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Year In Review

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SHMUEL THALER — SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL FILE Pleasure Point artist Jeremiah Kille works on a mural of a sperm whale on the bathrooms along East Cliff Drive at the corner of 32nd Avenue. Friends of Tushar Atre, who was killed late last year and lived in the area, funded the mural in his honor. The project was actualized through the County Parks Department's Just-in-Time process that allows community- initiated and funded art projects on public properties with an approval process. By Melissa Murphy mmurphy@santacruzsenti- nel.com SANTA CRUZ The kidnap- ping and murder of tech entrepreneur Tushar Atre shocked Santa Cruz in 2019, but it wasn't until 2020 that four defendants, including two former coworkers, were arrested and held to an- swer for their involvement in the case. Atre, 50, was kidnapped from his Pleasure Point home at 3 a.m. Oct. 1, 2019 and was later found shot to death in the Santa Cruz Mountains that same day. In the months that fol- lowed, a community-led reward of $25,000 was is- sued and that was later upped to $150,000 and then $200,000 — the larg- est amount offered in the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Of- fice history — for informa- tion leading to the arrest of those involved in the kill- ing. Atre was the CEO of web- design company AtreNet, which he founded in 1996. He was also the owner of Interstitial Systems, a Santa Cruz-based licensed cannabis manufacturer. During an investigation update in January of this year, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart released video surveillance footage of a bicyclist and later three men walking near Atre's Pleasure Point Drive home and said that his investiga- tors had issued more than 30 search warrants con- nected to the case. Then in May, Hart an- nounced the arrest of four men. Arrestees included Ka- leb Charters, 19, of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, and Ste- phen Lindsay, 22, of Bur- bank, both former em- ployees of Atre's Intersti- tial Systems. Investigators also arrested Kurtis Char- ters, 22, and Joshua Camps, 23, both of Lancaster. None of the men, being held on suspicion of felony murder, robbery and kidnapping, have criminal histories or past law enforcement con- tacts, according to author- ities. Kaleb Charters and Kurtis Charters are broth- ers. The Sheriff's Office be- lieves the motive for the case was a planned robbery. Officials declined to reveal who they believed fired the shot that killed Atre. "They were after mon- etary gain," investigator Lt. Brian Cleveland said in May. The four men have all pleaded not guilty and are expected to return to court in January. Atre moved to the Santa Cruz area from the East Coast in 1996, according to a letter written by his family and friends that was read aloud during the May press conference. "He was an entrepre- neur who gave so many people their first jobs and created opportunity for so many others," depart- ment spokeswoman Ashley Keehn read from the fam- ily letter. "He was a surfer, mountain biker, craftsman, guitarist, inventor and lover of nature. We miss him every day but believe Tushar's spirit lives on in us and countless others." Mural in honor In order to keep Atre's memory alive, friends funded a mural in his honor. The project was actual- ized through the County Parks Department's Just- in-Time process that al- lows community-initiated and funded art projects on public properties with an approval process. One month after the sus- pects were arrested, Jere- miah Kille was seen work- ing on a mural of a sperm whale on the bathrooms along East Cliff Drive at CRIME The four defendants who pleaded not guilty in the kidnapping and murder of Tushar Atre, a tech entrepreneur who lived in Pleasure Point. Former employees held to answer for murder of Tushar Atre CONTRIBUTED: SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Tushar Atre was kidnapped during a crime around 3a.m. Tuesday at his home from the 3000block of Pleasure Point Drive in Santa Cruz. "He was an entrepreneur who gave so many people their first jobs and created opportunity for so many others. He was a surfer, mountain biker, craftsman, guitarist, inventor and lover of nature. We miss him every day but believe Tushar's spirit lives on in us and countless others." — Letter from Tushar Atre's family We are Proud of Our Community! 831.479.6000•www.bayfed.com•888.4BAYFED Federally Insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. Federally Insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. 831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED We Are Stronger Together Bay Federal honors the strength and resilience of Santa Cruz County. We look forward to a brighter tomorrow. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM | | 3 D

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