Santa Cruz cannabis cultivator charged with shooting attempted burglars released from house arrest

SANTA CRUZ — A Santa Cruz business owner criminally charged with shooting a Glock 9mm handgun at attempted burglars was released from his house arrest Tuesday.

Decibel Gardens co-owner Derek Hubbard, 36, was restricted to his home in November after he allegedly chased down fleeing masked thieves who were interrupted trying to break into his cannabis cultivation and packaging business in the early morning hours of Nov. 13. The attempted break-in was Hubbard’s second that year where a large group of thieves had targeted his business at its Harvey West neighborhood locale, his attorney told the court during a bail hearing and arraignment in November.

Hubbard’s newly retained attorney, San Diego-based Vikas Bajaj, asked that Hubbard be allowed to return to work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, relying on a new security system to notify his business partner of break-in attempts. Prosecutor Michael McKinney noted that being the former security alarm system’s primary contact “got him into trouble in the first place.”

Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Syda Cogliati agreed to the curfew. She also went one step further, lifting Hubbard’s house arrest entirely but requiring him to seek County Probation Department approval before leaving the county on family or business trips.

Dozens of people employed by Decibel Gardens depend on it for their livelihood and the business “is on the brink of failure” without Hubbard’s hands-on involvement, Bajaj told the court.

Hubbard is due back in court March 1, to confirm a preliminary hearing on five related felony charges tentatively set for the following Monday.