Contra Costa Herald

Lately, I have had a number of people ask me about crime statistics in Antioch. More specifically, they want to know how our current crime rate compares to the crime rate prior to Measure C being approved by voters back in November 2013. Below is a graph comparing Antioch’s Part I crimes for the first nine months of 2013 to the first nine months of this year. (They can also be viewed on the City’s website at https://www.antiochca.gov/police/crime-statistics/)

Pretty staggering results! Overall, violent crime is down 39.9% and property crime is down 25.5%, resulting in a Total Part I Crime reduction of 28.2%.

This data clearly shows that Antioch is a safer community than it was five years ago. Now, by no means am I saying Antioch is crime-free, or even as safe as we would like it to be. It’s not. However, we have made great strides over the last five years in making our city safer. But like many things that happen over a period of time, the results aren’t as obvious to those of us who live here and are acclimated to the environment we see every day.

I’d like to share a personal story as an analogy to this. About 13 years ago, I weighed 320 pounds. I made some eating and lifestyle changes, and eventually lost over 100 pounds. This was very difficult for me to do and took more than a year to accomplish. The sad part about this was while I was losing weight, I continually felt as though my physical appearance was not changing. I saw myself every day, picking apart every flaw, and continually feeling as though I was making very little (if any) progress. It was not until I saw a picture of myself at my heaviest, and compared it to a more recent picture, that I was able to appreciate the change I had made.

Some people have a preconceived notion about Antioch. And for them, every single incident of crime reported helps justify their opinion. Also known as confirmation bias, this is the mentality of someone who fails to see the forest for the trees. Antioch previously had the unfortunate distinction of being one of the most dangerous cities in California. That is no longer the case. In fact, the most recent list I saw (just published last week) had Antioch down to #51 (https://www.roadsnacks.net/most-dangerous-cities-in-california/). By no means is this perfect or even ideal. But it’s a marked improvement from where we were.

There is still a lot of work needed to make Antioch safer. But the men and women of the Antioch Police Department have been, and are still, committed to doing the best we can with the staffing and resources we have to improve the safety of our community. I believe the funding generated by Measure C has enabled the Antioch Police Department to make a measurable impact on the crime in our city over the past five years. Measure W, on this November’s ballot, is intended to continue providing the Department funding that could be used for programs and staffing to further reduce crime in our community.

As your Chief of Police, and an Antioch resident, I am truly thankful for everything and everyone working to keep our community safer!

Respectfully,

Tammany Brooks III

Antioch Chief of Police

**The increase in Rape crimes was a direct result of the Department of Justice expanding the definition of that crime, which took effect January 2014.

On October 25, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office along with our justice partners, is hosting a community forum and resource fair which will address what family violence looks like in Contra Costa County, what Contra Costa County’s response is to family violence and how law enforcement responds to family violence. Victims may feel conflicted about reporting violence in the home or may not be aware of the wide range of resources in our community that can respond to, intervene in and work to prevent these issues and keep our families safe.

32.9 percent of California women and 27.3 percent of California men experience physical violence, sexual violence and/or stalking in their lifetimes. In 2016, the National Domestic Violence Hotline received over 28,000 calls from California and nearly one-third of these had children in the home. Research has shown that only 4 percent of domestic violence murder victims nationwide had ever availed themselves of domestic violence program services. Our goal is to increase that number by letting our community members know how to get help right here in Contra Costa County.

The event will occur in Antioch at the Antioch Water Park (4701 Lone Tree Way) starting at 5:00 p.m. with the resource fair. Community members will receive a “passport” to use when visiting providers at the resource fair and will be eligible for prizes if they collect a “stamp” from each provider. A blue ribbon panel of experts from many levels of our County’s family violence response system will address the audience at 6:00 p.m. and be available for questions. After the panelists finish, the resources fair will be continue until 8:00 p.m. Food and drinks will be provided.

 Victims of family violence can get help by reporting the conduct to the police, by calling the STAND! for Families Free of Violence 24-hour toll free crisis line at 1-888-215-5555 or contacting the Family Justice Centers in Richmond (256 24^th St.) or Concord (2151 Salvio St., Suite 201). In any life-threatening emergency, victims should always call 911. In 2019, a new Family Justice Center location will open in Antioch to serve East County residents.

The entire program will be moderated by KTVU’s Candice Nguyen. Panelists will include:

·         Dana Filkowski, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office

·         Rhonda James, STAND! For Families Free of Violence

·         Devorah Levine, Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse

·         Kevin McAllister, Rainbow Community Center

·         Nicole Riddick, Pittsburg Police Department

·         Jason Vanderpool, Antioch Police Department

The participating agencies are as follows: 

·         Antioch Council for the Teens

·         Antioch Police Department

·         Bay Area Rapid Transit

·         Brentwood Police Department

·         Brentwood Union School District

·         Catholic Charities of the East Bay

·         Community Violence Solutions

·         Contra Costa Family Justice Centers

·         Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office

·         Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department

·         Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office

·         International Rescue Committee

·         Mexican Consulate

·         Oakley Police Department

·         Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Inc.

·         Opportunity Junction

·         Pittsburg Police Department

·         Planned Parenthood

·         Rainbow Community Center

·         Rubicon Programs

·         Ruby’s Place

·         STAND! For Families Free of Violence

·         Tourette Association of America

·         Village Community Resource Center

 October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month.

Photos courtesy of Contra Costa County

Approve spending $41,000 for sideshow deterrence project

By Daniel Borsuk

Airplane tenants at the county’s two airports – Buchanan Field Airport and Byron Airport – will see hangar and tie-down rental rates decline as a result of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors concurring with an airports staff analysis that the rates charged at the two airports are non-competitive. The lower rates go into effect Jan. 1, 2019.

Photo courtesy of Contra Costa County.

Supervisors voted 5-0 in approving the rate reductions at a meeting on Tuesday in Martinez.

Overall, the lower rates will mean the county will receive $65,514 less annual revenue for the Airport Enterprise Fund, the fund that financially operates the two airports.  Unlike other county departments or operations, the two airports are run as financially self-sustaining public use facilities in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration.

A market survey County Director of Airports Keith Freitas and his staff conducted on the county airports’ regional competitors including Livermore, Hayward, Napa, Sonoma, Stockton, and Nut Tree showed that rates at the two Contra Costa County airports were “on the high end of the rate range.”

“To best position Buchanan Field and Byron Airports to be regionally competitive, the new hangar and tie-down rates have been lowered and they will adjust every three years instead of annually,” Freitas wrote in his report to the supervisors.  This will permit the Airports Division to “react and behave more like a business in order to successfully compete for marketplace in the region.”

There is currently a six-month wait for a hangar at the two airports, the airports director said and he would like to see that wait period decline even more over time.

The county’s tie-down rates are less than 40 percent occupied, the airports director’s report stated.

Pleasant Hill resident Tom Weber, who is not a pilot, supported the lower airport rates because “We need to be competitive. Our rates have been too high.”

Supervisor Diane Burgis of Brentwood, who serves on the Airports Commission, foresees how the lower hangar and tie-down rates at the airports could potentially spark “so many opportunities” in the county.  She cited how the airports could be catalysts for “really good jobs for the Northern Waterfront,” an area currently undergoing an extensive county planning study for future development.

$41,000 Sideshow Deterrence Project OK’d

Without out any comment, supervisors approved a $41,000 anti-sideshow project at the intersection of Alhambra Valley Road and Bear Creek Road.  The supervisors approved the item on their consent agenda.

At the request of District 1 Supervisor John Gioia, who has received complaints from citizens about illegal sideshow activities (spinning circles and other illegal vehicular stunts) at the intersection, the county Public Works Department plans to take preventive action.

“The project consists of installing a series of 6-inch and/or 8-inch raised ceramic domes at the four approaches to the intersection,” Brian M. Balbas, Public Work Director/Chief Engineer wrote in this report to the board.

“The ceramic domes will be strategically placed along the centerline striping and in the shoulder areas.  The intent of the raised features is to provide a visual, auditory, and sensory deterrence, while minimizing the impact to most road users who follow the vehicle code.  The project will test if raised ceramic domes have intended deterrent effect on sideshow activities.”

But when the Contra Costa Herald contacted Balbas, the county public works chief wasn’t too optimistic that the ceramic domes will spoil the enthusiasm of the sideshow participants.  “They’ll find a way to either scrape them off or demolish the ceramic domes in order continue their sideshows,” he said.

Supervisors also heard Arthur Road resident Jonathan Katayanagi describe how sideshows and speeding cars have made his neighborhood dangerous for children and anyone living in the area.  Recently there was an auto accident on Arthur Road, sparking increased concerns about sideshows and dangerous auto stunts.  Katayanagi told the Herald perhaps his neighborhood should also get the ceramic dome street treatment like what Public Works will soon install at Alhambra Valley Road and Bear Creek Road.

Proclaim October Diaper Need Awareness Month

Supervisors unanimously proclaimed October as Diaper Need Awareness Month in Contra Costa County as part of a countywide effort to raise public awareness and action to donate diapers to diaper banks, diaper drives, and organizations that distribute diapers to families in need.

Supervisors acknowledged the works of Sweet Beginnings Family Resource Center for its work to be recognized as the 20th Diaper Bank in California and the work of SupplyBank.Org’s Diaper Kit Assistance that distributes 18,000 TalkReadSign branded diapers and 36,000 baby wipes per month through the Concord Women and Children (WIC) Program.

Citing how the high cost of diapers imposes a financial strain, especially on low income families, can account for 14 percent of a monthly budget.  Diapers can be purchased with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits, but only 27 percent of families with children in poverty receive TANF benefits.

Photos of Ruth Blanchard and the vehicle she was driving when last seen. Lic Plate # 7MCU465 From CoCoSheriff

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff is currently searching for 76-year-old Ruth Blanchard of Rodeo.

Blanchard left her residence on the 800 block of Sandy Cove Drive yesterday, October 15, 2018, at about 12:30 PM to run an er-rand and did not return home.

Her family reported her missing to the Office of the Sheriff at about 8:00 PM. Deputies immediately searched for Blanchard but were not able to locate her. Her vehicle was last seen in the area of Highway 4 and Sycamore Avenue.

The search for Blanchard is ongoing. Local law enforcement agencies have been notified, she has been entered into the state missing persons’ database and a Silver Alert has been put out. She is at-risk because of health issues.

She is described as: black female, 5’ 7”, approximately 185 pounds, brown eyes, greying short hair. She was last wearing a red shirt, black pants, and a headwrap with a rhinestone.

The vehicle she was driving is a black 2014 Toyota Sienna (minivan) with California license plates—7MCU465.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Blanchard is asked to immediately call the Office of the Sheriff at (925) 646-2441.

Ballots lined up to be counted in the County Elections office on Tuesday, November 15, 2016. Photo by Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder Joe Canciamilla

In an effort to ensure that every Contra Costa ballot is counted completely and accurately, technicians from the Elections Division are in the process of programming and testing every piece of voting equipment that will be used in the November 6, 2018 General Election.

The central-count voting system for Vote-by-Mail ballots and the scanners for paper ballots located at each polling place are being tested for logic and accuracy. The ballot-marking equipment used at Regional Early Voting locations and on Election Day is also tested at this time since it interacts with those counting systems.

The series of tests starts by confirming that all machines are in working order and functioning properly, followed by a series of test ballots running through each machine to make sure they are properly programmed to pick up intended ballot marks.

There are six central count machines that will record results for approximately 2 million Vote-by-Mail ballot cards, along with about 300 ballot scanners at polling places throughout the County.

The public is always invited to check out the equipment testing in action. Those interested in observing the process should contact the Elections Division at 925-335-7805, as testing is being conducted intermittently during the next several weeks and at multiple locations.

A public demonstration of the central count voting equipment is scheduled for 10:00 am on November 2, 2018, at the Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder-Elections Office, 555 Escobar Street in Martinez. Visitors are asked to check-in at the Elections lobby. For more information, call 925-335-7800.

By Daniel Borsuk

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors went on record on Tuesday supporting the establishment of a national fee and dividend on carbon emissions.  Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve the proposal.

Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville cast the dissenting vote on the grounds she opposed the dividend feature of the proposal that was acted on and endorsed by the Contra Costa Sustainability Commission at its June 25 meeting and was finally presented to the full Board of Supervisors Tuesday, more than three months later.

“I do support cleaner air, but I don’t see how this will produce the desired result,” said Andersen.  “This isn’t the plan for me.”

Contra Costa County can now be counted as one of a number of California counties backing the proposal lobbied by Citizens Climate Lobby for a federal revenue-neutral carbon-based fuel fee and dividend proposal to reduce catastrophic climate change from global warming.

Other counties already signing on in support of the Citizens Climate Lobby carbon emissions initiative are San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, and Marin.  Bay Area cities that back the initiative include Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Los Altos, Oakland, Petaluma, Richmond, and San Carlos.

“We have 12 years to avoid the worst effects of climate change,” Citizens Climate Lobby member Doug Merrill, a resident of Lafayette, told supervisors in encouraging them to endorse the initiative.

“We need to pay for our air pollution problems,” said Betty Lobos, also a Citizens Climate Lobby supporter.

At the national level, the carbon fee and dividend concept is gaining traction, especially within the energy industry where ExxonMobil this month announced it will donate $1 million to Americans for Carbon Dividend founded by former United States Senators John Breaux and Trent Lott.

Ordinance Banning Polystyrene Food/Beverage Containers in the Works

Supervisors, most likely next year, will act on an ordinance that will ban polystyrene food and beverage containers to be used in stores located in unincorporated Contra Costa County.

The County Department of Public Works will draft the ordinance at a cost of $75,000 after completing a recent Regional Water Quality Control Board stormwater permit review in which it was found that in order for the county to improve stormwater quality it needs to reduce different types of trash, especially the most prevalent, polystyrene containers.

The Public Works Department request was unanimously approved as a consent item.  The department estimates it will cost about $25,000 a year to enforce the ordinance.

In late August, the Department of Public Works mailed letters to about 200 stores, markets and other businesses that would be affected by the proposed ordinance to inform them about why the county is proposing to adopt a ban on polystyrene food and beverage containers and what would be included in the proposed ban.

Increased Payment for Citizen Document Access Solution

Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve a contract amendment with Granicus, Inc. to increase the payment limit by $175,000 to a new payment limit of $825,816 for the continued hosting of the Citizen Document Access Solution.  The contract was also extended from Oct. 9, 2018 to Oct. 8, 2021.

“The increase of the payment limit includes annual maintenance, support charges, software charges and web hosting fees, “County Administrator David Twa explained a memo to supervisors.  “The new annual charges for October 9, 2018 to October 8, 2021 reflect a lower annual price of $9,708.  This is due to the new and more efficient hardware and decommissioning of old hardware and the subtraction of a module called Meeting Efficiency.”

Contracting with Granicus for a Citizen Document Access Solution supports the county in meeting the goals of the Better Government Ordinance, complying with new website posting provisions of the Brown Act and using improved technology to deliver to citizens.

Supervisors Add One Meeting in 2019

Supervisors approved a 2019 meeting schedule that will call for 31 meetings instead of 30 meetings as initially planned.  Supervisors scratched the meeting slated for February 19, figuring January would be a busy month with three meetings.  A March 19 meeting will be needed, even though supervisors are scheduled to meet on Cesar Chavez Day, March 26, where business might be light.  A meeting was added for December 17 because there was only one meeting originally scheduled that month, December 10.

Vice Chair John Gioia of Richmond is slated to become chair next year.  It is yet to be decided who will become vice chair in 2019, either District 2 Supervisor Andersen, who has served on the board since 2012, or District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis, who has been on the board for two years.

By John Crowder

Last week the California Department of Education released the 2018 test scores in English and math for all districts and schools in the state.  This is the fourth year of data from this latest testing scheme, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Test (SBAT), meant to align with the Common Core teaching standards and methods.  Students completing the test are placed into four broad categories in the subjects tested.  These are, Standards Not Met, Standard Nearly Met, Standard Met, and Standard Exceeded.  By combining the percentages from the latter two categories, we can compare how well schools and districts are doing in preparing students to, at a minimum, meet basic standards.

As has been the case since California began using this test in 2015, the results are not good for the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD).  AUSD students have the lowest scores of all eighteen school districts in Contra Costa County (See table below).  Further, the results for AUSD have remained, essentially, unchanged for the last four years.  In 2015, the percentage of students achieving success in English was 30%, while it is currently 31%.  In math it was 19% in 2015, and it now stands at 18%.

It is this low performance, combined with a lack of progress, that led hundreds of Antioch parents to sign the petitions and to turn out to the hearings held over the last couple of years to support bringing new charter schools, the Rocketship Elementary School and the Tech Academy Middle and High Schools, to Antioch.

The Charter School Act of 1992 was passed by the California legislature to address exactly the situation we find in Antioch.  Public charter schools, with longer school days, more interventions, and proven programs, bring hope to parents who want their children to have a good education, but who can’t obtain it from the district schools they find their children assigned to.

Parents only have one chance at ensuring their students learn the skills they need to be prepared for college and the job market.  They can’t afford to wait years, or decades, for change, especially when progress toward positive outcomes is nonexistent.  Each year of delay is another year lost.

Establishing high-quality, public charter schools in districts where students are not being adequately educated is imperative for communities where students are being failed by the education establishment when the district schools can’t, or won’t, change.

English Language Arts – Contra Costa County School Districts

Rank                            District                                                                        % Meet/Exceed

1                                  Orinda Union Elementary                                           88

2                                  Lafayette Elementary                                                  85

2                                  Moraga Elementary                                                    85

4                                  Acalanes Union High                                                 82

4                                  San Ramon Valley Unified                                        82

6                                  Walnut Creek Elementary                                           73

7                                  Canyon Elementary                                                    67

8                                  Brentwood Union Elementary                                    60

9                                  Liberty Union High                                                    58

10                                Byron Union Elementary                                            56

11                                Martinez Unified                                                        53

12                                Mt. Diablo Unified                                                     51

13                                Knightsen Elementary                                                43

14                                Oakley Union Elementary                                          39

15                                John Swett Unified                                                     37

16                                Pittsburg Unified                                                        34

16                                West Contra Costa Unified                                        34

18                                Antioch Unified                                                          31

Source:  https://caaspp.cde.ca.gov/sb2018/Search

Mathematics – Contra Costa County School Districts

Rank                            District                                                                        % Meet/Exceed

1                                  Orinda Union Elementary                                           85

2                                  Lafayette Elementary                                                  82

3                                  Moraga Elementary                                                    79

4                                  San Ramon Valley Unified                                        77

5                                  Walnut Creek Elementary                                           71

6                                  Acalanes Union High                                                 69

7                                  Canyon Elementary                                                    65

8                                  Brentwood Union Elementary                                    50

9                                  Byron Union Elementary                                            47

10                                Martinez Unified                                                        42

11                                Mt. Diablo Unified                                                     39

12                                Knightsen Elementary                                                38

13                                Liberty Union High                                                    31

14                                Oakley Union Elementary                                          27

15                                John Swett Unified                                                     26

16                                West Contra Costa Unified                                        23

17                                Pittsburg Unified                                                        20

18                                Antioch Unified                                                          18

Source:  https://caaspp.cde.ca.gov/sb2018/Search

Crowder is a candidate for Contra Costa County School Board, Area 4

Photo courtesy of Contra Costa County.

“Lights. Camera. Action!”  Contra Costa voters can now see and hear where local candidates stand on important issues through televised roundtable discussions and forums. Local “Election Preview” offers Contra Costa voters a chance to be educated on candidates and issues before casting their ballots.

Contra Costa County Elections Division partners with the County’s Contra Costa Television (CCTV), the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley, the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa and the Contra Costa County Library to provide candidate forum programming for Fall Elections 2018. “Election Preview” shows begin airing this week on TV and online.

“We’re happy to provide this incredible resource that gives voters the opportunity to educate themselves about important issues,” Contra Costa Registrar of Voters Joe Canciamilla said. “Decisions made at the local level have the greatest impact on our daily lives, and without this program, voters likely might not have any other chance to see and hear from these candidates.”

“With the support of the Board of Supervisors, election preview shows on Contra Costa Television continue to be a priority,” said Susan Shiu, Director of the County’s Office of Communications and Media, which oversees CCTV. “We’ve been airing voter education shows since 1996. Now through television and social media channels, voters can have more access to information ahead of the November 6th election.”

This year’s production featured well-known journalists as moderators, including KCBS radio reporters Bob Butler and Doug Sovern, ABC7 News reporter Laura Anthony, KTVU reporters Alex Savidge and Claudine Wong, and former ABC7 News reporter Alan Wang who is a public information officer for Contra Costa County’s Employment and Human Services Department.

As part of the Election Preview partnership, the Contra Costa County Library is hosting Candidate Forums at local libraries that will be streamed live on its Facebook page. For a list of upcoming public forums, go to: https://ccclib.org/pressroom/pressreleases/2018/CandidateForums.jpg

A total of 39 local races and ballot measures will be available for viewing on Contra Costa Television broadcast channels leading up to Election Day. “Election Preview” roundtables and forums can be seen 24/7 on the Contra Costa Television channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD1z6XC8_fqZXP3HayI-kQA.

More information about “Election Preview” in Contra Costa County is available on the Elections Division website at www.cocovote.us and the County’s website at www.contracosta.ca.gov.

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

Homicide Detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff have identified a suspect in the September 20, 1985 killing of 57-year-old Virginia Vincent. On that day, a concerned neighbor found Vincent’s body in her apartment in Danville and notified police. It was later determined that she was raped and murdered.

All investigative leads were pursued, at the time however, no suspect was identified, and the case went cold for nearly two decades. In April 2002, a DNA profile was created from the evidence found at the crime scene. No match was found, and once again the case went cold for another 15 years. Over the years, there have been technological advances in forensic science that have assisted law enforcement agencies in analyzing evidence from cold cases. One method is known as “familial search.”

In November 2017, the Sheriff’s Office submitted a request to the California Bureau of Forensic Services (BFS) to conduct a familial search using the DNA recovered at the scene.

In June 2018, the Sheriff’s Office was notified of a possible match through the diligent work of the BFS committee. Homicide Detectives later identified Joey Lynn Ford as the likely suspect in the killing of Vincent. Ford died in 1997 at the age of 36 and is buried at a cemetery in Fairfield, California. Ford’s body was later exhumed. The Office of the Sheriff Forensic Services Division Crime Lab confirmed Ford as the suspect after a DNA sample extracted from him matched that found at the crime scene. This is the first successful familial search on a cold case in the Bay Area.

Detectives are still working to determine how the two might be acquainted, but records indicate Ford was arrested for DUI in Danville the day before the killing, just a short distance from the crime scene. At the time of the homicide, Ford was working as a plumber in the area and Vincent was a Real Estate agent. Investigators believe this is the likely connection between them, but that remains unclear.

“The Sheriff’s Office and all of the law enforcement agencies involved were relentless in their handling of this case, they are the true heroes,” said Marianna Wickman, daughter of victim Virginia Vincent. “So many were instrumental in getting us our closure and were sensitive to our needs. I am so very grateful.”

Wickman asked for privacy for herself and the family.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to acknowledge the California Department of Justice Bureau of Forensic Services and Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in this investigation. We would also like to thank Rick Jackson, a retired long-time LAPD homicide detective who now resides in the Bay Area, for his dedication and work on this case.

“Because the suspect Joey Ford is deceased, there will be no prosecution in this case,” said Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston. “However, we hope that the identification of the suspect in the killing of Virginia Vincent brings her family and the community some closure in this painful case.”

Crash in Pittsburg on Oct. 4, 2017 took life of Discovery Bay woman

On October 2, a Contra Costa County jury found defendant Frank J. Newkirk, a 26-year-old transient, guilty of gross vehicular manslaughter. The victim, Theresa Frazer, was killed on October 4, 2017 during the morning commute on Highway 4 in Pittsburg. Newkirk was driving westbound on Highway 4 in a 2004 Chevy Tahoe in the slow lane when the incident occurred.

Newkirk now faces a sentence of up to six years in state prison. According to the D.A.’s Office Public Information Officer Scott Alonso, “Newkirk was a transient and his last known address according to court documents was Discovery Bay. But he lived all over including Bay Point and may have lived in Antioch at the time of the crash.”  Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Aron DeFerrari prosecuted the case behalf of the People for this felony jury trial. Sentencing for Newkirk will occur on November 16 by the Honorable Barry Baskin in Department 7 at the Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez.

On the morning of October 4, 2017, Newkirk was driving his girlfriend’s 2004 Chevy Tahoe without a license and careened into Frazer’s Nissan Sentra. Frazer was driving her friend to work when the accident occurred. The impact of the crash spun the Nissan around and crushed the vehicle. In total, five cars were impacted by Newkirk’s crash into Frazer.

California Highway Patrol investigated the crash and found Newkirk was traveling at an unsafe speed between 54 to 61 miles per hour in traffic with cars slowed in front of him due to an unrelated accident. Evidence gathered by CHP showed the vehicle’s brakes were never activated before the crash. Newkirk also did not take his foot off the throttle. Newkirk’s collision led to the unfortunate death of Frazer, a 47-year-old mother of three children. Restitution for this case will be determined at a later date.

Traffic collisions can cause very serious injuries and even result in fatalities. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, traffic fatalities are increasing, totaling 3,623 in 2016 and serious traffic injuries are on the rise.

Earlier this year our office filed the following counts against Newkirk:

• Count 1, Vehicular Manslaughter – Felony
• Count 2, Driving Without a License – Misdemeanor

Case information: People v. Frank J. Newkirk, Docket Number 05-181281-7.