Contra Costa Herald

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

This morning, March 31, 2019 at 12:29 AM, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report from several callers of a suspicious circumstance regarding a woman who was found down on the ground.

Deputies arrived and located a woman lying on the sidewalk on Suisun Avenue near North Broadway Avenue in Bay Point. The unidentified woman was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Detectives from the Office of the Sheriff homicide unit and Crime Lab responded to the scene.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 646-2441 or 313-2600. For any tips, call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message or email: tips@so.cccounty.us.

Occurred in Contra Costa County years ago. Out on $1 million bail Wednesday morning.

By Allen Payton

According to a Facebook post by the Placer County Sheriff, “Tuesday afternoon, detectives with the Placer County Sheriff’s Crimes Against Persons Unit arrested Gerald Norman Fogel, 57, of Foresthill at his residence. Fogel was arrested for ten counts of Committing a Lewd Act Upon a Child Under 14-years old.

Sheriff investigators learned of the abuse which occurred numerous years ago in Contra Costa County. Working with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, detectives obtained an arrest warrant from Contra Costa County and a Placer County search warrant.

Fogel was booked into the Contra Costa County Jail with a bail of $1,000,000. He is a former Fremont firefighter and former volunteer Fire Captain for the Foresthill Fire Protection District.

As of Wednesday, Fogel was able to bail out and a concerned resident contacted the Herald stating that Fogel is living in Concord within a short distance of three elementary schools and a child care center.

Please check back later for updates to this report.

The suspect’s burned car on Hwy 24 near Orinda following police pursuit and crash on July 21, 2018. Herald file photo.

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

Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston announces that a Coroner’s jury has reached a finding in the July 21, 2018 death of 20-year-old Lawrence Leo Martin IV of Oakland from a crash following a police pursuit in Orinda. The finding of the jury is that the death was an accident.

The Coroner’s jury today reached a unanimous verdict after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by hearing officer Matthew Guichard.

A Coroner’s inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving peace officers, is a public hearing during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding: accident, suicide, natural causes, or at the hands of another person, other than by accident.

Paul Shatswell

By Pittsburg Police Department

On Saturday, March 16, 2019, Pittsburg officers responded to a residence on Barrie Drive in regards to a shooting. When officers and medical personnel arrived they found a 45-year-old man, identified as Paul Shatswell, with a gunshot wound. It was later determined during a domestic altercation the man’s wife, 39-year-old Maria Vides, shot him with a handgun. The man was transported to a local hospital and has been in critical condition since this incident occurred. On Sunday March 24, 2019, Paul Shatswell died as a result of his injuries.

Last week, on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, this investigation was reviewed by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. Vides was charged with attempted murder, an enhancement of inflicting great bodily injury in the commission of a felony, and an enhancement of committing a felony with the use of a firearm. Bail for Vides was set at $2,070,000. Due to the death of Shatswell, the case will be taken back to the District Attorney’s Office for additional review and Investigators will be seeking the charges against Vides be amended to include murder.

Vides remains in custody at the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Main Jail in Martinez. This is the city of Pittsburg’s first homicide of the year.

Los Medanos College (LMC) will host the annual “Celebrating the Life of César Chávez” recognition program on Friday, March 29, at its Pittsburg Campus; the reception will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the College Complex Indoor Quad, followed by the award presentations at 7:00 p.m. in the Recital Hall. The campus is located at 2700 East Leland Road in Pittsburg. The celebration is free and the public is encouraged to attend; RSVPs are not required. Complimentary, easy-access parking is available in Lot C for this event.

Los Medanos College hosts this event each year to honor the life of labor leader and human rights activist, César Chávez. The celebration also recognizes members of the East Contra Costa County community who embody his great tradition of voluntary service, civic activism, and non-violent social change.

The event includes the presentation of three recognition awards. The César Chávez Award for Exemplary Community Service, established in 1995, is presented to local residents who represent the core values modeled by César Chávez: “Service to Others, Sacrifice, A Preference to Help the Most Needy, Determination, Non-Violence, Acceptance of All People, Respect for Life and the Environment, Celebrating Community, Knowledge, and Innovation.” The East County Educator Award honors members of the educational community who demonstrate a commitment to student success and equity, particularly for students of color and those from low-income families. The Chávez Spirit Award recognizes up-and-coming leaders who have made a significant impact on the local community in the areas of advocacy and social justice.

This year’s recipients of the César Chávez Award for Exemplary Community Service are Dr. Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sidrian and Ms. Nancy Parent.  Dr. Gonzalez-Sidrian, a School Psychologist for Pittsburg Unified School District (PUSD) and advocate for students, serves on the Board of Directors for Future Leaders of America (FLA) East Bay Area.  Her commitment to volunteerism and serving others is demonstrated through her long-time involvement with FLA and its Youth Leadership Conference.  Ms. Parent, City Treasurer for Pittsburg, has a long history of community service and community engagement, having served on the PUSD School Board and five terms on the Pittsburg City Council.  She had an extensive record of volunteerism, mentoring, and securing donations to support student and community needs.

The East County Educator Award will be presented to Ms. Rebecca Quiñones, a teacher at Antioch High School, for her dedication to student learning and success.  Through her efforts to provide support, set high expectations, and engage with the AHS community, Ms. Quiñones has established deep and lasting connections with students and their families.

The Spirit Award will recognize two rising leaders and advocates in the community: Mr. Jose Cordon and Mr. Alphonso Guerrero.  As the Community Education Lead at One Day at a Time (ODAT) in Brentwood, Mr. Cordon empowers and builds leadership skills for East Contra Costa County youth.  Mr. Guerrero is the Founder and President of Compass Mentoring Academy, a non-profit organization that – through its weight-training program – provides mentoring and a supportive environment to young men at the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility.

Please join us to celebrate the spirit of service and activism in our community.

For more information about all of LMC’s activities celebrating César Chávez, visit www.losmedanos.edu/chavez/events.  Questions about the events or awards may be directed to Jennifer Adams at jadams@losmedanos.edu or (925) 473-7302.

March is Red Cross Month, and the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors recognized the international rescue organization’s humanitarian deeds by recognizing this year’s Home Fire Safety and Smoke Alarm Installation Events around the county. At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting chair John Gioia presented a resolution to American Red Cross Leadership Council Chair Briana Taylor a resolution recognizing the organization’s good deeds in the county. This year the county is recognizing the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign that was launched in 2014 and has installed 1.5 million smoke alarms. In the past year, the American Red Cross Bay Area has responded to 838 homes where 10,605 free smoke alarms were installed. This year the Bay Area Chapter Northern California Coastal Region will be installing no cost smoke alarms in homes at four designated locations: Pacheco on May 27, in Antioch on April 27, in Richmond on May 14, and in Brentwood on May 19.

Article & Photos By Daniel Borsuk

Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors quickly approved on a 4-0 vote a Joint Exercise Powers Agreement on Tuesday in order to become a member of the forthcoming new statewide public assistance case management system called the CalSAWS Consortium.

There was neither public comment nor statements from supervisors on this pricey project.

“This is the first step in the consolidation of three automated welfare systems into one,” Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Director Kathy Gallagher told the Contra Costa Herald after supervisors took their action.

Gallagher said the new automated welfare system requiring approval from California’s 58 County Boards of Supervisors will go into effect on June 28, 2019.

Basically, the new system will permit welfare recipients to use technology, i.e., social media. “It’ll be updated and will be more useful for our customers or users, who use social media,” said Gallagher.

In Contra Costa County there are about 200,000 welfare recipients who could potentially access the new CalSAWS system, said Gallagher.

The Employment and Human Resources Chief said the annual cost to the county for using the CalSAWS system will likely exceed the current price tag of $5.5 million. It is expected the inaugural cost to the county to plug in and use CALSAWS will run about $5.8 million a year.

Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Candace Andersen of San Ramon presented a resolution approved by the supervisors on Tuesday to April Rovero of the Contra Costa County Medication Education and Disposal Safety Coalition (MEDS) which is presenting a free film festival, DOSE OF ACTION, at the Brendan Theater, 1985 Willow Pass Road, in Concord on Sunday, March 24 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. about America’s prescription drug and illegal opioid overdose crisis. Andersen had briefly talked about the lost of her sister from drug overdose during Tuesday’s meeting, The resolution states that the board of supervisors “supports April 27, 2019 as ‘National Prescription Drug Take Back Day’ as declared by the DEA and encourages residents to locate their local collection site and safely dispose of their accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs.” In 2017, 47,600 American died from opioid overdoses, more than 130 people daily and 52 of those overdose deaths occurred in Contra Costa County.

Andersen Lauds Discovery Bay’s Request for Automated License Plate Reader Cameras

While District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis continues to recuperate from heart surgery, District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of San Ramon went to bat for her in supporting Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston’s item request of $331,000 for the acquisition and installation of Automated License Plate Reader cameras in the Discovery Bay area.

The agenda item was initially a consent item until Andersen requested that it be pulled for public review and action by the supervisors.

“I have seen how Automated License Plate Reader cameras have effectively reduced crime in Danville,” Andersen said in support of the anti-crime technology.

It not only helps in the detection of stolen vehicles, but also as an investigative tool for persons and property crimes, missing persons, runaways and other crimes or circumstances where vehicles are used by suspects or persons of interest.

Supervisors voted 4-0 in approving Sheriff-Coroner Livingston’s request to have automated license plate reader cameras installed at strategic locations in Discovery Bay. This would provide “virtually 100 percent coverage of the entrances and egress of the Discovery Bay area and would prove to be an invaluable tool for law enforcement,” Livingston wrote in a background statement to the supervisors dated March 19.

Sheriff-Coroner Livingston noted that the Discovery Bay P-6 Citizen Advisory Committee “thought ALPR to be an appropriate tool for identifying suspect vehicles coming and going in their town. With its location along Hwy 4 and other country roads, criminals can easily escape from Discovery Bay in a matter of minutes after committing their crimes.”

Some of the consent items Supervisors approved included:

Public Records Act Revision

Supervisors changed the administrative bulletin concerning public access to county records under the Public Records Act. At the recommendation of County Administrator David Twa, the bulletin has been revised to “describe the increasing array of media on which public records may be found, such as flash drives, cell phones, and tablets. Similarly, recognizing the shift of most records being held in the electronic format, the updated administrative bulletin discusses format in which a record should be produced and the charge, if any, for the record in a certain format.”

Apply for California Preservation Program and State Library Assessment Program

Supervisors approved Contra Costa County Librarian Melinda Cervantes’ request to apply for and to accept a Collection Preservation Assessment Project award from the California Preservation Program and California State Library to provide services for the purpose of planning proper care of the local history collection, which consists of more than 3,050 items pertaining to the history of the county, its cities and localities.

Cervantes informed supervisors in a recommendation that the collection consists of “3,050 items pertaining to the history of the county and its cities and localities. “

The county librarian wrote, “The collection is an invaluable and unique research resource. Many of the items are rare and irreplaceable. Although there is controlled access to the material, most of the materials, due to age and fragile condition, need more extensive preservation, “wrote Cervantes in a memo to the supervisors.

The artifacts are currently housed in the Pleasant Hill Library.

By Steve Padilla, Public Information Officer, CCC Public Works Department

Contra Costa County Public Works installed approximately 100 raised pavement markers at the intersection of Alhambra Valley Road and Bear Creek Road to combat illegal side shows.  This is a first of its kind project to combat illegal side shows in the Bay Area.

The raised pavement markers (or domes) are six inches in diameter and 1¾ in height. While the new pavement markers will not inhibit everyday drivers, they should make it a less attractive and uncomfortable location for side show participants.  Over time, Public Works will rely on local residents, CHP and the Sheriff’s Department to see if they are having their intended effect, and if they notice a decrease in illegal side show activities at that intersection.

Public Works also upgraded the shoulder lines, added new reflector markers and put up advanced warning signs of “Traffic Calming” ahead to warn motorists of the new raised pavement markers.

West Leland Road near Bailey Road

By Pittsburg Police

Early this morning at 01:24 A.M., officers responded to a pedestrian versus vehicle collision near the intersection of West Leland Road and Bailey Road. Officers were advised that Firefighters from Station 87 were returning to their station on West Leland Road, when they encountered the collision. When officers arrived, the pedestrian was located in the westbound lanes of West Leland Road and Firefighters were performing lifesaving efforts. These efforts were unsuccessful, and the man succumbed to his injuries.

The driver of the involved vehicle fled the scene and the make or model of the responsible vehicle is unknown at this time. The Pittsburg Police Department Fatal Accident Response Team responded and took over the investigation. It is believed the driver of the vehicle was traveling westbound on West Leland Road at the time of the collision. The identification of the pedestrian is being withheld pending notification to the family.

West Leland Road from Chestnut Drive and Bailey Road is expected to be closed until approximately 10:00 A.M. this morning.

This investigation remains active and officers are examining the city’s video surveillance system that may have captured the incident. The Pittsburg Police Department asks anyone with additional information to please contact the Pittsburg Police Department Tip-Line at 925-252-4040.

One each from Concord, Pittsburg and Antioch

By CHP-Contra Costa

Recently, three HWY-4 shooting suspects from 2016, were found guilty in a Contra Costa County Courtroom; two suspects received 13 years and the third received 12 years and 8 months in state prison. These were the results after a long and thorough investigation process and additionally long and thorough judicial process until final adjudication.

It takes quite a while for these shooting suspects to be brought to justice and finally sentenced but the effort and long hours are worth it, for the public to know that these criminals were tried and convicted and also for the families of the victims of these freeway shootings.

This specific case occurred on Feb. 1, 2016 and involved the three suspects traveling in a Nissan sedan on westbound HWY-4 when they shot their firearm out of their moving vehicle at the victim’s vehicle, which was all witnessed by an off-duty police officer. Then the suspects’ vehicle drove at a high rate of speed off the freeway to the Port Chicago Hwy off-ramp and subsequently was involved in a major collision within the intersection and caused injuries to all parties involved.

All three suspects were charged and convicted of the following:

-246 PC – Shooting at an occupied vehicle.

-186.22(a) PC – Participation in Criminal Street Gang

-29800 PC – Possession of Firearm by a Felon. (Oscar Torres)

– 11359 H&S – Possession for Sale of Marijuana

SENTENCES
-Zachery Paul Lopez (24 years old from Concord) was sentenced to 12 years and 8 months in State Prison.

-Oscar Osbaldo Torres (25 years old from Pittsburg) was sentenced to 13 years in State Prison.

-Antonio Ramirez Navarro (22 years old from Antioch) was also sentenced to 13 years in State Prison.

Public Safety and the preservation of life is always our #1 goal and although we cannot predict when criminals are going to commit these heinous crimes, what we can do is put together our very best investigation that will bring these criminals to justice and have them answer for their crimes.

By CHP-Contra Costa

On Sunday, March 17, 2019, at about 6:13 pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of an overturned solo vehicle collision on a private maintained road near 5499 Sobrante Avenue. Upon emergency personnel and CHP arrival, it was determined that a green Jeep was driven into an embankment and overturned. The solo male driver (75-year-old male from El Sobrante) was unresponsive, was extricated from the Jeep, and lifesaving efforts were performed but unsuccessful. The driver was pronounced deceased on scene. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of his identity.

In the initial investigation, it appears that the solo male driver of the Jeep was traveling south on the private road at an undetermined speed and then for reasons unknown at this time, accelerated into the dirt embankment, causing the Jeep to overturn. Upon emergency personnel arrival, the driver was unresponsive and ultimately pronounced deceased on scene.

Alcohol and/or drugs are believed to be a factor at this time in this collision but is still under investigation. Witnesses did stay on scene and were cooperative. If anyone else witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez, (925) 646-4980. Thank you.