By Jimmy Lee, PIO, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Tuesday morning, July 19, 2022, at about 7:10, Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs at Martinez Detention Facility (MDF) intake were notified about an unconscious and unresponsive arrestee in the sally-port area.
The person, who was arrested by the San Pablo Police Department, was transported to MDF by a jailer, who attempted to revive the 40-year-old man before notifying deputies.
Deputies responded to the sally-port and provided two doses of Narcan, which is used in cases of suspected opioid overdose. Contra Cos-ta Health Services medical staff at MDF arrived and provided additional doses of Narcan.
The fire department and an ambulance responded to MDF. The arrestee was taken to Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez. The man later recovered and was dis-charged from the hospital this afternoon.
Read MoreTwo pilots, five crew chiefs and other team members participate
“it’s real flying” – Randy Howell, Patriots Jet Team owner and one of two CineJet pilots
By Allen D. Payton
Planes, aerobatic pilots, crew chiefs and other members of the Patriots Jet Team based at the Byron Airport in Contra Costa County helped make the new movie Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, now in theaters. As in the original Top Gun film, the sequel features a variety of jet training and combat scenes in which the team provided their L-39 CineJet™ to film the high-speed, in-air shots.
According to their website, the Patriots Jet Team is the largest civilian-owned aerobatic jet team in the western hemisphere. The team was started in 2002 by founder and owner Randy “Howler” Howell, a Discovery Bay resident, who also helps pilot the special jet. Howell has more than 26,000 hours of flight time and over 30 years of flying experience with United Airlines. He has been an advanced instructor in aerobatics, formation, UPRT (upset prevention and recovery training) as well as a Check Airman and Simulator Instructor in a multitude of aircraft.
The CineJet™ high-speed, cinematography platform was launched in 2017 when the Patriots Jet Team partnered with Helinet.
In a March 2 post on the team’s Facebook page it shows a brief video during filming of the movie from the CineJet™ Facebook page asking, “Recognize the jet?”
In another Facebook post on April 1 it reads, “The Patriots are so excited to finally see Top Gun Maverick come out. The #cinejet was key to many of the aerial scenes, can’t wait to see them on the big screen.”
Then on April 18 the team posted, “Lots of Patriots L-39’s in the latest #topgunmaverick Trailer. https://twitter.com/tomcruise/status/1516039183332216838…”
A June 6 post on their Facebook post reads, “If you haven’t already seen Top Gun: Maverick, you won’t want to miss our Helinet CineJet aerials on the big screen! #TopGun #TopGunMaverick #TGM #CineJet #PatriotsJetTeam” and includes a brief trailer from the movie.
At the Top Gun-themed, Patriots Jet Team Foundation annual fundraiser last September, the Guest of Honor and speaker was American actor, writer and producer Glen Powell, who is co-starring in Top Gun: Maverick. He plays the part of pilot, Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin. The evening’s program also included a special behind the scenes look at the involvement the Patriots Jet Team pilots had in the aerial shooting of the new movie.
Howell Provides Details of His Team, CineJet, Filming and Training Cruise and the Other Actors
According to Howell quite a few members from the team participated in the making of the film, which includes two pilots, Howell and Scott “Intake” Kartvedt, and five crew chiefs to mention a few.
He provided more details about his organization and the filming of the movie.
The team provides three services, “one is flying a six-ship airshow similar to the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds,” he shared. “We also provide upset training, teaching corporate and airline pilots how to recover from an unusual attitude or an upset due to wake turbulence, weather, or mechanical failures, flight controls.”
The third piece of the puzzle, is “the CineJet operation for filming,” he stated. “We partnered up with Helinet, a company in Southern California. They own the Shotover F1 which is a large, gyro-stabilized platform which can hold many different types of cameras for filming.”
“We designed, engineered and mounted it to the front of a highly modified L-39 Albatross jet.”
“This all started when my good friend, Kevin LaRosa, Jr., who I have shot commercials and movies with, in the past, came to me and said, ‘hey, would you be interested in partnering up on putting a big, Shotover F1 system on the front of an L-39?’” Howell explained. “My first question was that’s usually used on helicopters with a maximum speed of 150 knots. We need to go a lot faster if we’re going to start doing aerial filming of Top Gun and the likes.”
LaRosa has worked in the film industry for over 16 years as a stunt pilot and aerial coordinator. He and Howell are the pilots for the CineJet.
“So, we worked with the company Shotover based in New Zealand and they then started doing modifications to the six-axis, gyro-stabilized system that can be controlled, to look straight up, straight down, behind you, right and left,” Howell stated. “We needed to do 350 knots and sustain three G’s for maneuvering with the Super Hornets in the movie. So, they modified the arms, gears, motors and other items within the unit. They would then send it to us, and we’d test it up to the next speed, and the next until we reached 350 knots and 3.5 G’s. They did a lot of studies in the wind tunnel and a lot of engineering prior to this.”
“Once it was ready to go, we started launching every jet that every friend had, corporate jets. I flew the Mig-17, the Saberliners, as well as multiple L39’s intermixed with the Mig-17 and we created an exciting, one-minute sizzle reel,” Howell continued. “We sent that to Paramount, and they contacted us and said, ‘we like it. We want to talk.’ So, that’s how it all started.”
Work on Top Gun: Maverick
“We were then contracted to work on three different areas for the movie over about a year-and-a-half period,” he shared. “First was filming the Super Hornets in flight and the majority of the tactics that you see in the movie. The second was training all of the actors and actress, Monica (Barbaro) is the only actress who portrayed a pilot in the movie. We flew with every single one of the actors including Tom. He then wanted to get checked out in the airplane because he loved the L-39 so much. I flew with Tom many times getting him up to speed in the airplane.”
“The purpose for training all the actors and Tom was the Super Hornet was going to be pulling up to seven-and-a-half G’s,” Howell explained. “So, we went up in the L-39 which is stressed to eight G’s and we flew over, and over and over again at eight G’s. We flew up to 18,000 feet, we’d get a lot of energy up and we would put it into a spiral and sit at eight G’s for long periods of time. That was to get all of them into a mindset that they could act, which is a lot of energy. Acting, you can’t be putting energy into getting sick and nauseas, throwing up and all of that, and acting. So, we flew a lot with all of them.”
“Then Tom loved the airplane so much, and Tom is an awesome pilot, a really, really good pilot, and a really good formation pilot, as well, which is a whole different skill set from normal aviating” Howell shared. “I trained him, and he took a check ride with the FAA. Now, he’s qualified to fly by himself in the L-39 or with other people.”
He then mentioned a video of Cruise in which he flew TV talk show host James Corden in the L-39.
“The other piece of the puzzle was to paint two of our L-39’s in movie grey, sort of a flat, grey color and then put targets on both sides of the tail, both sides of the nose, top and bottom of each wing,” Howell explained. “Production was not able to get a flying F-14 because they don’t fly anymore, they’re all retired and they couldn’t get a Russian Sukhoi 57, either. We did the flying for that.”
“So, it’s real flying,” he added.
“They blocked off 40 miles of the Feather River for us up near Chico,” Howell said. “Then one of our pilots, Scott ‘Intake’ Kartvedt, a former Hornet and Blue Angel pilot in the Navy, and I flew all the two-ship stuff with the two Su-57’s and the F-14 through the Feather River. When we did that, it was about a six-week project, and we flew two to three times every day. We also flew off the coast of Point Mugu for the over water, ocean scenes with the two airplanes along with the CineJet filming us.”
“The first time we flew, we scouted the river in a helicopter,” he explained. “There’s a lot of hairpin turns, reversals, with granite walls, a thousand, two thousand feet high on both sides of you. So, as you come up on these switchbacks, come back the other way, you need to know you’re going to be able to come around there and some of them you can’t, they’re too tight. So, now you’ve got to come up over top of the mountain, roll inverted, pull down the other side of the mountain and roll out. All while being filmed by a helicopter or the CineJet with Shotover systems on them.”
“After we flew the first one in the L-39’s and spending several days scouting the area, taking notes, memorizing exactly which turns you were going to make all the way around, which turns you had to come over the top in,” Howell shared. “And we were down in the dirt, we were down 10 feet off the trees through a lot of that and the first time we landed the two of us were visibly, our hands were shaking. We walked toward each other and hugged, ‘Intake’ backed up and said, ‘I have 153 combat missions under my belt. I’ve never been under such high stress flying, before.’”
“So, it was definitely high-risk, but very calculated in the way we executed with all the scouting ahead of time,” he continued. “We started flying up higher, first. Then we came down as we got more comfortable and then we started filming once we got really comfortable down low.”
Asked how many times they flew the canyon route Howell responded, “many, many, many times.”
“You know to get one second of film, you’re gonna film an hour,” he said with a chuckle.
“Every last, little detail in the Super Hornets, everything, everything is the real deal,” Howell stated. “All the internal cameras they would mount inside one of our L-39’s for proof of concept to show what it would look like to the producers, to the director, and what angles they wanted. Then they could go the Navy and say, ‘we’ve already tested all these cameras in the airplane now, we need to mount them inside your airplane’.”
“That’s the whole story of Top Gun. A year-and-a-half involvement, but we were not filming for a year-and-a-half,” Howell shared. “We might film for six weeks, then have a month or two off. Then we’d go back and film for a month or two months, and then we’d have time off. So, it was just over a period of a year-and-a-half.”
They started filming in 2018 and finished up in 2019.
Filmed Another Movie Set During Korean War
Howell then shared about another movie they filmed, “which is going to be spectacular. It’s based on a true story, during the Korean War era where there’s an African American and a white pilot in flight school. The African American was a sharecropper’s son. He was homeschooled. He only wore shoes on Sunday. The white pilot’s dad was a prominent attorney, he belonged to the country club. The two of them became best friends in flight training.”
“They finished flight training and started flying in combat. They were assigned to F-4U Corsairs, the gullwing Corsair, and they went into battle,” he continued.
“I won’t ruin the rest of the story for you,” Howell stated. “There’s a book out called ‘Devotion’ by Adam Makos. You can order it on Amazon. It’s a really, really good story and it’s a true story. I love true stories. It’s going to be a great movie.”
The aerial scenes were filmed in 2021, January to March in Wenachee and Pasco, Washington and then Savannah, Georgia.
The name of the movie is the same as the book, “Devotion” and will be in theaters Thanksgiving weekend beginning Wednesday, Nov. 23.
“Our good friend, Glen Powell, who starred in Top Gun and others, and who was our speaker at our fundraiser is one of the two stars, he plays the pilot/character ‘Tom Hudner’,” Howell shared.
He also played John Glenn in the movie Hidden Figures, “and he’s starred in other movies, as well,” Howell added.
Q&A
Asked how many members from the team participated in the filming of Top Gun: Maverick he said, “There was probably seven of us at different times. We took different crew chiefs who would maintain the airplanes. We have a big hauler, an 18-wheeler and it carries spare everything for the L-39’s. Then we took Jet 7 and Jet 8 which are both set up with the Shotover wiring. There’s a lot of mods to the airplane before mounting the camera. So, we had both airplanes at every event. We had other airplanes there too for doing other training, as well.”
Asked how many pilots the team has Howell said, “we have six airshow pilots.”
According to the Patriots Jet Team website, “they have logged over 105,000 hours of flight time and performed in more than 1500 air shows.” Most recently, they performed over Venice and Mandeville Islands in the Delta prior to the fireworks show on Sunday evening, July 3.
The Patriots Jet Team Foundation
Lastly, the accomplishment that Randy is most proud of is the Patriots Jet Team Foundation, a separate non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation which he founded in 2011.
“The Foundation educates and mentors youth in America in aviation/aerospace and STEM career paths. The Foundation has partnered with other STEM based Foundations, as well as public, private, charter and University school programs.” Howell shared. “We cater to nearly 10,000 kids a year with rocket launch competitions, high-altitude balloons, introduction to aviation classes, aerodynamic classes and many more that we do, right here, at our facility as well as in the public schools system.”
Be sure to attend the PJT Foundation Benefit Gala on September 17th. You can learn more and register at PJTF.ORG.
To learn more about the Patriots Jet Team visit www.patriotsjetteam.com.
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By Pittsburg Police Department
He has served our community and the Pittsburg Police Department for 25 years, and now Steve Albanese will lead the proud women and men of this department as the new police chief following the retirement of Chief Brian Addington. (See related article)
Former Captain Steve Albanese is now Police Chief Albanese. He was sworn in yesterday to the top job rounding out his rise through the ranks of the Pittsburg Police Department.
Chief Albanese always wanted to be a police officer in Pittsburg. He graduated from the academy and, with an opportunity at hand, joined the Pleasant Hill Police Department. But after three months, the call of home led him to join our Pittsburg Police Department family. And, he has been a leader ever since.
Chief Albanese is determined to carry on the legacy of former Chief Brian Addington and his focus on transparency and breaking down barriers with the community we serve.
“As corny as it may sound, I’m not done here,” said Chief Albanese, “ I love this community. It is my honor to carry the torch forward and continue the proud service to Pittsburg that this department has shown time and time again.”
Chief Albanese holds an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from LMC, a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Cal State Fresno, and a Master’s degree in Leadership from St. Mary’s College. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and California Peace Officers Standards and Training Command College.
Congratulations Chief Albanese. We look forward to your leadership and a bright future ahead!
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Evidence shows multiple suspects targeted victim
By Pittsburg Police Department
On Sunday morning at approximately 7:20 AM, Pittsburg Police officers responded to a residence on East 12th Street in regards to a shooting that had occurred several minutes prior. When officers arrived, they found the victim of a shooting and immediately began providing medical aid to the victim. The victim, a 24-year-old male resident of Pittsburg, sustained a single gunshot wound to the lower body. He was transported to John Muir Medical Center where he underwent emergency surgery and is currently listed in stable condition.
Shortly thereafter officers located the scene of the shooting, which was near the intersection of Railroad Avenue and E. 10th Street. Officers collected multiple items of evidence from the shooting and based on initial information, it appears there were multiple suspects that targeted the victim. Officers are currently contacting witnesses and collecting surveillance video from the area in order to identify the suspects. Additional information is not available at this time.
The Pittsburg Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance and asks anyone with additional information to please contact the Pittsburg Police Department tip line at (925)-252-4040.
Read MoreNewton, Baugh also win; Arriaga disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct after his race; races continue tonight!
By Candice Martin, DCRR Racing Media
Antioch, CA…July 15…Tommy Velasquez III won the Pro Dwarf Car 20 lap Main Event Friday night at Antioch Speedway. This was the opening night of the WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals, hosted by the local Delta Dwarf Car Association. Velasquez is part is part of the Southern California Dwarf Car Association, which was recently reformed by his family. The Top 10 finishers in each of the Dwarf Car categories automatically qualified for Saturday’s Fast Dashes to set the first five rows of Saturday’s Main Events.
Velasquez charged into the early lead ahead of Chance Russell and Chris Kress. However, a low pass in Turn 4 on Lap 3 gained Adam Teves second from Russell. Michael Tobiason gained third on the sixth lap and started pressuring Teves for second. Tobiason made that pass on Lap 11. By the 16th circuit, Tobiason was challenging Velasquez for the lead, and a yellow flag waved for Anthony Pope in Turn 3 on Lap 18. Velasquez led Tobiason and Danny Wagner on the restart, and they finished in that order with Adam Teves and Michael “Spanky” Grenert rounding out the Top 5.
2019 Wingless Spec Sprint champion Shannon Newton kept his championship hopes alive with the 20 lap Main Event win. Official decisions elevated him from a second place finish. For most of the race, recent Sonny Calkins Memorial winner Shawn Arriaga was leading in the Dave Johnson owned car.
Arriaga took the early lead ahead of Newton, and a yellow flag waved on Lap 6 for incoming point leader Zack Neeley, who retired at that point. Arriaga led Newton and Nick Larsen on the restart. Arriaga held a straightaway advantage over Newton by Lap 10, but he hit heavy traffic by Lap 14 as Larsen slipped past Newton for second. Larsen caught Arriaga quickly, and contact from Larsen sent Arriaga spinning in Turn 2. Arriaga kept going with no yellow flag as Newton was second and Arriaga recovered in third. Larsen brought it home to the checkered flag but was penalized two positions for the contact with Arriaga that gained him the lead. This put Shannon Newton into the winner’s circle. Arriaga was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct after the race, elevating MacKenzie Newton to a career best second ahead of Larsen, Roy Fisher and James East.
Veteran division point leader Mike Reeder won their time-limit shortened 17 lap Main Event. Reeder took the early lead ahead of Jack Haverty and Eric Weisler. Haverty made a Turn 2 pass to claim the lead on Lap 2, but a bit of contact between Haverty and Reeder as they were working Lap 3 saw Haverty hit the Turn 4 wall for a yellow flag. Haverty was out, and Reeder led Weisler and Brian Quilty on the restart. They ran that way through the 10th lap, when Scotty Preast took third from Quilty. Reeder had a straightaway advantage wiped out by a yellow flag on Lap 12. Reeder led Weisler and Quilty on the ensuing restart. A yellow flag waved on Lap 15, and the drivers were warned that the next yellow flag would end the race. Reeder led Weisler on the restart. Quilty spun from his Top 5 position in Turn 4, and the yellow and checkered flags flew on Lap 17. Reeder got the win ahead of Weisler, Tony Margott, Stacy Woods and Ronnie Williams.
Joey Bohard won the 20 lap Sportsman Dwarf Car Main Event. Brenden Shrum started on the front row and took the early lead ahead of Kylee Johnson. Bohard slipped past Johnson for second on Lap 8 before a yellow flag waved for a Shrum spin. On the restart, Bohard moved into the lead with Sportsman point leader Dan Varner settling into second. Kinser Endicott made a big move around Johnson for third on Lap 11 and took second from Varner on the 16th lap. Endicott went low in Turn 4 on Lap 19 to briefly grab the lead, but Bohard came back strong with an inside move entering Turn 3 for the final time. Bohard made that pass and brought it home to victory ahead of Endicott, Varner, Johnson and Cody Shrum.
Jared Baugh won the 20 lap Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stock Main Event. It was his first career win. Top rookie Taylor DeCarlo charged into the early lead ahead of James Graessle. By the fourth lap, DeCarlo had nearly a straightaway advantage as Baugh was running in third. Baugh slipped past Graessle for second on Lap 6, and a yellow flag waved for Tyler Graves in Turn 4 on Lap 11. A bit of contact exiting Turn 4 on Lap 12 gained Baugh the lead with Kevin Brown moving into third, but a yellow flag waved. DeCarlo was restored to the lead, but Baugh and Brown again moved into first and second on the next restart. They finished in that order, and point leader Misty Welborn made a late charge into the third with Grayson Baca settling for fourth, followed by Graessle.
Keep up to date with the latest happenings at the track at www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals Night 1
Pro Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 laps) – Chance Russell, Tommy Velasquez III, David Teves, Adam Teves. Main Event (20 laps) – Tommy Velasquez III, Micheeael Tobiason, Danny Wagner, Adam Teves, Michael “Spanky” Grenert, David Teves, Devan Kammeramann, Dylan Shrum, Ridge Abbott, Chuck Eaton.
Veteran Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 laps) – Jack Haverty, Mike Reeder, Brian Quilty. Main Event (20 laps) – Mike Reeder, Eric Weisler, Scotty Preast, Tony Margott, Stacy Woods, Ronnie Williams, Steve Walker, Glenn Sciarani, Mark Biscardi, David Rosa.
Sportsman Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners (8 laps) – Brenden Shrum, Kylee Johnson. Main Event (20 laps) – Joey Bohard, Kinser Endicott, Dan Varner, Kylee Johnson, Cody Shrum, Teagan Fischer, Brenden Shrum, Isaak Geil, Ian Velasquez, Daniel Peters.
Wingless Spec Sprints
Heat Winners (8 laps) – Nick Larsen, Shawn Arriaga. Main Event (20 laps) – Shannon Newton, MacKenzie Newton, Nick Larsen, Roy Fisher, James East, Rick Panfili, Steve Maionchi, Zack Neeley, Jeff Scotto, Shawn Arriaga DQ.
Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks
Heat Winners (8 laps) – Kevin Brown, Misty Welborn, Grayson Baca. Main Event (20 laps) – Jared Baugh, Kevin Brown, Misty Welborn, Grayson Baca, James Graessle, Michaela Taylor, Danny Aves, Colten Haney, Jake Archibald, Jess Paladino.
Read MoreCitations are $100 daily on each and every marijuana plant for first violation, $200 for the second, $500 for third and subsequent violations.
By Darin Gale, Assistant City Manager, City of Brentwood
The Brentwood City Council approved a new ordinance clarifying that administrative fines can be placed daily on each and every marijuana plant cultivated in excess of the number of plants allowed by state law to combat illegal grows.
Since 2017, the City has regulated marijuana activity in the City and incorporated the requirements of State law into its Municipal Code, allowing the City to levy administrative citation fines for marijuana violations of cultivation of over six plants. Unfortunately, since 2017 the City has had numerous illegal indoor grows of marijuana, including grows of thousands of plants in a single-family residential homes. This degree of illegal marijuana cultivation poses significant health and safety risks to residents and is likely part of larger criminal networks. Moreover, this illegal activity is extremely profitable, making deterring the activity difficult.
The Brentwood Municipal Code was unclear on whether administrative citations may be issued on a per property or on a per plant basis. On July 12, 2022 the Brentwood City Council approved a new ordinance clarifying that an administrative fine can be placed on each and every marijuana plant cultivated in excess of the number of plants allowed by state law. The updated ordinance states the following:
Each and every marijuana plant cultivated in excess of the number of plants allowed under this section shall be a separate offense, and each such plant subject to a separate administrative citation fine under Chapter 1.24 of the Municipal Code. Each and every day a violation is maintained, caused, aided, abetted, concealed, suffered, or permitted is a separate offense.
Mayor Joel Bryant stated, “Public safety is the top priority for the City and Brentwood and we will not tolerate illegal criminal activity. This new ordinance will allow staff to enforce fines and deter criminal networks from setting up illegal marijuana grows in our community.”
Citations are $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second and $500 for the third and subsequent violations.
If residents believe an illegal marijuana grow is located in their neighborhood they can report it through the City’s community enrichment app, Brentwood Connect Service Request | Brentwood, CA (brentwoodca.gov)or by calling Community Enrichment at (925) 516-5405 or the Police Department non-emergency number at (925) 809-7911
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Four days of free admission!
Don’t miss the 2022 Concord Jazz Festival! Celebrate Concord’s 50+ year jazz legacy with ‘Take 5’ – five days of special jazz performances and events at different locations around town from Wednesday, August 3 through Sunday, August 7.
RSVP NOW: https://bit.ly/3xmSLZP
Weds, Aug 3 – Jinx Jones at 2022 Concord Jazz Festival: The Veranda Unplugged. 6:30-8:00 pm, FREE ADMISSION
Thurs, Aug 4 – Carlos Reyes Music and Market, Todos Santos Plaza. 6:30-8:00 pm, FREE ADMISSION
Fri, Aug 5 – KJ Focus & Glib Rig at Concord Tap House. 5:00-7:00 pm, FREE ADMISSION
Sat, Aug 6 – Howard Wiley, Brian Ho Trio & Chaz Gunter at Jazz In the Park, Todos Santos Plaza. Marketplace and food trucks open at 12pm, and music starts at 1pm, FREE ADMISSION.
Sun, Aug 7 – Stratify & KJ Focus at Java and Jazz, Concord Museum & Event Center, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Admission: $15
Get your ticket: https://bit.ly/3ahvcZX
Each attendee gets a souvenir Concord Jazz Fest cup with unlimited iced coffee and iced tea (while supplies last). Proceeds goes to the Concord Historical Society.
Read MoreVictims were ages 13 to 16; bail set at $1,160,000
By Oakley Police Department
In March 2022, the Oakley Police Department received a report involving lewd and lascivious acts between an adult female and a juvenile male victim. The suspect was identified as Jennifer Decarlo, a 34-year-old female and Oakley resident.
Oakley Police detectives immediately began investigating the allegations. Several interviews and search warrants were conducted, in addition to several items of evidence being collected and analyzed. The ongoing investigation revealed multiple lewd acts with the original victim and additional male victims, between the ages of 13 and 16 years old. The alleged criminal acts occurred between January 2022 to March 2022. Decarlo is believed to have met each victim through family, friends, or acquaintances.
On May 11, 2022 Oakley Police Detectives arrested Decarlo at her residence and she was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility. The Oakley Police Department presented the case to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and 21 felony charges were filed. See list of charges below. Decarlo remains in custody on bail of $1,160,000.
Based on the facts gathered in this case, the Oakley Police Department believes there may be additional victims of Decarlo. Any additional victims are urged to contact Detective Minister at 925-625-8822 or Dispatch at 925-625-8060.
List of charges:
Count 1) PC288(a) – Lewd act with a child under 14
Count 2) PC288(a) – Lewd act with a child under 14
Count 3) PC288(a) – Lewd act with a child under 14
Count 4) PC261.5(d) – Unlawful intercourse with minor under 16
Count 5) PC287(b)(2) – Oral copulation with minor under 16
Count 6) PC288(c)(1) -Lewd act with a child 14 or 15; 10< year age difference
Count 7) PC288(c)(1) -Lewd act with a child 14 or 15; 10< year age difference
Count 8) PC288(c)(1) -Lewd act with a child 14 or 15; 10< year age difference
Count 9) PC288(c)(1) -Lewd act with a child 14 or 15; 10< year age difference
Count 10) PC288.2(a) – Sending harmful matter with intent to seduce minor
Count 11) PC288.3(a) – Communicating with minor for purpose of lewd act
Count 12) PC288.4(b) – Arranging to meet minor for purpose of lewd act
Count 13) PC261.5(c) – Unlawful intercourse with minor
Count 14) PC287(b)(1) – Oral copulation with minor
Count 15) PC288.3(a) – Communicating with minor for purpose of lewd act
Count 16) PC288.4(b) – Arranging to meet minor for purpose of lewd act
Count 17) PC288(c)(1) -Lewd act w/ a child 14 or 15; 10< year age difference
Count 18) PC287(b)(2) – Oral copulation with minor under 16
Count 19) PC261.5(d) – Unlawful intercourse with minor under 16
Count 20) PC288.3(a) – Communicating with minor for purpose of lewd act
Count 21) PC288.4(b) – Arranging to meet minor for purpose of lewd act
Read MoreBy Pittsburg Police Department
In 1994, Officer Brian Addington made, what we think, was the best decision of his career. He joined the Pittsburg Police Department after having served for a year and a half with the Suisun City Police Department. That decision left a lasting mark on our department and our Pittsburg community as he rose through the ranks to become our Police Chief serving in that role for the last decade.
Chief Addington started as an officer in patrol on the Strategic Enforcement Team (SET) where he served for several years focused on reducing street-level crimes. From there, he became an undercover detective in the Narcotics Unit. In 1998, he was promoted to Sergeant where he trained and mentored officers in a wide variety of assignments. Chief Addington’s rise through the ranks included a promotion to Lieutenant in 2004 and then Captain in 2010.
He served as our Public Information Officer as well as duties in patrol, training, narcotics, criminal and administrative investigations and so much more.
As Police Chief, he focused on transparency and breaking down barriers between police and the community we’re sworn to serve. His modern approach to law enforcement strategies resulted in both a 10% decrease in crime and more than a 100% increase in diversity among the ranks of the Pittsburg Police Department. These are achievements that will last for decades to come.
Chief Addington brought respect and a broader footprint for the Pittsburg Police Department through his service and leadership in many roles including membership with the FBI National Academy Associates, California Police Chiefs Association, and the International Association of Police Chiefs.
Congratulations on your retirement, Chief Brian Addington. You will be missed, and the City of Pittsburg will benefit for years to come from your leadership.
See a brief video of his farewell posted on the Pittsburg PD’s Facebook page.
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Won’t be prosecuted because the cases are “compromised to the point they can’t be salvaged” – Ted Asregadoo, CCDA PIO
By Allen D. Payton
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has dismissed 40 cases from prosecution as part of the investigation into crimes of moral turpitude by Pittsburg and Antioch Police Officers announced in March. As previously reported, several officers were placed on paid administrative leave due to the accusations against them. (See related articles here, here and here)
Asked for details about the 40 cases, CCDA Public Information Officer Ted Asregadoo said he could not provide it as “it’s still an active investigation of the Pittsburg and Antioch officers.”
Out of a group of the cases, there are 40 cases that can go forward in the investigative process. Approximately 40 of those cases were dismissed,” he continued.
Asked how cases were from which agency Asregadoo responded, “I can’t talk about that.”
“The DA’s office is involved in ongoing evaluations of the cases to determine if the cases are compromised due to the criminal wrongdoing and misconduct,” he stated. “Those 40 have been compromised to the point they can’t be salvaged so they were dismissed.”
“The Antioch and Pittsburg Police Departments are cooperating with us and are assisting,” Asregadoo shared. “It’s a complex endeavor and is wide ranging. The scope of it is not a single incident.”
Chief Assistant District Attorney Simon O’Connell offered the following statement about the matter:
“There are multiple officers who are subjects of an ongoing criminal investigation involving a range of offenses which constitute crimes of moral turpitude. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office is actively engaged in evaluating these cases to determine whether the charged case is compromised or whether the case can proceed. Community safety remains paramount, and the District Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in preserving as many cases as possible.”
An estimated three or five Antioch Police Officers are involved.
Antioch Police still won’t say how many Antioch officers are under investigation, APD Public Information Officer Darryl Safford said. But he did confirm they are still on paid administrative leave. Asked if the DA’s office shared how many of the 40 cases were from Antioch Saffold said, “they have not informed us.”
In addition, an effort to reach new Pittsburg Police Chief Steve Albanese for details from his department was unsuccessful prior to publication time. Please check back later for any updates to this report.
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