Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Rep. DeSaulnier to host Town Hall Meeting in Concord Wednesday

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Rep. Mark DeSaulnier

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) will host a town hall meeting at Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord on Wednesday, February 20th at 6:30 p.m.

This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 77th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress four years ago. The town hall was originally scheduled for January 23rd, but was postponed due to the government shutdown. During the town hall, Congressman DeSaulnier will provide an update on the recent border security deal and other issues before Congress, will take questions, and discuss the services his office can provide.

Concord Town Hall
Wednesday, February 20th
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Clayton Valley Charter High School
Multiuse Room
1101 Alberta Way
Concord, CA 94521
Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.

This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.

Please RSVP by visiting https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or calling (925) 933-2660. To request ADA accommodations, translation services, or for more information, contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s office in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.

Man dies in fatal auto vs. pedestrian traffic collision in Concord on Saturday

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Scene of the fatal accident at Port Chicago Highway and Arnold Industrial Way on Sat., Feb. 2, 2019. Photo by Concord PD.

By Lieutenant Sam Staten, Concord Police Department

On Saturday, February 2, 2019, at approximately 6:20 PM, Concord Police Officers responded to the intersection of Port Chicago Hwy and Arnold Industrial Way regarding an auto vs. pedestrian collision. Officers arrived on scene with AMR and Fire Department personnel and located a white male adult lying in the roadway.  He was pronounced deceased at the scene by emergency medical personnel.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the pedestrian was crossing the roadway when he was struck by a vehicle traveling south on Port Chicago Hwy.  The driver of the involved vehicle stopped at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.  Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the collision.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call Concord Police Department Traffic Investigator Justin Wilson at (925)-603-5962.

Concord man found guilty of attempted murder

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

On January 30, a Contra Costa County jury found defendant Guido Ginochio of Concord guilty of two felonies, including the attempted murder of the victim. Ginochio used a firearm to fire two shots into the back of the victim in the evening of February 7, 2017. Hours later, Ginochio used his firearm to fire seven rounds into the Adaptive Learning Center on Clayton Road in Concord. During the shooting into the business, Ginochio was wearing a ballistic proof body vest.

Ginochio now faces a maximum sentence of 34 years to life in state prison. Sentencing will occur on May 3, 2019 in front of the Honorable Laurel Brady – Department 31 of the Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez. Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Adam McConney prosecuted the case on behalf of the People. The case originated in the Office’s Community Violence Reduction Unit.

“The defendant’s senseless and unprovoked acts of gun violence not only nearly ended the victim’s life, but also endangered the lives of other members of our community,” said McConney. “All credit should be given to the victim, who bravely stood up to the defendant by testifying in court, and the jury for being attentive throughout the trial and ultimately delivering justice.”

Just after 10:00 p.m. on February 7, Ginochio approached the victim outside of the victim’s residence asking if Ginochio could buy marijuana. The victim refused the request and attempted to enter the residence to get away from Ginochio. When the victim attempted to gain access to the residence, Ginochio opened fire and hit the victim twice in the back, nearly killing him.

The felony counts against Ginochio are:

  • Count 1, Attempted Murder

o    Enhancement 1, Personal and Intentional Discharge of a Firearm, Great Bodily Injury

  • Count 2, Discharge of Firearm with Gross Negligence

Case information: People v. Guido Vela Ginochio, Docket Number 05-171306-4.

Concord Police seek suspect in Sunday armed robbery

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By Lt. Sam Staten, Martinez Police Department

On Sunday, January 20, 2019, at approximately 3:41 PM, Concord Police Officers responded to the 1800 block of Monument Blvd. regarding an armed robbery that had occurred at Cricket Wireless.  The suspect came into the business, brandished a handgun at the cashier and demanded the money from the register.  The suspect took an undetermined amount of cash and fled the area. 

An extensive search was conducted but the suspect was not located. There were no injuries as a result of this incident.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male adult in his 20’s with a thin moustache.  He wore a dark grey sweatshirt with a red and white “Reebok” logo on the front, dark colored jeans and dark colored shoes or boots.  He was armed with a black handgun.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call Concord Police Department Detective Sergeant Mark Robison at (925) 671-5074.

Elderly Clayton woman struck killed by car in Concord Wednesday afternoon

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By Sergeant Robert Garcia, Traffic Unit/Special Events, Concord Police Department

On Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, at approximately 3:19pm, Concord PD Officers were dispatched to an auto vs. pedestrian collision that occurred just north of the intersection of Ayers Road and Valley Crest Drive.  A vehicle traveling south on Ayers Road from Clayton Road struck and killed an 86-year-old female, a Clayton resident, who was crossing the southbound lane midblock, outside of the crosswalk.

The male driver, a 58-year-old Concord resident, remained on scene and cooperated with police.  Drugs and/or alcohol do not appear to be a contributing factor.

Ayers Road, between Clayton Road and Valley Crest Drive, was closed for approximately 3 hours in order to conduct the collision investigation.

The name of the deceased is not being released pending notification of next of kin.

As this is an ongoing investigation, no further details are being released at this time.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact Traffic Investigator Justin Wilson at the Concord Police Department, 925-671-5962.

DUI crash on Highway 4 Monday night results in fatality

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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.

Report: Four Contra Costa cities make list of 100 most dangerous in California

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Richmond ranks 6th overall, 5th for murders; Antioch ranks 20th overall, 21st for murders; Pittsburg ranks 59th overall, 13th for murders; Concord ranks 82nd overall, 87th for murders

By Michael McKneely.

California is a large and diverse state. The landscape, social climate, and opportunities in one city may be entirely different than in another. Significant differences also exist in violent crime rates. Certain cities are more dangerous than others due to a variety of factors, such as economic opportunity, education, alcohol and drug use, availability of social and family services, gang activity, and much more.

In the most dangerous cities, you are more likely to become a victim of a violent crime. You also may be more likely to face accusations of committing an offense.

According to the FBI, since 2016, out of the 461 individual municipalities in California, four cities in Contra Costa County made the list of the 100 most dangerous cities within the state with a population of at least 50,000 residents. Richmond ranks 6th overall and 5th for murders at 18.9 per 100,000 residents; Antioch ranks 20th and 21st for murders; Pittsburg ranks 59th overall and 13th for murders; and Concord ranks 82nd overall and 87th for murders.

Richmond, a city of only 110,868 people, had a violent crime volume of 919.1 per 100,000 people. This number is made up of 18.9 homicides, 64.9 rapes, 328.2 robberies, and 506.9 aggravated assaults per 100,000 individuals.

Antioch had a violent crime volume of 678 per 100,000 people, as a result of eight homicides, 49.1 rapes, 261.4 robberies, and 359.5 aggravated assaults per 100,000 residents.

Pittsburg had 9.9 homicides per 100,000 people in 2016 – a higher rate than many other cities of a similar size. The city had 59.4 rapes, 164.2 robberies, and 159.9 aggravated assaults per 100,000 individuals. The overall violent crime volume was 393.4 per 100,000 residents.

Concord reported 0.8 homicides, 23.9 rapes, 122.4 robberies, and 197.1 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people. This amounted to a violent crime volume of 344.1 offenses per 100,000 individuals.

Part I crime statists for the four cities in Contra Costa County on the list.

Crime Statistics: Volume vs. Rate

One of the ways the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports on crime around the country is to provide the crime volume for certain locations. This is neither the specific number of offenses that occurred in a specific period of time nor the crime rate. Instead, crime volume is a simplified indicator of how frequently a crime occurs.

In regard to murder and non-negligent manslaughter (homicide), robbery, rape, and aggravated assault, the crime volume indicates the number of known victims. For example, Los Angeles had a volume of 58.5 rapes per 100,000 inhabitants. This means there were 58.5 known victims of rape for every 100,000 people.

The crime rate would be the number of reported crimes standardized by population. To determine the crime rate, you divide a city’s population by 100,000 to obtain X. You then divide the number of offenses by X. This gives you the city’s crime rate per 100,000 residents for a specific offense. For example, Los Angeles had a population of 4,007,905. Divide the population by 100,000, and X equals 40.079. Divide the volume of homicides in Los Angeles, 293, by 40.079, and the homicide rate is 7.31 per 100,000 residents.

It is also notable that if a city has less than 100,000 residents, the numbers still reflect a rate of incidents per 100,000 individuals. This has been calculated to maintain consistency and allow for comparison of overall crime rates. All of the cities on this list have at least 50,000 residents. This allows for more uniform comparison of crime rates.

Most Dangerous Cities in California and Contra Costa County

The following California cities considered in this study are the most dangerous when comparing total crime rate per 100,000 residents:

  1. Oakland, 2. Stockton; 3. San Bernardino, 4. Compton, 5. Modesto, 6. Richmond, 7. Vallejo, 8. Santa Cruz, 9. Redding, 10. Madera, 11. Huntington Park, 12. Inglewood, 13. Hawthorne, 14. Hemet, 15. Los Angeles, 16. Sacramento, 17. San Francisco, 18. South Gate, 19. Lancaster, 20. Antioch, 59. Pittsburg, 82. Concord.

To view the crime map in Richmond, visit https://www.crimemapping.com/map/agency/310. To see crime maps, statistics and calls for service for Antioch, visit http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/Police/crime-maps/. Details on Pittsburg crime statistics can be seen here, http://www.ci.pittsburg.ca.us/index.aspx?page=746. To visit the Concord Police Department webpage click here, http://www.cityofconcord.org/page.asp?pid=1026. To see more details for each city on the list, visit www.fresnocriminalattorney.com/most-dangerous-cities-california.

McKneely is a criminal defense lawyer in Fresno, California.

Fatal auto vs. bicyclist collision in Concord early Wednesday morning

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By Sergeant Adam Hart, Concord Police Traffic Bureau

On Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at 12:05 AM the Concord Police Department received a call regarding an auto vs. bicyclist collision on San Miguel Road near Systron Drive Officers arrived on-scene along with medical personnel from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

The bicyclist was pronounced deceased at the scene. The bicyclist was identified as a 60-year-old male from Concord. The identity of the deceased bicyclist is not being released at this time pending notification of next of kin by the Contra Costa County Office of the Coroner.

The driver of the vehicle is a 57-year-old male from Antioch. He remained at the scene and was the caller who called in the collision. He is cooperating with the investigation. He was not injured during the collision.

Alcohol/drugs are not believed to be a factor in this collision at this time.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation. Preliminary investigation has revealed that both the vehicle and the bicyclist were travelling south on San Miguel Rd. at the time of the collision.

San Miguel Road between Systron Drive and the entrance to 1080 San Miguel Road was closed for approximately 3.5 hours to perform roadway measurements, collect evidence, and conduct the investigation.

Additional details are not being released at this time.

Anyone with information or who may have witnessed this collision is encouraged to contact Officer Lawrence at (925) 671-5097.

BREAKING NEWS: DeSaulnier reports proposed Concord detention center “has been halted”

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Rep. Mark DeSaulnier

Washington, DC – Today, Wednesday, June 27, 2018, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) issued the following statement in response to news that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it will not be moving forward with a detention center at the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

“I am pleased the effort to turn Concord Naval Weapons Station into a detention facility has been halted. As we advised the Administration, the Concord Naval Weapons Station is an unsafe and inhabitable environment, and to propose housing almost 50,000 people there was both dangerous and immoral. We fought this proposal along with our local officials and dedicated community and will continue to fight against the inhumane and unjust policies proposed by this Administration. It is important not to let our guard down as one tweet can change things.”

Congressman DeSaulnier voiced concerns to the Administration about creating a detention facility on Concord Naval Weapons Station and led an effort of California Members in asking for the release of a proposal identifying Concord Naval Weapons Station as a possible detention site. News of Concord making the list of proposed facilities first broke in Time Magazine and Congressman DeSaulnier immediately contacted local officials to work with them to fight this effort. He also held a Facebook town hall to answer questions from area residents.