By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County, Office of the Sheriff
Tuesday morning, August 11, 2020 at about 1:46, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a report of a body on the 400 block of Pullman Avenue in Bay Point.
Deputies arrived on scene and found a man on the ground. He appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound.
The fire department and an ambulance responded. The victim was later pronounced deceased at the scene.
Detectives and crime lab personnel responded to investigate this incident.
The victim was later identified as 28-year-old Joshua Johnson of Bay Point. The cause of death is listed as gunshot wound.
Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.
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Proposal would extend existing rules for Walnut Creek-San Ramon lanes
SAN FRANCISCO . . . As the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) prepare for the early 2021 start of Express Lane operations on an 11-mile stretch of southbound Interstate 680 from Martinez through Walnut Creek, MTC invites Bay Area residents to learn about and comment on Express Lane toll policies during a public comment period that begins today and will continue through Sept. 9, 2020. (See the 680 Express Lane Fact Sheet)
Commuters and other travelers can learn about MTC’s Express Lanes and toll policies on the MTC website at https://mtc.ca.gov/express-lanes-policies and submit comments by email to expresslanes@bayareametro.gov. The comment period will culminate with a virtual Public Hearing conducted as part of MTC’s September 23 public meeting schedule.
Express Lanes use tolling and technology to keep traffic moving for carpoolers, bus riders, motorcycles and solo drivers alike. When tolling operations begin on the new Martinez-to- Walnut Creek segment of I-680, there will be a continuous 23-mile southbound Express Lane running the length of Contra Costa County. In advance of opening the new Express Lane extension, MTC’s Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority (BAIFA) affiliate must adopt rules for how tolling will work. BAIFA is proposing to amend its existing Toll Facility Ordinance to set tolling rules for the Martinez-to-Walnut Creek segment that are identical to those already in place for the existing Express Lanes in both directions of I-680 between Walnut Creek and San Ramon:
- Hours of operation – 5 am to 8 pm;
- High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) eligibility – two (2) or more persons;
- Tolls – Eligible HOVs with two or more persons would pay no toll. Solo drivers would pay the full toll. Clean air vehicles (CAVs) would pay a half-price toll. A minimum toll of $0.50 per toll zone would apply;
- FasTrak® required – All vehicles would be required to use FasTrak®, including vehicles eligible for reduced tolls;
- Enforcement and Toll Violation Penalties – Toll enforcement would be automated using license plate cameras as on BAIFA’s existing Express Lanes. If a vehicle does not have a FasTrak® account, a violation notice would be issued by the toll system. Toll violation penalties would be set equal to those charged by BATA, currently $25 for the first notice and $70 for the second notice. CHP would enforce vehicle occupancy requirements, illegal crossing of double white lines and other rules.
More information about the southbound I-680 Express Lane from Martinez to Walnut Creek and about the proposed Toll Facility Ordinance Amendment is available on MTC’s website at https://mtc.ca.gov/express-lanes-policies or on MTC’s public hearings page at https://mtc.ca.gov/whats-happening/events/public-hearings.
The public hearing will take place during BAIFA’s regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 at 9:05 a.m. In accordance with Executive Order N-29-20 issued by Governor Newsom on March 17, 2020 and the Guidance for Gatherings issued by the California Department of Public Health, the meeting will be conducted via webcast, teleconference, and Zoom. The meeting webcast, as well as a link and a phone number for participation via Zoom, will be posted on the MTC website at http://mtc.ca.gov/whats-happening/meetings. Interested members of the public must send in written comments by Sept. 9, 2020 to MTC’s Public Information Office at 375 Beale Street, Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94105 or via email at expresslanes@bayareametro.gov (please include “BAIFA Toll Ordinance” in the subject line) by Sept. 9. Comments also may be left on MTC’s public information phone line at (415) 778-6757 before 5 p.m. on Sept. 9. After receiving comments, BAIFA will consider adoption of the ordinance amendment at its September 23, 2020, meeting.
MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.
Read MoreOne employed with Contra Costa County since 1998; first ever case of this type for Contra Costa DA
By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney
Martinez, Calif. – Last month, Ijeoma Chukwunyelu and Nnamdi Onwuzulike made their first court appearance and entered pleas of not guilty in Contra Costa County’s first criminal labor trafficking case. In addition to labor trafficking under Penal Code section 236.1(a), defendants are charged with extortion and conspiracy to violate Labor Code section 1199 which requires employers to follow California’s minimum wage and hour requirements.
In this case, a woman was recruited from outside the United States to be a nanny for a family with young children in East Contra Costa County. Defendants instructed the victim to obtain her passport and visa fraudulently and claim she was coming to California for three weeks as a tourist to attend the wedding of her son and the defendants’ daughter. Because of her economic circumstances, and fear that the job opportunity would be given to someone else, the victim followed the instructions she was given. She was not aware of her legal rights to minimum wages, breaks, overtime or employment conditions under California law.
When the victim arrived in California in April of 2017, defendants took possession of her passport and visa. From the time she started until October of 2018, the defendants required her to perform work beyond what she was hired to do. She was required to sleep on the floor of the children’s room so she could care for them round the clock, to cook for the entire family and clean their 5-bedroom house for no additional wages. They did not provide the victim with breaks or days off from her work responsibilities as required by California Law. The defendants never paid her overtime for any of the additional hours she worked and continued to employ her with knowledge that her visa expired. This made the victim a particularly vulnerable worker without immigration status who was fearful of deportation.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Chukwunyelu has worked for Contra Costa county for almost 22 years, first as a Senior Information Systems Analyst and then since April 2016, as an Information Systems Manager. According to MyLife.com, Onwuzulike is 56 and formerly lived in Antioch, Martinez and Oakland. Additional information about the couple has been sought from those they claim to be affiliated with discovered through internet searches. Please check back later for updates to this report.
This investigation was a collaborative effort the Brentwood Police Department, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Department of Labor, and the California Department of Industrial Relations/Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the Victim Witness Assistance Program within the DA’s Office. The investigation began when American Medical Response (AMR) personnel recognized a victim in need of assistance and connected her to resources that could help her.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic causes massive job losses and severe economic instability, California workers are more vulnerable than ever to exploitative employment practices. Our collaborative efforts on this investigation led to a successful filing of this case. I am proud to work with our partners at all levels of government to protect workers and seek justice for those harmed by predatory behavior,” stated Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton.
The California Labor Code and a series of 17 Wage Orders maintained by the California Department of Industrial Relations set forth state minimum wage and overtime requirements for nearly all types employees, including live-in domestic workers. The orders can be found here: https://www.dir.ca.gov/iwc/WageOrderIndustries.htm and information about worker rights can be found here: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/dlse.html. These rights apply to California employees without regard to the person’s immigration status. Such illegal practices by employers could carry both civil and criminal liability for the employer even if the worker “agrees” with the employment conditions out of financial desperation, concern for their immigration status, or simply because the employee did not know their rights.
“The experience of this domestic worker represents countless more who are preyed upon because of economic desperation. These criminal acts are not only illegal but immoral,” said California Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower. “Human trafficking is modern day slavery, an we are committed to stopping it by partnering with agencies to eradicate this horrific crime.”
The case is being prosecuted by the DA’s Office, which is a member of the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Taskforce. The Taskforce is comprised of local, state and federal law enforcement and community-based victim service partners. The Task Force works collaboratively to identify and investigate all forms of trafficking in our community while providing victims with culturally competent services and support.
“Our agency remains relentlessly committed to dedicating resources to disrupt and dismantle organized crime associated with human trafficking, and will continue to work collaboratively with our Taskforce partners to make an even greater impact,” said Investigations Lieutenant Walter O’Grodnick with the Brentwood Police Department.
Any person who thinks they may be a victim of labor trafficking in Contra Costa County can make a report to the DA’s Office Human Trafficking Tip Line at 925-957-8658.
“HSI appreciates the opportunity to partner with the various agencies in the Contra Costa County Human Trafficking Task Force in order to provide victims with the resources they need and deserve and to hold the violators to account for actions akin to modern day slavery,” said Tatum King, Special Agent in Charge – HSI San Francisco.
Case information: People v. Nnamdi Onwuzulike and Ijeoma Chukwunyelu, Docket Number 04-199478-9
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreThe Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants who may be interested in serving on its 19-member Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC).
The JJCC is a multi-agency advisory body charged with creating and maintaining the County’s comprehensive Juvenile Probation Consolidated Annual Plan and coordinating county-based juvenile delinquency prevention initiatives. The state-mandated Juvenile Probation Consolidated Annual Plan is designed to improve services for Contra Costa County’s juvenile justice population by assessing existing practices and resources, identifying system needs and gaps, and prioritizing and recommending solutions.
The Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council is composed of the following 19 members:
Nine (9) ex-officio voting members:
1. Chief Probation Officer, as Chair
2. District Attorney’s Office representative
3. Public Defender’s Office representative
4. Sheriff’s Office representative
5. Board of Supervisors’ representative
6. Employment and Human Services Department representative
7. Alcohol and Other Drugs Division representative
8. Behavioral Health Division representative
9. Public Health Division representative
Ten (10) additional voting members selected and appointed by the Board of Supervisors:
10. City Police Department representative
11. County Office of Education representative
12–15. Four (4) At-Large Members, residing or working within Contra Costa County;
16–17. Two (2) Community-Based Organization representatives;
18–19. Two (2) At-Large Youth, age 14 to 21 years old, residing or working in Contra Costa County
The Board is now seeking applications for two (2) of the seats identified above:
–Two (2) Community-Based Organization representatives
The Board is now seeking applications for two (2) of the seats identified above:
–Two (2) Community-Based Organization representatives
This recruitment effort is for mid-term appointments to JJCC seats #16 and #17. The Board of Supervisors is looking to appoint individuals to these seats to complete the remainder of their two-year term that is set to expire on June 30, 2021.
The JJCC is expected to meet on a regular basis, at intervals to be established by the JJCC. Members will serve without compensation, stipends, or reimbursement of expenses. The community-based organization representatives should reflect the geographic, ethnic, and racial diversity of the County and should include those providing restorative justice, faith-based, or mentoring services, to justice-involved, homeless, or foster-care involved youth.
Applicants will be interviewed by the Board of Supervisors’ Public Protection Committee: Supervisors Candace Andersen, District II, and Federal Glover, District V. The nominations for the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council will then be forwarded to the full Board of Supervisors for action.
Below is a timeline of the recruitment process for the two vacancies:
- September 18, 2020: Final Day of the Application Period, due by 5:00 p.m.
- September 28, 2020: Public Protection Committee Meeting Interviews
- October 6, 2020: Board of Supervisors’ Consideration of Nominees
Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 335-1900 or by visiting the County’s webpage at http://www.contracosta.ca.gov/3418/. Completed applications should be emailed to ClerkoftheBoard@cob.cccounty.us. Applications can also be mailed to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Room 106, County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Martinez, CA 94553.
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Will offer music, videos and giveaways
The Census 2020 Caravan will make stops in Pittsburg and Antioch this Sunday to help residents complete the census questionnaire to be counted and will offer music, videos and giveaways.
The decennial census determines how many Members of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives each state is allocated, which will occur during reapportionment next year, and determines the redrawing of all other elected office district lines, as well. In addition, the population figures from the Census determines the allocation of government funds for various programs. All of them are affected for the following 10 years.
If you’re unable to attend one of the events you can complete the survey online at U.S. Census Bureau.
Date: Sunday, August 9th, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Meet at: 11 a.m. at Antioch Water Park, 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch
12 p.m. at Pittsburg Century Plaza Shopping Center, 4405 Somersville Road & Highway 4, Pittsburg
Officials available on site: Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Contra Costa County Supervisors Diane Burgis and Federal D. Glover, Pittsburg Mayor Jelani Killings, Pittsburg City Council Members Holland Barrett White and Shanelle Scales-Preston, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts, Antioch City Council Member Lori Ogorchock, Antioch School Board Trustee Mary Rocha
Activities: Festively decorated cars, driving through hard-to-count communities to promote a complete count. The CA Census 2020 mobile truck will be on hand with music, videos and giveaways.
More information: Matthew Lardner, Matthew.Lardner@cao.cccounty.us Mona Zarrinkelk monaz@kaanunmehr.org, Velma Wilson blessedbydesgn09@gmail.com
Sponsors and partners: Contra Costa County Complete Count Committee, City of Pittsburg, City of Antioch, Kaanur Mehr, EAH Housing
Read MoreSupervisors Gioia, Glover support her efforts
By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Office of the District Attorney, Contra Costa County
On Tuesday, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton issued the following statement regarding the status of Contra Costa County’s Juvenile Hall and the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility.
“These are historic times and we have an opportunity and a responsibility to re-imagine our justice system so that our youth have a greater chance to lead successful and enriching lives.
I am forming a Reimagine Youth Justice Task Force, which will include county departmental and community representatives, that will study and make recommendations on the most effective ways to invest in our justice involved youth through restorative, community-based solutions, with an initial focus on developing an effective process for closing Juvenile Hall.
Youth crime has been on a steady decline over the last twenty years, reinforcing the conclusion that moving away from youth incarceration is in the best interest of rehabilitation, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Research has shown that youth can be better treated and rehabilitated in community contexts where they can retain ties to family, school, and their community. Programming and services which are based in the home or in the community are more successful at holding youth accountable and positively changing behavior than institutional settings.
Despite the steep decline in youth crime and consequent reduction in numbers of incarcerated youth, the money invested into the operation of youth prisons has not been reduced accordingly. Data shows that the average cost per incarcerated child in Contra Costa Juvenile Hall skyrocketing to over $473,000 per year.
The Reimagine Youth Justice Task Force will make explicit recommendations for financial investments in community-based services for youth instead of investing in youth prisons which have proven to result in worse outcomes for our children and families. Such an approach will allow for critical re-investments in basic needs such as housing, mental health services, and workforce development as well as support the creation of alternatives to incarcerating children in locked facilities.
In the meantime, we should pause and not take any actions to close the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility until the Task Force has made its recommendations to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.
This transition is urgent. The Task Force should finish its efforts by the end of this year and make evidence-based recommendations for the process to close Juvenile Hall to the Board of Supervisors in January 2021. The Task Force will present a proposed timeline and transition process for closing Juvenile Hall and will identify alternative investments for our public dollars into community-based services and programming for youth. Implementing these recommendations will create a safer community and help youth get on the right track in their lives.”
“I support District Attorney Becton’s efforts to reimagine youth justice in our County,” said District 1 Supervisor John Gioia. “We need to move away from institutionalization of young people and instead invest in community based restorative justice solutions which make us safer and are more fiscally responsible.”
“I applaud District Attorney Diana Becton’s effort to examine restorative justice alternatives to simply incarcerating our county’s youth,” District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover said. “The factors that lead young people to run afoul of the law are as varied as the youth themselves. In many cases a service-oriented approach will achieve much more in rehabilitating and helping them to become productive members of our community.”
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By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Office of the District Attorney, Contra Costa County
On Wednesday July 29, 2020, Paul Fielder, a 60-year-old resident of Suisun City, California pleaded guilty to charges he sexually abused a minor under the age of 14. As a result of his guilty plea, Fielder was sentenced to 15 years in state prison and lifetime sex offender registration. Fielder was taken into custody on July 11, 2019 and has remained in custody since his arrest. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Bryan Tierney. (See related article)
The charges are a result of an investigation by the Walnut Creek Police Department, in conjunction with the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. On July 11, 2019, Fielder was arrested by Walnut Creek Police Detectives and Federal Agents when he arrived at a location to meet a minor to engage in sex. The investigation revealed Fielder had been sexually abusing a minor for several years. A search warrant was also served at his residence in Suisun City in Solano County.
Investigators learned Fielder had previously coached youth sports in Solano County and worked for at least one high school as a campus supervisor.
The investigation was conducted by a multi-agency Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, San Ramon, Concord and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and inspectors from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force.
Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children, and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org or our website for further information.
Case information: People v. Paul Ruben Fielder, Docket Number 05-192507-2
Read MoreHouse-passed legislation includes McNerney-sponsored provisions
Stockton, CA – Included in the $1.3 trillion spending package recently passed by the House of Representatives are a number of key provisions championed by Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) to tackle the climate crisis in addition to addressing the stability and modernization of America’s energy and water systems.
Among the funding secured by the Congressman are several national projects, including:
- funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) to bolster their work to combat the climate crisis, including through robust investments in grid modernization and security;
- funding for continued cloud aerosol research through the DOE, which will provide useful information for our carbon reduction plans, and for continued research through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study atmospheric climate intervention modeling and technologies;
- and funding to strengthen our water infrastructure and for authorized flood and storm damage reduction, navigation, and environmental restoration projects.
Congressman McNerney also secured increased funding for operation and maintenance of the Port of Stockton to help the port ensure that its shipping channel – which is also the largest flood conveyance channel to the Delta – continues to be operational for navigation purposes.
“Climate change is accelerating and poses a growing threat to our country and the world,” said Congressman McNerney. “That is why I secured funding in this bill to ensure that federal agencies work to prepare for the climate crisis, including through research into carbon reduction and water sustainability, and to address regional issues facing our community such as flooding and annual maintenance dredging at the Port of Stockton.”
Additionally, the legislation includes an amendment from the Congressman which would direct DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) to gather more robust analysis and data collection from EIA’s commercial and residential surveys – specifically with regards to water consumption – and would make water consumption data for commercial buildings publicly available and broken out by principal building activity and region.
Rep. McNerney proudly serves the constituents of California’s 9th Congressional District that includes portions of San Joaquin, Contra Costa, and Sacramento Counties. For more information on Rep. McNerney’s work, follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @RepMcNerney.
Read MoreBy Doreen Moreno
Community leader Fernando Sandoval is honored to announce the endorsement of Dolores Huerta, American labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Cesar Chavez, co-founded the United Farm Workers Union. Dolores Huerta, Founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation for Community Organizing, leads the endorsement list of elected officials, community leaders, small business owners, and college faculty, staff and students in supporting him for Trustee of the Contra Costa Community College District Board for Ward 5.
Huerta is one of the century’s most powerful and respected labor movement leader who has received numerous awards for her trailblazing leadership, including being inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2013 and receiving the country’s highest civilian honor in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2012.
“Fernando Sandoval’s humble beginnings in the migrant camps of Isleton along the Sacramento River to his low-income childhood in East County to his career achievements as a technology and finance advisor to prestigious banking companies worldwide is a perfect example of the perseverance and contributions individuals from labor backgrounds provide our communities and this nation everyday,” said Dolores Huerta.
Huerta adds, “His personal upbringing gives him an understanding of both the barriers and benefits of how a quality education can open doors of opportunity to good paying jobs and the economic contributions to our families and the greater economy. Fernando’s experiences position him to be a bold leader with a vision and a strong voice for all students in the community college system to be prepared as the future workforce for reigniting our post pandemic economy.”
Sandoval added “I am deeply honored to have the endorsement of international labor leader Dolores Huerta who has given tirelessly of herself for over 60 years to advocate for worker’s rights and fair wages, for equality for women and LGBQT rights and for public policies that provide fair employment standards and access to quality health and education for our diverse communities and future leaders.”
In alignment with Huerta’s legacy, Sandoval has been continuously serving East County communities and the students in various roles, such as an advisory member of the Contra Costa Community College District’s committee on diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunities. He also Chaired the Bond Oversight Committee for modernization of schools at Pittsburg Unified School District (PUSD). Fernando has also organized mentoring, tutoring and motivational workshops for students at Los Medanos College and high schools throughout the area. This year he was recognized for his service by receiving the 2020 Cesar Chavez Award for Exemplary Community Service by Los Medanos College.
Fernando Sandoval is a published author of his memoir, “From Tortilla Chips to Computer Chips” that highlights his upbringing in a hard-working immigrant family, his experience in the U.S. Navy and Vietnam War and his career as a finance and technology management strategy advisor to top banking institutions worldwide.
For more information about Fernando Sandoval for Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees, Ward 5, contact fernando4collegetrustee@gmail.com. Sandoval is challenging two-term incumbent Greg Enholm for the second time. He ran in 2016 but lost with 39.75% of the vote to Enholm’s 59.82% . Ward 5 includes the communities or cities of Clyde, Bay Point, Pittsburg, Oakley, Bethel Island, Knightsen, most of Antioch and Discovery Bay, and portions of Brentwood and Concord.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreBy Josh Green, Media Specialist, U.S. Census Bureau
Festively decorated cars and bikes will roll through Concord August 6 to raise awareness about the safety and importance of the 2020 Census in those neighborhoods that still have many households that have not responded. The neighborhoods were selected because they have a high proportion of “hard-to-count” communities, which are populations that are historically undercounted in the census.
During the shelter-in-place months that everyone has endured, the caravans have been a fun, effective and socially distant way to remind people that they can still respond to the Census until September 30 using one of three methods: online at my2020census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020, or using a paper questionnaire received in the mail.
In a week the biggest Census operation – called “Non-response Follow-up” (NRFU) – gets underway August 11. That’s when 500,000 census takers across the country fan out in thousands of neighborhoods to make sure every person gets counted. Households that self-respond do not get a visit from a census taker.
During the weeks leading up to NRFU the Census will focus on getting the self-response rate as high as possible in every part of the Bay Area.
The Census is reminding everyone that:
- It is not too late for families to get counted online, by phone, or by mail. Anyone can go to my2020census.gov to self-respond.
- Every person counts, no matter what their documentation status, nationality or location.
- Participating local city officials and nonprofit partners want to see their cities and counties get a complete and accurate account.
- Everyone should come out on their doorsteps with a mask to wave hello and support the 2020 Census!