Contra Costa Herald

Pharmacist Jonathan Szkotak.

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

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged defendant Jonathan Szkotak with one felony count of second-degree robbery. On April 3, 2018, Szkotak allegedly went to a CVS pharmacy in Danville where he brandished a firearm at the pharmacy staff and demanded specific pills. Szkotak is a registered pharmacist with the California Board of Pharmacy. He works in Alameda County for the Alameda Alliance for Health.

Szkotak allegedly approached the pharmacy counter wearing a blue surgical mask and displayed a firearm. Given that he used a gun during the course of the robbery, our office charged Szkotak with a firearm enhancement.

CVS reported to the Drug Enforcement Agency a loss report of Clonazepam and Buprenorphine. In total, 17 tablets of Clonazepam were missing and 57 tablets of Buprenorphine (three different brands) as a result of the April 3rd robbery. Upon Szkotak’s arrest, the police found a quantity of crushed Buprenorphine in the defendant’s wallet.

Szkotak’s court appearance is January 14, 2019 in Martinez. He is out of custody on a $200,000 bond.

He was charged with the following: Second Degree Robbery –  Enhancement 1, Personal Use of a Firearm

Case information: People v. Jonathan Szkotak, Docket Number 01-187866-9.

Arrested in Texas, awaiting extradition back to Contra Costa County

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

On Wednesday, November 28, 2018, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged 19-year-old Tristan Amir Curl, a resident of Oakley, California and a student living in Austin, Texas, with six felony counts of making criminal threats, one felony count of stalking and one felony count of threatening a school official.

The charges are a result of a two-month investigation by the Oakley Police Department, District Attorney’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into a series of threats on social media. In September, several underage females were contacted by an unknown person on social media who was threatening to rape and kill them.

The same subject threatened to shoot students at Freedom High School in Oakley and then threatened to murder the school principal. Investigators subsequently identified Curl as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant for him, which was approved by a Superior Court Judge in Contra Costa County.

On November 20, 2018, Curl was arrested in Austin, Texas where he attends college. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office had a senior inspector in Austin to assist the Oakley Police Department with the arrest and collection of forensic evidence.

Curl remains in the custody of the Travis County, Texas Sheriff’s Department while awaiting extradition back to Contra Costa County. The Austin Police Department and FBI provided substantial assistance with the investigation.

Case information: People v. Curl, Dockett Number 01-187978-2

Screenshot of an ABC7 News report shows the suspect’s vehicle following the collision which resulted in the driver’s death in San Pablo, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018.

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

This morning at about 12:01, a Deputy Sheriff initiated a traffic enforcement stop on a gold-colored Lexus in the area of San Pablo Dam Road and Mifflin Avenue in El Sobrante. The Lexus ran a red light and went through the intersection of San Pablo Dam Road and El Portal Drive at about 50 miles per hour.

The driver did not yield and led the Deputy on a pursuit. The suspect drove in excess of 100 miles per hour on city streets. The pursuit was terminated because of speeds. The Deputy shut off his patrol car’s emergency lights and siren.

Approximately 12 seconds later and after losing sight of the suspect vehicle, the Deputy came across the Lexus overturned in the area of San Pablo Avenue and Road 20 in San Pablo. The vehicle apparently rolled over several times before landing on its roof. The driver was unresponsive. Deputies attempted to render first-aid. The Fire Department and an ambulance also responded. The driver was later pronounced deceased at the scene. He is not being identified at this time.

The officer involved fatal incident protocol was invoked. This incident is being investigated by the District Attorney’s Office, Office of the Sheriff and San Pablo Police Department. It is not immediately known why the suspect fled from the Deputy Sheriff.

Anyone who has any information on this incident is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

See more from a report by ABC7 News.

By Timothy Leong, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa Community College District

The Contra Costa Community College District (District) has decided to close all College and District operations on Tuesday, November 20th and Wednesday, November 21st^. due to ongoing poor air quality.  The District Office and Colleges (Contra Costa, Diablo Valley, San Ramon Campus, Los Medanos, and Brentwood Center) will resume regular operations on Monday, November 26th.

While the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is forecasting improved but fluctuating air quality over the next few days, the District has decided to err on the side of health concerns of its students and staff.  The District has been closed since Thursday, November 15, 3:00 p.m., due to very unhealthy air quality in Contra Costa County.

By CHP-Contra Costa

Monday night at about 9:28pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a three-vehicle collision at Highway 4 eastbound at Willow Pass Road in Concord. Upon CHP and emergency personnel arrival, three vehicles were located at the scene (a Chevrolet Chevelle, a Nissan Sedan, and a Mitsubishi Lancer) and tragically the driver of the Mitsubishi (19-year-old male) was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Chevrolet sustained major injuries and was determined to be under the influence and later arrested. The driver of the Nissan had only minor injuries and did not go to the hospital. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the deceased driver. Please direct inquires to them.

In the initial investigation, it appears that the driver of the Chevrolet (Willie David Hamlin, DOB-12/25/1971, from Antioch) was traveling eastbound on SR-4 at a high rate of speed approaching Willow Pass Road in Concord. He veered his vehicle to the right and crashed into the metal guard rail to the right of the roadway. Then he allowed his vehicle to veer back into the lanes of traffic and collided with the Nissan, but only caused minor damage. He then continued across the lanes towards the #1 lane where he collided in a broadside manner into the Mitsubishi with the 19-year-old driver, subsequently killing him. The 44-year-old driver of the Nissan only sustained minor injuries and was able to walk away. Hamlin suffered major injuries (but not life threatening) and was transported to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek. While there, CHP conducted a DUI investigation and he was subsequently placed under arrest for FELONY DUI and GROSS VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER. Due to Hamlin’s injuries, he remains at the hospital for treatment but upon his release, CHP will take him into custody and book him into the county jail. His release from the hospital at this time is unknown.

This collision is still under investigation and if anyone witnessed it or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez, (925) 646-4980. Thank you.

Unfortunately, this is another reminder of the carnage and impact that DUI driving can cause and to know that impaired driving is 100% preventable, 100% of the time is even more disastrous. Please never drive impaired.

By Timothy Leung, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa Community College District

Due to the ongoing and unpredictable poor air quality we are experiencing throughout Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa Community College District has decided to close all locations  – Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College, Brentwood Center, San Ramon Campus and District Office on Monday, November 19, 2018.

We hope to re-open Tuesday, but will make a final decision by 3:00 PM on Monday.

By Claudina Medlock

You risk your life

On a regular basis

You’ve seen pain and heartache

In so many faces!

How do you do it?

How do you get through some days?

When you’ve seen so much horror

And in so many ways!

You serve to help others

Putting your life on the line

But the things you must carry

You must have a strong mind!

I don’t know how you do it

I don’t know how you stay strong

I admire your courage

Things could so easily go wrong

Yet you still keep on fighting

And keep saving lives

Putting others before you

The goal is everyone survives!

But so often we look past

All the horror you see

And the things you must go through

To save someone like me

So if no one has told you

Then I’ll tell you today

Thank you my Hero

For the price that you pay

For the emotional heartache

For the nightmares at night

For the risk that you go through

And any internal fight

For the struggle while sleeping

For the stress that you bare

But today I will tell you

That I truly do care

I want to wish you true comfort

I want to wish you happiness

Because someone like you

Deserves peace and nothing less

So I’m sorry my Hero

That no one stopped to check on you

And I’m sorry my Hero

For not saying thank you … for all that you do!

By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Results from the November 6, 2018 General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website as of Friday, Nov. 16 at 2:07 P.M. You can view them here.

A couple of points of interest: voter turnout is now at 62.2 percent for this election. Also, the Contra Costa Elections Division has processed nearly 2.3 million ballot cards to this point.

The Elections Division estimates that there are about 10,000 Vote-By-Mail ballots left to process, along with 25,000 Provisionals and 1,000 Conditional Voter Registrations.

Our next scheduled results update is at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 21st.

Illegal casino operation in Pacheco shut down. Photos by CCC Sheriff.

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

Detectives from the Special Investigation Unit of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff launched an investigation into an alleged illegal gaming operation on the 5000 block of Pacheco Boulevard after receiving a tip from a citizen regarding a casino at that location.

Through their investigation, Detectives were able to corroborate the information provided by the citizen. Detectives later secured a search warrant for the location, which was served last night. Inside the establishment, they found 37 computer terminals, which offered slot machines, video poker, and other games of chance.

The computers were seized along with some cash. Detectives arrested 48-year-old Vinson Anies of San Mateo. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or call the anonymous tip line at (866) 846-3592. Tips can also be emailed to: tips@so.cccounty.us.

By Timothy Leong, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa Community College District

Due to the unpredictable and poor air quality we are experiencing throughout Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa Community College District has decided to close all locations – Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College, Brentwood Center, San Ramon Campus and District Office – effective 3:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  We will reopen all locations on Monday, November 19, 2018.

While the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is forecasting a significant improvement in air quality over the next few days, we believe this decision best serves the safety of our students, staff and community.