'd look into it but nothing was ever done. It got real bad again, right before school started up. I think they were doing drugs and God knows what else in that house." said Mr. Donner.
An investigation into who owned them home turned up a property title in the name of local businessman, Maximillian Gilmore, who owns and operates Max's Video located on the Santa Carla wharf. His video rental store remains closed and appears to have been so since Wednesday, according to other business owners.
"I haven't seen Max around in weeks," Jim Jeremias said, when asked about Mr. Gilmore. "The store was open and operating like normal, though. I think he's up in Los Gatos, opening that second store he was always talking about."
Repeated attempts to contact Mr. Gilmore were unsuccessful. Inquiries made by the Santa Carla Sentinel found there were no property deeds or lease agreements in Mr. Gilmore's name recorded in the Los Gatos city records.
The names of the victims have yet to be released, pending notification of next of kin.
ARSON SUSPECTED IN LOCAL FIRE, SUSPECTS AT LARGE
- Santa Carla Sentinel, November 13th, 1987
Santa Carla police are seeking any eyewitnesses who may have information about a large fire set among the ruins of a once popular resort built near Hudson's bluff.
A large plume of black smoke trailed out over the Pacific Ocean last Sunday morning, the result of a fire set inside the caved-in remains of the Sandy Point Resort. Once a popular destination among the wealthy elite, the Sandy Point Resort was destroyed during the Great Earthquake in 1906. The ruined remains have been off-limits since the 1960s, though local teenagers and homeless vagrants are known to occasionally venture inside.
The smoke was spotted by vigilant citizens who alerted local authorities. Once on scene, fire crews took a defensive position and let the fire burn itself out, as the safety of personnel, lack of hydrants due to the remote location, and inaccessibility made it near impossible to run hoses in to douse the flames.
Fire officials later determined a large amount of debris were piled into the center of the open part of the cave and lit on fire, sometime between Friday and Saturday. It appeared that persons were occupying the ruins and using it as a living space, due to the amount of items found arranged inside the cave. Whether these persons escaped or not is yet to be determined. An inside source, who spoke with the Santa Carla Sentinel on the condition of anonymity, revealed that human remains were found at the center of the burn pile.
When asked if this suspicious fire could be related to the mysterious deaths of three young people at a home in the Quartz Cliff neighborhood, fire and police officials had no comment, citing this as an open and ongoing investigation.
Due to the continuing investigation as well as the unstable nature of the ruins, a twenty-four hour police presence is being kept at the scene, to keep unauthorized persons out. Once the investigation is complete, city officials plan to bulldoze the wooden staircase that is used as an access point to the ruins at the base of the cliff as well as install concrete barriers that will bar motorized transport from coming too near to the cliff's edge.
If you have any information or witnessed suspicious activity during November 6th and 7th near the ruins, please contact Det. Mike Chapman at the Santa Cruz Police department at 555-5901.