Santa Cruz Homicide: Teen Extradited From Texas

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A 16-year-old boy was extradited to Santa Cruz after he was arrested in connection with the January slaying of Daniel Hartley, an unhoused man in Santa Cruz, police said.

The teenager, who was not named by police, was living in Livingston, Texas, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department. He was arrested April 15, extradited to Santa Cruz April 29 and booked into Santa Cruz County Juvenile Hall.

The teen was a Santa Cruz County resident at the time of the homicide, police said. Police received a tip linking him to the crime then found evidence connecting him to the killing, police said.

Hartley, 39, was a Pennsylvania native who was found dead early on the morning of Jan. 17 in the 700 block of Emeline Avenue in Santa Cruz. He was the city's first murder victim in 2021; he suffered blunt force trauma to his head, police said. Hartley had lived in Santa Cruz since 2019.

Anyone with additional details about the case was asked to contact Santa Cruz police detective Connor Bridges at 831-420-5830 or leave the information on the anonymous crime tip line, 831-420-5995.