Contra Costa Herald

Illegal guns and ammunition seized on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Photo: Pittsburg PD

By Pittsburg Police Department

THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW

Back in May, we investigated two separate shootings in the West 10th Street Corridor and in the El Pueblo Housing Complex. At first, there was little to go on to identify the shooters.

But, over the past few months, our Investigations Division and members of our VICE team developed new leads and took that information to the District Attorney’s Office and obtained an arrest warrant for one of the suspects involved in the shootings.

Early this morning, (Wednesday, July 14, 2021) our officers served a search warrant at a residence in the 300 block of Snowflake Way in the city of Pittsburg. They found 23-year-old Jesus Pina and placed him under arrest.  They found a fully automatic Glock handgun in his home.

Detectives then served a search warrant at a home in the 2300 block of Sycamore Dr. in Antioch.  20-year-old Carlos Elizalde was placed under arrest as numerous firearms were found – including four AK-47 pistol variants and a fully automatic Glock pistol.  Along with the illegal firearms, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, several high-capacity drum-style magazines, and almost two hundred conversation kits capable of making a Glock handgun fully automatic were located.
Both Elizalde and Pina were booked and transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.  Pina is being held on an outstanding warrant.  Elizalde is being charged with possession of an assault weapon, selling/converting a firearm, prohibited person in possession of ammunition, and a convicted person in possession of a firearm.

#ppd #pittsburg #allofthestreets #protectingourcommunity

Will serve one year in county jail

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Joe Canciamilla

Martinez, Calif. – Yesterday, Monday, July 12, 2021, former Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder Joe Canciamilla pled guilty to perjury and grand theft, totaling nine counts, for illegal activity tied to his multiple political campaign bank accounts. The District Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges against Canciamilla last year. Canciamilla resigned in 2019.

Canciamilla will serve 365 days in county jail per his guilty plea. Per the court, the Sheriff’s Office will determine how the custody time will be served. In addition, he was sentenced to two years formal probation by the Honorable Leslie G. Landu.  Due to his felony conviction, Canciamilla will not be able to act as an attorney and he will report his criminal conviction to the California State Bar. Further, he may no longer hold public office or any other elected office.

Canciamilla committed felony perjury for his misstatements on campaign disclosure statements (Form 460s). Canciamilla signed these campaign finance statements under the penalty of perjury. The illegal activity was conducted from 2010 to 2016. The grand theft counts against Canciamilla related to the use of campaign funds for his personal use.

The personal expenditures made by Canciamilla’s campaign committees for his own personal use were:

• Personal vacation to Asia
• Restaurants
• Airfare via Southwest Airlines and American Airlines
• Repayment of a Personal Loan
• Transfers from his Campaign Bank Accounts to his Personal Accounts

In 2019, Canciamilla was fined $150,000 by the California Fair Political Practices Commission in a civil stipulation for his inaccurate campaign finance statements, which concealed the personal use of campaign funds for his own benefit.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Steven Bolen. DDA Bolen is assigned to our Office’s Public Corruption Unit.

Case information: People v. Joseph Canciamilla, Docket Number 01-193934-7.

With reps from Cal Office of Emergency Services and East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, and Federal Communications Commission

Devastating and deadly wildfires have blazed across our state last year. With over 4.2 million acres burned, 2020 was the largest wildfires season recorded in California’s history. With extreme hot and dry weather this year, wildfire activity may be more widespread, potentially putting even more people in danger. Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) will be hosting a virtual town hall on Thursday, July 15th from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM to discuss what you can expect this season and answer questions on how you and our community can prepare and stay safe. He will be joined by representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

What: Rep. Jerry McNerney Hosts Virtual Town Hall on Wildfire Preparedness and Response

            Featuring representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and East Contra Costa Fire Protection District and FCC

Who: Hosted by Congressman Jerry McNerney

Featuring Special Guests:

• Brian Marshall, Fire and Rescue Chief, Cal OES
• Steve Aubert, Fire Marshal, ECCFPD
• Justin Cain, Chief of the Operations and Emergency Management Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, FCC

When: Thursday, July 15th

             6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

To join online:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82594613212?pwd=V1VUblRVekNkczQ2TzF1YldjSDFDdz09

To join by phone:

(669) 900-6833  

Webinar ID: 825 9461 3212

Passcode: 543622 

Participants can join via phone or by using the webinar link above and can submit questions in advance here.

Consumers asked to conserve energy from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

With electric transmission lines from Oregon still unreliable due to the explosive Bootleg Fire and continued high temperatures across the West resulting in increased demand for electricity, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) issued a statewide Flex Alert for Monday, July 12 to help stabilize the state’s electric grid and deal with uncertainty created by the extraordinary conditions.

Consumers are strongly encouraged to continue to conserve as much electricity as possible between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday. Conservation is key to reducing stress on the grid during these peak hours.

In addition, the ISO issued a Restricted Maintenance Operations (RMO) for Monday that requires generators to postpone any planned outages for routine equipment maintenance, ensuring that all available resources can be dispatched to the grid.

The fast-moving Bootleg Fire tripped off transmission lines on Friday and again Saturday, limiting electricity flow from the Pacific Northwest to California and other states. Power supplies to the California ISO service territory, which covers about 80 percent of the state, have been reduced by as much as 3,500 megawatts because of the fire.

Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to quickly secure additional power that has helped maintain grid stability through the weekend. The executive order remains in place.

When a Flex Alert is in effect, consumers are strongly encouraged to take these specific actions from 4-9 pm:

• Set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if your health permits
• Avoid using major appliances, like dish washers and clothes washers and dryers
• Turn off all unnecessary lights

Earlier in the day, before the Flex Alert takes effect and when solar energy is abundant, consumers are encouraged to take these steps to be comfortable and help grid operators balance electricity supply and demand:

• Pre-cool your home by lowering the thermostat
• If you need to use your major appliances, do it before the Flex Alert is in effect, when solar energy is plentiful
• Close window coverings to keep your home or apartment cool
• Charge electronic devices and electric vehicles so there’s no need to do it later, when solar generation is down

If demand still outstrip supply after a Flex Alert is in effect, the ISO could take the infrequent step of ordering California utilities to spread power outages of relatively short duration to effectively extend available electricity as much as possible.

As California’s ability to store solar and wind energy with batteries or other technology continues to improve, those crucial evening hours will be less of a challenge and similar emergencies rarer. But for now, collective action to conserve is our most effective way to keep the grid stable.

For information on Flex Alerts, and to get more electricity conservation tips, visit the ISO’s Flex Alert website.

Flex Alerts

A Flex Alert is issued by the ISO when the electricity grid is under stress because of generation or transmission outages, or from persistent hot temperatures. Glossary of terms and acronyms

Click here to learn more about System Alerts, Warnings and Emergencies. Follow grid conditions in real time at ISO’s Today’s Outlook, or download the free ISO Today mobile app.

The Los Medanos Community Healthcare District building, formerly Los Medanos Hospital. Photo from the LMCHD Facebook page.

Senator Durazo raised concerns regarding the bill pitting the legislature against Pittsburg/Bay Point community; District continues fighting legal battle against County; saves Antioch mayor’s executive director job, for now

Pittsburg, Calif., (July 8, 2021) – Today, the California State Senate Governance and Finance Committee voted against further passage of AB 903. In doing so, the bill failed.

Introduced by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley), AB 903 would have circumvented the already established electoral process that would allow the residents living within the boundary of the Los Medanos Community Healthcare District to vote on the future of the healthcare district.

“On behalf of our constituents, I would like to thank the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance for recognizing that this bill was not a good government bill, but rather an attempt to disenfranchise our community of our right to vote,” said Thorpe, Executive Director, Los Medanos Community Health Care District. “I am proud of the work we do on a daily basis to ensure that communities often neglected by Contra Costa County are able to receive critical healthcare services because we have always been their safety-net.”

Strongly opposed by the NAACP, AB 903 was considered by many a road map to circumvent the electoral process. During today’s hearing, Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) raised concerns about the bill as it pitted the Legislature against the residents residing within the Los Medanos Community Health Care District boundaries. Additionally, she further raised concerns regarding the community’s access to the vital services provided by the Los Medanos Community Health Care District.

With AB 903 now dead, the Los Medanos Community Health Care District will continue in the litigation process initiated by Contra Costa County. Having failed on three previous attempts, Contra Costa County filed an appeal to those lost cases. It is anticipated that the legal decision will be made in 2022.

About the Los Medanos Community Healthcare District:  Each of California’s Healthcare Districts is governed by a locally elected Board of Trustees who are directly accountable to the communities they serve.

LMCHD has been serving the local community with healthcare needs since 1946. We are located at 2311 Loveridge Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565. For more information visit www.lmchd.org.

Los Vaqueros Reservoir currently is about 77% of capacity.

Concord –The Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) Board of Directors endorsed a Stage 1 water shortage level at its July 7, 2021 meeting and is now asking customers to voluntarily reduce water use by up to 10%. Water stored in Los Vaqueros Reservoir will also help meet customer demands this year. 

CCWD has a contract with the federal government to receive water through the Central Valley Project (CVP). Initial allocations provided in April 2021 indicated that CCWD would have adequate water to meet all customer needs, which are about 10-15% below demands seen prior to the 2014-15 drought.

Since April, contractors like CCWD learned that much of the anticipated inflow to rivers from snowmelt was instead absorbed by the dry ground. In May, CCWD was informed that its water allocation was reduced and would only receive enough supply to meet public health and safety needs.

Due to the reduced allocation and to preserve available water supplies, CCWD plans to use water stored in its Los Vaqueros Reservoir in addition to voluntary conservation to meet customer needs. Los Vaqueros currently is about 77% of capacity.

“Our customers are efficient water users and wise investors in water storage,” said Lisa M. Borba, CCWD Board President. “Asking customers to voluntarily conserve about 10% is appropriate in a year this dry. Without the water stored in Los Vaqueros for drought supply, we would be having a different conversation.”

In a unanimous vote on July 7, the Board approved moving CCWD into the first level of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan which includes the call for up to 10% voluntary conservation. The Board also noted the water waste provisions adopted during the last drought remain in place and will be enforced to prevent any wasteful use of a precious resource.

CCWD has resources and rebates available for customers to reduce their water use – all available at ccwater.com/drought.    

You are cordially invited by the officers and members of the Liberian Initiative for Transformation and Enlightenment (LITE) to attend its fundraiser and Liberia’s Independence Day Celebration, which will be held on Saturday, July 17, 2021 at Ambrose Community Center, 3105 Willow Pass Road, Bay Point, CA 94565, 6pm to 12am.

Liberia is a West African nation established by formerly enslaved African Americans.  The country declared its independence on July 26, 1847. We will be commemorating Liberia’s 174th Independence’s Day. This year’s Theme is: “Restoring HOPE for the less privileged”.

LITE is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in California. LITE has been in existence since 2017, and during this period, LITE has provided services to members of the local communities and humanitarian projects in Liberia. Throughout the years, LITE continues to strive in expanding its program in meeting the basic needs of the people and communities it serves, especially in Liberia. We hope you will be able to attend the occasion and partake in this exciting event and to experience firsthand the pride we take in providing these services to the people we serve and to improve their lives. More importantly, to meet our program goals and objectives, we rely on the generosity of organizations and individuals like you.

Workers, elected leaders to highlight understaffing, long patient wait times, worker safety issues

OAKLAND, Calif., July 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — During the month of July, Sutter Health caregivers and allies will be protesting at facilities across northern California to expose the threat to workers and patients caused by understaffing, long patient wait times and worker safety issues at Sutter facilities.

“While Sutter has been driving up costs, they’ve been driving down the quality of care, staffing and safety at our hospitals. Just about every department is understaffed. Workers are getting run ragged with no time for breaks, and patients are suffering with long wait times for the care they need,” said Stefanye Sartain, Respiratory Therapist, Sutter Delta Medical Center. “It’s time for Sutter Health management to put patient and caregiver safety first. Listen to caregivers. Stop short-staffing and lowering the quality of patient care.”

Despite making $189 million in profits in 2021, receiving $843 million in taxpayer money during the COVID-19 pandemic, and paying out millions of dollars in executive salaries and bonuses, Sutter Health has announced layoffs of workers and continues to short-staff their hospitals.

SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is a healthcare justice union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients, and healthcare activists united to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality care for all Californians, provided by valued and respected healthcare workers. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.

Jumps fence, enters home of sister of former Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission Chairman during family July 4th celebration; loses freedom on Independence Day

By Sergeant Rick Martin #3343, Antioch Police Field Services Division

The fence the suspect jumped and APD Officers broke down in pursuit of him at the south Antioch home where he fled Sunday, July 4, 2021. Photo by Sandra White.

On July 4, 2021, at approximately 3:15 P.M an Antioch Police Officer located a vehicle driving on Hillcrest Avenue near Highway 4 that was wanted by San Jose Police Department for multiple armed robberies in the City of San Jose. The driver of the vehicle (Cameron Conley) entered Highway 4 in the westbound direction. As additional officers arrived in the area, Conley fled and led officers on a pursuit. The pursuit continued westbound Highway 4 at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Conley exited Bailey Road and then turned back onto eastbound Highway 4 towards Antioch at speeds in excess of 100 mph.

Conley exited Hillcrest Avenue, continued south, and turned into the Hidden Glenn neighborhood. Officers followed Conley as he drove into a court. Conley then rammed three patrol cars, to include a K-9 car, in an attempt to escape. Conley’s vehicle became disabled, and he fled on foot into the neighborhood.

UPDATE: According to former Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission Chairman, and 2020 council candidate, Sandra White who posted on her Facebook page – “I want to thank APD for doing a fantastic job apprehending the thug that crashed my family’s July 4th celebration. My family and I were enjoying the day when the suspect scaled the fence and ran into the home and barricaded himself in a bathroom my cousin and her four-year-old daughter were occupying.”

It happened at the home of White’s sister.

“The police ended up knocking down the fence while pursuing the suspect. He had a hoody on and was covered up. He was basically trying to hide himself. He said to my cousin, ‘help me, the cops are after me,’” White shared with the Herald. “He went into the linen closet to hide under the comforters. I think he got bit by the K9 because there was blood on the wall.”

“The Gang Unit, SWAT, and K9 searched the house until they located the suspect and arrested him without significant incident,” White added on her Facebook page post. “APD was professional during the entire incident, and they went out of their way to make sure my family and I were okay. Thank you APD for all you do, and be safe!”

Officers and the K-9 apprehended Conley after a brief struggle. Conley was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, and later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

No further information will be released at this time. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non- emergency line at (925) 778-2441. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Undercover investigators seize hundreds of pounds of dangerous fireworks in sales busts

By Steve Hill, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

CONCORD, CALIF., July 4, 2021 – Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) today announced its fire investigators, working undercover, have made multiple fireworks-related arrests in the days leading up to the Independence Day holiday. The law enforcement actions resulted in hundreds of pounds of dangerous fireworks being removed from community streets.

In their continued efforts to take dangerous fireworks off our streets, Con Fire investigators have conducted the following fireworks enforcement actions in recent days:

Hercules fireworks bust on Friday, July 2, 2021. Photos: Con Fire

July 2, 2021 – Hercules Ave. at San Pablo Blvd., Hercules

Con Fire investigators researched and located a social media post advertising illegal fireworks for sale in Contra Costa County. Working undercover, they made contact with the seller and arranged a purchase in the City of Hercules. Surveillance was established at the seller’s residence during which the seller was seen transferring substantial amounts of fireworks from his garage to his vehicle.

En route to the intended meet, investigators initiated a stop, and identified the seller as a Hercules resident who led investigators to fireworks caches at his residence and the residence of another suspect also in possession of a significant amount of illegal fireworks.

In total, 157 pounds of fireworks were confiscated from the two locations

Both individuals were cited on scene. The names of the involved individuals are not being released at this time due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Brentwood Blvd. fireworks bust on Saturday, July 3, 2021. Photo: Con Fire

July 3, 2021 – 8000 block of Brentwood Boulevard, Brentwood

Con Fire investigators researched and located a social media post advertising illegal fireworks for sale in Contra Costa County. Working undercover, investigators contacted the seller who was identified to be in the City of Brentwood.

After coordination with East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, a purchase was arranged. Investigators established surveillance at the location arranged. Meeting with the seller, investigators confirmed illegal fireworks were being sold and detained the seller. The illegal fireworks were confiscated, and the seller was issued a citation on scene.

Century Oaks, Brentwood fireworks bust on Saturday, July 3, 2021. Photos: Con Fire

July 3, 2021 – 1600 block Century Oaks, Brentwood

Following an investigative lead, working in cooperation with Brentwood Police, undercover Con Fire investigators made contact with a resident of Antioch. This individual confirmed the tip Con Fire had obtained, offering illegal fireworks for sale. The seller insisted on meeting at a location within the City of Brentwood, where investigators established surveillance ahead of the meet. Meeting with the seller, investigators confirmed illegal fireworks were being sold and detained the seller.

During the investigation, it was learned additional fireworks were stored at the suspect’s home in Antioch. A search of that home recovered additional fireworks. In total, 101 pounds of illegal fireworks were confiscated and the seller was issued a citation.

Arrested for fireworks sales was Gabriel Ramirez, 25, a resident of Antioch.

Con Fire investigators continue to work to remove dangerous fireworks from our communities’ streets, along with putting those who traffic them, out of business. Residents can help them in this important public safety mission by reporting illegal fireworks sales to the Arson Tip Line at 1-866-50-ARSON.

Use of fireworks of any type is illegal in Contra Costa County and exceedingly dangerous during these drought conditions. Con Fire urges anyone observing fireworks being used to report this to their local law enforcement at 1-833-885-2021 and to report all fires immediately to 911.

Con Fire’s Fire Investigation Unit asks residents to help them fight fireworks crime across the county by reporting all fireworks sales to the Arson Tip Line at 1-866-50-ARSON. They caution residents not to hesitate on information that seems too little or unimportant to matter, adding some of the most valuable tips come from residents who were not aware what they saw was very important to the investigation of an incident.

At 1-866-50-ARSON, residents can leave a recorded message about fire-related criminal activity in English or Spanish. Tips can be anonymous, but all tips are treated confidentially. Fire investigators sometimes need additional information, so inclusion of name and phone number is encouraged.