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Gina Capelli, Liberty Union High School District; Shay Kornfeld, Mt. Diablo Unified School District; DarVisa R. Marshall, Antioch Unified School District; and Maureen Mattson, Pittsburg Unified School District. Photos courtesy of CCCOE.
The following four teachers have been named as the 2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year (TOY) Finalists: Gina Capelli, Liberty Union High School District; Shay Kornfeld, Mt. Diablo Unified School District; DarVisa R. Marshall, Antioch Unified School District; and Maureen Mattson, Pittsburg Unified School District. Two of these four finalists will be chosen in late September, and will represent Contra Costa County in the California State TOY Program. See below for the entire listing of the 22 Contra Costa County TOYs, class of 2019-2020.
With 27 years of education experience, Gina Capelli has been teaching at Liberty High School, in Brentwood, since 2002. Capelli’s courses include psychology, government, ethnic studies, and social studies. Capelli joined Liberty High School with an impressive resume of teaching experience with school districts in San Jose, Livermore, and Brentwood. “My most important contribution to my students is to model selflessness and the importance of school and community involvement,” says Capelli. “Living in a small, tight-knit community has helped me to participate in many community activities alongside my students.”
Science instructor and robotics club advisor, Shay Kornfield, has been teaching at Diablo View Middle School, in Clayton, for the past three years. Five years prior, Kornfield taught grades 4 and 5 at Fair Oaks Elementary School, in Pleasant Hill. Kornfield says that he was lucky enough to grow up in a loving household with educated parents and grandparents that fostered his sense of curiosity and adventure. “Then, I had a teacher, Glen Barker [2018 CCCOE Teacher of the Year], who made school feel like summer camp for the first time in my life,” remembers Kornfield. “Without these amazing people, perhaps I would not have chosen the career path I have – but choose it I did, and what an amazing ride thus far!”
Like so many teachers, DarVisa Marshall was influenced by a special teacher in her life. For Marshall, it was in the 11th grade, back in Cincinnati, Ohio. “No matter the circumstances, Mrs. Bryant never gave up on me,” remembers Marshall. “She saw potential that I never saw and my parents didn’t understand. Because of her, I became a teacher.” For the past five years, Marshall has been teaching English language arts (ELA) and history to grade six, at Antioch Middle School, in Antioch. Her 21 years of experience also includes teaching ELA and history in middle and elementary schools in Oakland and Cincinnati.
Maureen Mattson has been a positive fixture for the past 33 years at Pittsburg High School. The honored teacher has been teaching physical education during her entire career at the school. Along with teaching physical education, she has served many other rolls, including the school’s women’s basketball coach, assistant principal, and assistant athletic director. “My biggest influence in becoming a teacher was my father, Bob Matson,” reflects Mattson. “He was a physical education teacher, department chair, athletic director, and coach of multiple sports at Hollister High School for 38 years.”
The county’s TOY program is directed by the CCCOE, and with such a high caliber of teaching professionals to draw from (18 teachers eligible this year), the CCCOE’s TOY program uses a three-stage selection process, with a point and percentage system to determine the final candidates as follows:
I Application Screening:
On April 12, a committee of 13 judges, representing the county’s education, business, and public-sector partners carefully reviewed the TOY representative applications submitted by the school districts. This committee independently read and rated each application. After the application screening and scoring are completed, four teachers (see above) will be selected to advance to the next two phases as finalists.
II Classroom Observation and Interview:
April 22-May 17, a small committee of education specialists and business partners will observe the four finalists interacting with their students. Immediately following, the committee will interview the candidates, discussing topics such as their teaching philosophy and techniques.
III Speech Presentation:
On July 24, the four TOY finalists will each give a three- to five-minute speech to another panel of a dozen educators, business, and public-sector representatives who will judge the finalists on their speech and presentation skills.
On the evening of September 26, 2019, all 22 TOYs, accompanied by their families, friends, and co-workers (an audience of close to 500) will be honored at the annual Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Dinner Celebration, held at the Hilton Concord. Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey, who serves as the evening’s master of ceremonies, will introduce all 22 TOYs to the attendees. This will be followed by the four finalists giving their three- to five-minute speeches (same speeches given in July) to the filled banquet room. Finally, the night will come to a dramatic conclusion with the announcement of the two 2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year.
2019-2020 Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year Representatives:
- Paul Verbanszky, Acalanes Union High School District, Campolindo High School
- DarVisa R. Marshall, Antioch Unified School District, Antioch Middle School
- Ezra Smith, Brentwood Union School District, Pioneer Elem/Loma Vista Elem
- Alicia Woodson, Byron Union School District, Discovery Bay Elementary
- Cheri Etheredge, Contra Costa Community College District, Contra Costa Community College
- Kevin McKibben, Contra Costa County Office of Education, Mt. McKinley School
- Nagia “GG” Abdu, John Swett Unified School District, John Swett High School
- Katy Bracelin, Knightsen Elementary School District, Knightsen Elementary School
- Cindy Fisher, Lafayette School District, Happy Valley Elementary School
- Gina Capelli, Liberty Union High School District, Liberty High School
- Pamuela Galletti, Martinez Unified School District, John Muir Elementary School
- Jennifer Strohmeyer, Moraga School District, Donald L. Rheem Elementary School
- Emily Andrews, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Bancroft Elementary School
- Shay Kornfeld, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Diablo View Middle School
- Maria Fernandez, Oakley Union Elementary School District, Oakley Elementary School
- Jennifer Dodd, Orinda Union School District, Del Rey Elementary School
- Maureen Mattson, Pittsburg Unified School District, Pittsburg High School
- Athena Agustin, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Dougherty Valley High School
- Nusheen Saadat, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Quail Run Elementary School
- Jana Palmquist, Walnut Creek School District, Walnut Creek Intermediate School
- Daniel O’Shea, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Pinole Valley High School
- Doug Silva, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Helms Middle School
Note regarding eligible participants:
Seventeen of the eighteen Contra Costa County school districts represented, and the CCCOE are participating in this year’s TOY program.
Each year, one instructor from Contra Costa Community College District is submitted to the TOY program for his/her outstanding body of work with their designated college. The colleges rotate each year between Diablo Valley, Los Medanos, and Contra Costa. (These instructors do not compete in the State Teacher of the Year competition.) This year is Contra Costa College’s turn.
Due to the larger number of students and teachers in their districts, West Contra Costa USD, Mt. Diablo USD, and San Ramon Valley USD are allowed to submit two TOY candidates.
Follow Contra Costa County’s Teacher of the Year program on Twitter and Instagram at: #cocotoy
Read MoreFor details and schedule visit www.ContraCostaFair.com or download the following:
2019 CCCFair Schedule p1, 2019 CCCFair Sched p2 & Map, 2019 CCCFair Details
Read MoreContra Costa County Public Works Department will perform roadwork on Vasco Road from Camino Diablo Road to the Alameda County line. The roadwork will occur from Tuesday through Thursday, May 28-30 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
The roadwork will consist of replacing the delineators, debris removal and street sweeping. The purpose of the delineators is to increase driver awareness and safety when travelling through this commute corridor. The work may be rescheduled based on weather conditions. Electronic message boards will alert drivers of the scheduled work. There will be traffic control through the work area and drivers can expect delays.
Read MoreContra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton issued a new policy for the DA’s Office focused on immigration. In order to comply with state and federal laws, the office has updated its immigration policy.
“It is important to have a standardized process in place to ensure we meet our obligations under the law. I am confident that with this new policy we can fairly review all options for a disposition while at the same time ensuring we meet the demands to protect the public and victims,” said DA Becton. “Moving forward, cases will be evaluated by our state legislative mandate to ‘consider the avoidance of adverse immigration consequences in the plea negotiation process as one factor in an effort to reach a just resolution.’”
Last July, for the first time ever, the entire DA’s office staff received an in-depth immigration training which focused on the role of prosecutors in considering adverse immigration consequences, i.e. deportation.
The law was changed in California in 2016 and now Penal Code Section 1016.3(b) mandates, “the prosecution … consider the avoidance of adverse immigration consequences in the plea negotiation process as one factor in an effort to reach a just resolution.”
The legislature enacted the law after finding “the immigration consequences of criminal convictions have a particularly strong impact in California. One out of every four persons living in the state is foreign-born. One out of every two children lives in a household headed by at least one foreign-born person. The majority of these children are United States citizens. It is estimated that 50,000 parents of California United States citizen children were deported in a little over two years. Once a person is deported, especially after a criminal conviction, it is extremely unlikely that he or she ever is permitted to return.” (Cal. Penal Code Section 1016.2(g)).
Following are aspects of Becton’s updated policy, under governing law, “consideration of immigration consequences during the plea negotiation process is mandatory” and “victim’s rights must also be included and considered in the plea negotiation process.”
The policy notes that “These internal guidelines are not intended to create any new procedural rights in favor of criminal defendants or to be enforceable in a court of law. Nor shall these guidelines be construed to create any presumptions that a previously sentenced defendant would have received any offer other than that which has already been extended and accepted.
The policy further states, “Prosecutors do not have an obligation to independently research or investigate the adverse immigration consequences that may result from a plea or criminal conviction.” But, they “shall consider adverse immigration consequences presented by the defense.”
In addition, the new policy requires that “the supervising prosecutor…determine based upon the totality of the circumstances if an appropriate disposition can be reached that neither jeopardizes public safety nor leads to disproportionate immigration consequences based on the information provided by the defense.”
According to the new policy, alternative considerations include, “Devising an alternative plea agreement that is factually honest and of a similar nature and consequence to the originally charged offense, but minimizes the defendant’s exposure to adverse immigration consequences;” and “Allowing language to be stricken from a charging document or plea colloquy while maintaining the truthfulness of the remaining charging language.”
Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Office of the Contra Costa County District Attorney contributed to this report.
Read MoreMay is Foster Parent Recognition Month
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The Contra Cost Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 14 recognized May as Foster Parent Recognition Month. Supervisors’ resolution noted there are approximately 1,100 children and youngsters in foster care in the county. At the ceremony, supervisors presented the resolution to first time foster parents Patricia and Ryan Streeter of Antioch, who became the foster parents of two-month-old Samuel. The couple are the parents of their eight-year-old biological son Josiah. The supervisors’ resolution noted the importance of Foster Parent Recognition Month in Contra Costa County for “being provided with a safe, secure and stable home environment, along with the compassion and nurturing of foster relative and non-relative families….” Photo by D. Borsuk
By Daniel Borsuk
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors approved on a 4-0 vote Tuesday a $13 million multi-faceted plan that aims to detour people with mental illness who are in county jail and to relocate them in appropriate mental health facilities. Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg was absent.
Chief Assistant County Administrator Timothy Ewell told supervisors the county has grant applications pending totaling about $13 million that will help the fund the recommendations from Policy Research Associates.
Supervisors accepted 13 recommendations drafted by Policy Research Associates, a Delmar, NY-based firm that conducted a conference last January with Contra Costa mental health, medical, law, political officials and other community stakeholders in attendance.
Policy Research Associates researchers Brian Case and Regina Hueter co-authored the study “Sequential Intercept Model Mapping Report for Contra Costa County.”
Supervisors quickly approved the Policy Research Associates report. There were no comments from the public.
Since 2015, Contra Costa County has been involved in the nationwide Stepping Up movement designed to reduce the number of persons with mental illness in county jails. The county’s inmate population’s daily mental illness rate hovers around 15 percent. That is comparable with a national average of 17 percent.
“We have more critically mentally unhealthy people in our jails than in our hospitals. The question is how do we intercept these people?” asked Board Vice Chair Candace Andersen of Danville, who attended the Policy Research Associates conference in January.
The 13 recommendations the supervisors adopted in the “Sequential Intercept Model Mapping Report for Contra Costa County,” include:
- “Establish an Uber committee and process that allows for shared leadership, responsibility, coordination, and oversight of justice system and behavioral health innovation and reform.”
- “Establish standardized metrics and data-sharing across county agencies to improve data-informed decision-making.”
- “Increase county-wide deflection and diversion strategies. Explore the need for a 24-hour crisis stabilization and triage center and a mental health first responder co-responder strategy.”
- “Further incorporate the use of peers and peer support and recovery across intercepts.”
- “Identify ‘familiar face’ high utilizer populations to help manage costs, reduce unnecessary utilization of services while increasing individual stabilization. Develop ‘higher utilizer’ strategies.”
- “Implement a comprehensive substance use disorder strategy: Population identification & treatment resources in the jail & community.”
- “Examine the need for pre-trial interventions to reduce failure to appear of individuals who are booked and released.”
- “Improve and pre-and-post-arrest diversion opportunities for the incompetent to stand trial populations.”
- “Review and address problems solving court criteria to align with national best practice
- “Increase equity and access to services regardless of AB 109 funding.”
- “Improve jail-based services and transition planning to reduce recidivism and improve health and other outcomes for detained or jailed individuals.”
- “Continue to build probation Best Practices, training, and coordination to reduce technical violations and probation revocations.”
- “Work with Center for Medicare and Medicaid services and the state of California to establish an agreement that allows parolees to access Medi-Cal and receive county services.”
Supervisors also approved the following consent calendar items:
Danville Blvd.-Orchard Court Roadway Project
Supervisors approved a $375,000 Public Works contract with Quincy Engineering Inc. for civil engineering services for the Danville Boulevard-Orchard Court Complete Streets Improvement Project to be completed by March 31, 2021. The road project includes the construction of a roundabout at Danville Boulevard and Orchard Court to reduce speeds and improve pedestrian crossing. The project also includes the restriping of the roadway and lane reconfiguration and storm drain modifications, landscaping, storm water treatment, signage, utility adjustments and changes to existing roadside features.
Emergency Driving Program
Gave the green light for the Sheriff-Coroner to sign a $165,000 contract with the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to provide an emergency vehicle operations course instruction for the period July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. The course will serve 110 students at an initial cost of $1,500 per student.
Redesiginating the John Muir Medical Center as Official Trauma Center
Supervisors redesignated John Muir Medical Center as the county’s official trauma center through May 21, 2031. In approving the consent item, supervisors agreed John Muir Medical Center’s trauma center has seen its patient rate grow by 53 percent since 2011, but its trauma inpatient volume has remained relatively steady with an average of about 1,200 inpatients per year. With the supervisors’ consent action, the county will receive $350,000 a year during the duration of the agreement from John Muir Medical Center for the county to fund programs to decrease violence or prevent injuries throughout the county.
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The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors presented resolutions of recognition to Scott Walchek, founder NS president of Trov, a Danville-based on-demand insurance company, and to Sylvia Lewis vice president of Sigray Inc., a Pacheco-based X-ray technology company, for both companies being 2019 Innovation Award finalists and winners. Photo by Daniel Borsuk.
By Daniel Borsuk
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a status-quo $3.69 billion budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year at Tuesday’s meeting, but supervisors made more noise about the possibility they could be pushed to propose a countywide sales tax measure to cover rising labor and health care costs averaging about 3 percent for 2019-2020.
“We need some type of local tax revenue, but there is nothing under consideration right now,” Board Chair John Gioia of Richmond told the Contra Costa Herald after supervisors approved next fiscal year’s spending plan that attracted several critics of Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston’s $10 million budget increase request over recent charges one deputy had sexually and physically abused female inmates at the West County Detention Facility. That deputy has been dismissed by the sheriff.
When County Administrator David Twa initially presented the 2019-2020 tentative budget at an April 23 meeting, supervisors had sparingly talked around the tax issue idea, but at the May 7 meeting all five supervisors were more outspoken about the potential tax idea.
Citing how Alameda County produces $150 million in annual revenue from its sales tax, Gioia said, “We struggle with less.” In addition to Alameda County, San Mateo and San Francisco counties financially benefit from revenue coming from a sales tax.
“John is absolutely right, “said District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover. “We need another revenue source. We need to continue to grow our resources.”
District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis hinted she could possibly support a sales tax measure given the current state of the county’s inability to deliver public services while adequately fulfilling the financial and health benefit needs of employees. “We are leveraging our dollars and our employees. We can do better,” Burgis said.
Vice Chair Candace Andersen doubted a countywide sales tax measure would win voter support. “I don’t know how a sales tax measure would get passed by the voters,” the supervisor from Danville said.
Supervisors OK DA Investigators Association Labor Pact
Supervisors unanimously approved a new four-year labor contract with the District Attorney Investigators’ Association. Investigators will earn from $8,293.27 per month to $11,480.60 per month based on seniority. The contract runs from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2023.
8-Unit Pacheco Townhouse Approved
Without opposition from the public, supervisors unanimously approved developer Andy Akay’s plans to construct an eight-unit townhouse subdivision development at 214 Center Ave. in Pacheco. The three-story development will be constructed on a vacant .49-acre parcel of property. Each unit will have a two-car garage. The two bedroom and three-bedroom units will have living areas of 2,199 square feet to 2,203 square feet each.
Chaplaincy Services Contract Approved
Supervisors also approved as a consent item a Sheriff-Coroner contract with the Bay Area Chaplains, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $162,000. The Bay Area Chaplains will provide chaplaincy services in adult detention facilities from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. Services will include providing materials, counseling, bible studies, worship services and responding to crisis and emergencies involving inmates or staff.
Read MoreCDFA and DPR will convene a new working group to identify, evaluate and recommend alternative pest management solutions. Environmental Working Group praises action.
SACRAMENTO – In a move to protect workers, public health and the environment, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) announced on Wednesday that the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is acting to ban the use of the pesticide and toxic air contaminant chlorpyrifos in California by initiating cancellation of the pesticide.
CalEPA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) also announced that the Governor will propose $5.7 million in new funding in the May Revision budget proposal to support the transition to safer, more sustainable alternatives, and plans to convene a working group to identify, evaluate and recommend alternative pest management solutions.
“California’s action to cancel the registration of chlorpyrifos is needed to prevent the significant harm this pesticide causes children, farm workers and vulnerable communities,” said CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld. “This action also represents a historic opportunity for California to develop a new framework for alternative pest management practices.”
The decision to ban chlorpyrifos follows mounting evidence, including recent findings by the state’s independent Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants, that the pesticide causes serious health effects in children and other sensitive populations at lower levels of exposure than previously understood. These effects include impaired brain and neurological development.
In April, chlorpyrifos was formally listed as a “toxic air contaminant”, which California law defines as “an air pollutant which may cause or contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious illness, or which may pose a present or potential hazard to human health.” The listing requires DPR to develop control measures to protect the health of farm workers and others living and working near where the pesticide is used.
DPR has determined, in consultation with CDFA, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), that sufficient additional control measures are not feasible.
As a result, DPR intends to move forward in a responsible manner by beginning the process of canceling the registrations for products containing chlorpyrifos, and at the same time, convening a cross-sector working group to identify safer alternatives to avoid replacing chlorpyrifos with an equally harmful pesticide.
DPR also will consult with county agricultural commissioners and local air pollution control districts before filing for cancellation. The cancellation process could take up to two years.
During the cancellation process, DPR’s recommendations to county agricultural commissioners for tighter permit restrictions on the use of chlorpyrifos will remain in place. These include a ban on aerial spraying, quarter-mile buffer zones and limiting use to crop-pest combinations that lack alternatives. DPR will support aggressive enforcement of these restrictions.
DPR and CDFA will convene a cross-sector working group to identify and develop safer and more practical and sustainable alternatives to chlorpyrifos, including the use of biological controls and other integrated pest management practices. They will also partner with growers as they transition from using chlorpyrifos to implement safer alternatives.
In addition, the Governor’s May Revision budget proposal includes $5.7 million in funding for additional research and technical assistance to support this effort. In combination, the working group and funding for alternatives will produce short-term solutions and prioritize the development of long-term solutions to support healthy communities and a thriving agricultural sector.
“We look forward to working with the Legislature through the budget process on the Governor’s proposal to support growers in the transition to alternative pest management,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.
In 2015, DPR designated chlorpyrifos as a “restricted material” that requires a permit from the county agricultural commissioner for its application. In addition, application of chlorpyrifos must be recommended by a licensed pest control advisor and supervised by a licensed certified applicator.
The proposed cancellation would apply to dozens of agricultural products containing the pesticide. The pesticide has been prohibited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for residential uses since 2001.
Chlorpyrifos is used to control pests on a variety of crops, including alfalfa, almonds, citrus, cotton, grapes and walnuts. It has declined in use over the past decade as California growers have shifted to safer alternatives. Use of the pesticide dropped more than 50 percent from two million pounds in 2005 to just over 900,000 pounds in 2016.
Environmental Working Group praises action
In response, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) issued the following in a press release on Wednesday:
In contrast to the decision by President Trump and his administration, Newsom’s decision to prohibit the use of chlorpyrifos by agriculture operations in the state demonstrates the kind of leadership where public health takes priority over the narrow interests of chemical agriculture, said EWG President Ken Cook.
“Gov. Newsom has done what the Trump administration has refused to do: protect children, farm workers and millions of others from being exposed to this neurotoxic pesticide,” said Cook. “Just because chemical agriculture wants to use a pesticide on our food that can harm kids’ brains doesn’t mean they should. With the governor’s action, California is once again showing leadership in protecting public health.”
Two years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under former Administrator Scott Pruitt, sided with the pesticide lobby over the agency’s scientists in an 11th-hour decision to abort a proposal to ban chlorpyrifos from use on food crops.
In August the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Pruitt’s decision violated federal law and ordered the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos within 60 days. But new EPA chief Andrew Wheeler refused to obey the court’s order. In September, the Trump Justice Department filed a petition on behalf of the agency, calling on the court to overturn its earlier ruling and leave chlorpyrifos legal. An order last month by the Ninth Circuit gives Wheeler and the Trump administration until mid-July to make its decision.
Earlier this year, State Sen. Maria Durazo (D-Los Angeles) introduced legislation to ban chlorpyrifos. The bill is currently moving through the legislature.
“EWG applauds Gov. Newsom and Sen. Durazo for advancing policies that take a stand on behalf of the health and well-being of California’s children,” said Bill Allayaud, EWG’s director of government affairs for California. “The health and safety of the people of this state should always come before the demands of the pesticide and chemical industries, and today they did.”
Read MoreContra Costa County Public Works will begin construction on the Kirker Pass Road Northbound Truck Climbing Lane Project. The project will improve safety and reduce congestion along Kirker Pass Road from the Concord Pavilion to the northern Hess Road intersection by constructing a truck climbing lane in the northbound direction. Pavement widening will occur on the east side of the roadway to provide a 12-foot truck lane and eight-foot paved shoulder. Widening will require construction of six retaining walls adjacent to the roadway. The project also includes paving both the north and southbound lanes between the City of Concord/County limits to approximately 4,200 feet north of North Hess Road.
Construction will begin on Monday, May 13, 2019, with completion in the Spring of 2020, barring unforeseen circumstances. Construction operations will be scheduled to minimize impacts to commute traffic.
Funding for this project is provided by Measure J, State Transportation Improvement Program, State Match, Local Streets and Road Program, and gas tax revenues provided by the SB1 Road Repair and Accountability Act. More information for this project can be found at http://www.cccounty.us/pwdmap.
Read More![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/illegal-gun-drugs-in-shoe-Richmond.jpg)
Illegal gun found at suspect’s home and drugs found in his shoe at Richmond jail. Photos by Richmond PD.
By Richmond PD
***Air Jordan***
Recently, Richmond PD’s SIS Gang Unit arrested a known drug dealer with controlled substances and a large amount of money on his person. Once in the jail, officers discovered the suspect concealing more narcotics in his shoe and in other body locations. The SIS Gang Unit then performed a search warrant on the suspect’s home, locating more narcotics, money and an illegal firearm. This is the fourth time this year a gun has been recovered from this suspect. Great work RPD Gang Unit!
Read MoreOn Monday, May 6, 2019, just prior to midnight, Pittsburg Officers responded to an address on Shoreline Drive for the report of shots fired. While officers were responding to the scene, the victim’s mother informed dispatch that her son ran inside the house stating he had been shot by an unknown man. When officers arrived at the house, they located the victim suffering from multiple gunshots wounds to the upper torso. Officers began life saving measures until Contra Costa County Fire and medical personnel arrived and took over. The victim, a 47-year-old Pittsburg man, informed officers he was outside at his vehicle when an unknown man approached him, fired multiple shots at him, then fled on foot. The victim was transported to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek where died.
The Pittsburg Police Department’s Investigations Division responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Detectives are currently contacting witnesses and obtaining statements from those involved. Based on initial information, it is unknown if victim and the man knew each other. Additional information is not available at this time and the name of the victim is being withheld pending notifications. This is the city of Pittsburg’s fifth homicide of the year.
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.
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