Communities in the south Salinas Valley were on edge after a mass shooting at a King City birthday party left four people dead in early March. It came on the heels of a double homicide near Soledad that killed two cousins in early February. Law enforcement authorities later discovered the incidents were connected.

Eleven people were shot during the King City incident. Authorities said that three masked gunmen wearing dark clothing got out of a stolen silver KIA and opened fire. They then left the scene and ditched the vehicle in a vineyard outside of Greenfield. The car was found three days later.

In early February, two cousins had been killed by the Salinas River at 41000 Los Coches Road, Soledad. The cousins were believed to have been killed in a case of mistaken identity, with the shooters believing them to be members of a rival gang.

In May, three suspects were arrested and charged with the crimes. Arrested were Pedro Nava, 32, of Greenfield, Jonathan Cervantes, 18, of Greenfield, and a juvenile that the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office did not identify because of his age. The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office charged the men with four counts of murder, seven counts of attempted murder, four counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of acting as part of a criminal street gang.

Two additional counts of murder were also filed for the killing of cousins Jack Canchola and Andres Garcia, who were gunned down in Soledad.

Roughly 80 search warrants were served and some 250 leads were followed in the investigations. Investigators have recovered evidence from three separate crime scenes, including a suspect vehicle.

King City Police Chief James Hunt called the killings “evil and senseless acts.”

“We knew we had to solve this crime to restore a sense of safety and security to the community,” Hunt said. “To the victims’ families, I hope these arrests provide some comfort and healing.”

Monterey wins state title

After losing in the Central Coast Section semifinals, the Monterey High boys basketball team thought their season was over. The next day, however, the Toreadores were given a reprieve, getting an at-large spot in the state playoffs. A low seed, Monterey went on the road, winning four straight to win the Northern California title. They then traveled to Sacramento, knocking off Southern California power Chatsworth to win the state Division IV state title, 74-68.

Disappearing equestrian

A chapter of Pebble Beach history was closed when, after 100 years of operating, the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center was closed and torn down.

The Pebble Beach Co. announced the decision in March and today there isn’t much left of the complex that once housed horses across from the driving range (which had once been used as a polo field.) Many of the aging structures were bulldozed to the ground this summer.

“Closing the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center is a very difficult decision,” said Pebble Beach Co. CEO David Stivers in a prepared statement. “While the Equestrian Center has a storied history, it is no longer economically viable.”

Stivers explained that the center needed more than $15 million in renovations and had been operating at a “substantial loss” for many years.

“Given the overall downward trends in the equestrian industry and the continuing decrease in business at our center, this is the right decision for the company,” he said.

In 1924, Pebble Beach’s initial stables were built. Accomplished horseman Dick Collins took over the resort’s equestrian facilities in 1941 and over the next three decades, established Pebble Beach as an important equestrian center.

According to a company spokesperson, the revenue for equestrian sports and activities has been in decline in recent years and has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. The spokesperson explained that the decision was not made lightly by the company and “everyone is sad.”