SANTA CRUZ — A Watsonville man accused of sexual crimes with underage deli employees was recommended Tuesday to house arrest, pending a bail hearing.
The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office is seeking to put Carlos Gomez Velasco, released on a $200,000 bail bond Friday, back behind bars as he awaits trial “due to the serious and violent nature of the sexual offenses charged.”
The 39-year-old man appeared in court for arraignment on an amended complaint including 12 criminal counts Tuesday, but had not yet retained formal legal counsel and was allowed to delay making a plea. Defense attorney Geoffrey Rawlings appeared as an informal “friend of the court” on Gomez Velasco’s behalf.
Gomez Velasco is accused of sexually assaulting three minors between December 2020 and April 2021 at his place of work, a franchise Erik’s DeliCafe in Aptos owned by his partner. Gomez Velasco and his long-time partner, also the mother of his child, had represented themselves to the Sentinel as the eatery’s co-owners at the time of the store’s opening in 2018 and Assistant District Attorney Kristal Salcido described him Tuesday as holding “a position of authority” at the cafe.
Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Nancy de la Peña said she was prepared to offer Gomez Velasco time to secure legal counsel, but that the District Attorney’s Office request for a bond/release status hearing required a more immediate response. De la Peña, however, rejected Salcido’s request that she immediately jail Gomez Velasco, saying his bail had already been doubled. He is scheduled to return to court Thursday morning.
Leaving behind a group of supporters seated in the courtroom, Gomez Velasco was cuffed and taken for pre-trial processing at the Santa Cruz County Jail. De la Peña ordered to not leave a residential property where he would be staying, except for medical and court appointments. Gomez Velasco’s additional terms of release included him having no in-person, written or phone contact with anyone younger than age 18, no use of alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substances.
The case against Gomez Velasco remains an “active investigation” as the Sheriff’s Office is fielding continued calls from the public, according to Salcido. Community members with information related to the case are asked to contact Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office detective Sgt. Zach West at 831-454-7645.
