Homeless Woman Killed By Falling Tree Remembered: Santa Cruz

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Advocate Keith McHenry is rallying to bring attention to Santa Cruz County's homeless population after the community recently lost one of its own.

McHenry, who co-founded Food Not Bombs nearly 40 years ago in Boston, said via email that friends of Deseire Quintero will be gathering Tuesday, 4 p.m., at Santa Cruz City Hall to remember the 55-year-old homeless woman who was also known for her activism.

Quintero was found dead Oct. 27 in Pogonip Open Space Preserve. A falling tree killed her, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.

"The Diablo winds knocked a tree on her and her neighbors' campsite, killing Deseire and injuring the friend she was checking on," said McHenry, who lives in Santa Cruz.

Quintero helped form the Ross Camp Council, which attempted to negotiate with the city of Santa Cruz to stop the eviction of about 200 homeless people who were camping behind the Ross Dress For Less at 650 River Street.

The camp first opened in November 2018. In an effort to halt evictions, Quintero and other Ross Camp Council members took their case to court, arguing that closure of the encampment posed "a direct risk to the health and safety of the Ross encampment residents as well as the health and safety of the community of Santa Cruz" because residents "will be forced back out into the community and isolated without protection."

But District Judge Edward J. Davila ruled against the Ross Camp Council in Quintero v. City of Santa Cruz, 5:19-cv-01898, and in May the city cleared the camp out.

During the eviction, vouchers were provided by the city to those needing shelter, but, according to McHenry, Quintero and about 100 others were denied a place to sleep due to lack of beds. Quintero and her community were forced to live "in the forests of the Pogonip, along the freeways or in the doorways of Santa Cruz," McHenry said.

"City officials knew that there would not have enough 'shelter beds' (gymmats), intentionally forcing people into dangerous conditions yet told the court under oath that there would be shelter for all," McHenry said.

In his ruling Judge Davila wrote, "There may not be a perfect solution, but in this circumstance, adequate alternative housing has been provided."

In court documents, Quintero admitted she had many unpaid camping citations from the city, but feared that if the Ross encampment closed she would be at great risk as an older female camping alone. She told the court she would be forced to camp in the woods, where she alleged she had been physically assaulted and her tent vandalized.