SANTA CRUZ — A Watsonville man charged with murdering his housemate and spending hours in an agricultural field standoff with police has changed his plea to not guilty by way of insanity.
On the night of Aug. 7, 2023, Watsonville police officers located 42-year-old Victor Ruiz Alamillo suffering fatal gunshot wounds outside a vehicle parked near their West Beach Street home. Tipped off with a vehicle description linked to the alleged shooter, officers located Hector Rocha, 45, inside the mint green 1967 Chevrolet single-cab truck the next day. Following him to an agricultural field off Trafton Road in Monterey County, law enforcement engaged Rocha in a more than four-hour standoff before arresting him.
The court suspended Rocha’s criminal proceedings in October 2023 and ordered him into the care of a state hospital to restore his competency. Rocha was deemed to be restored to competency in April.
