Contra Costa Herald

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

Walnut Creek suspicious death in November now investigated as homicide

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By Lt. Bruce Jower, Walnut Creek Police Department

On November 27th, 2023, at approximately 3:09 PM, Walnut Creek Police patrol officers were dispatched to a suspicious death in the 1900 block of Camino Verde Circle. Walnut Creek Police Detectives responded to the scene and investigated the case as a suspicious death. Detectives have officially classified this case as a homicide and are investigating it as such.

At this time, we are not revealing the identity of the victim. However, the next of kin has been notified. WCPD Detectives are following up on all leads at this time.

If anyone has any information about this case, please contact Detective Nick Olson at olson@walnutcreekpd.com or call the anonymous tip line (925) 943-5865. Case #: 23-37597

Concord PD asks public’s help to ID suspect in sexual assault

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Video surveillance photo of suspect in Concord sexual assault on Oct. 7, 2023. Source: Concord PD

Special Victims Unit needs your help

By Concord Police Department

On October 7, 2023, at approximately 10:17 AM, the male in the attached photograph sexually assaulted a female in the pedestrian tunnel under Hwy 242 connecting Franquette Avenue and Market Street. The male may frequent the area around Home Depot (2090 Meridian Park Blvd., Concord).

Anyone with information regarding the identity of this male may contact Detective David Boucher with CPD’s Special Victims Unit at 925-603-5876. CPD Case #23-11048. We also have an anonymous tip line at 925-603-5836.

Brentwood traffic stop leads to DUI, gun arrest of Antioch woman, Oakland man

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Her third DUI arrest this year; cited and released

By Brentwood Police Department

Alcohol and stolen gun confiscated during traffic stop on Dec. 10, 2023. Photo: Brentwood PD

Last weekend, on December 10, 2023, a Brentwood officer was patrolling the area of Heidorn Ranch and Kohl’s Drive when he pulled a car over for not having a front license plate and suspended registration. When he contacted the driver, identified as 20-year-old Arrieanna Renel Snell, Jr. of Antioch, he determined she was driving under the influence of alcohol. The officer also noticed an open bottle of tequila behind the passenger’s seat.

Upon contacting the passenger, identified as 23-year-old Jai Royale Williams of Oakland, the officer located a stolen gun in the car.

Snell was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and Williams was placed under arrest for being in possession of the stolen gun. Both were transported to the County Jail for booking.

According to vinelink.com, Snell was cited and released and Williams is out of custody with no charges filed.  According to localcrimenews.com, she was also arrested for driving with a license suspended for drunk driving. Earlier this year, Snell was arrested twice for assault upon a peace officer, DUI alcohol/drugs and for DUI alcohol with blood alcohol content above .08 percent.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Retired Pittsburg cop in Pleasant Hill standoff charged with attempted murder, injuring wife

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By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Retired Pittsburg Police officer Chunliam Nai Saechao. Source: Pittsburg PD

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a Pleasant Hill resident with nine felony counts for attempted murder of peace officers, assault with a firearm, and injuring a spouse following the standoff last Friday and Saturday. (See related articles here and here)

40-year-old Chunliam Nai Saechao is being held without bail in the Martinez Detention Facility.

He will be arraigned on charges stemming from a December 8th incident whereby Mr. Saechao – a retired Pittsburg Police officer who may have suffered a mental health episode – barricaded himself in his home for almost three days after he shot at his wife while she was trying to gain entrance to their residence.

During the protracted standoff with police, Mr. Saechao shot at officers who were in the process of evacuating residents from nearby homes. Bullets also struck a police vehicle during the evacuation, which had two officers inside. The officers inside the vehicle did not sustain any injuries.

The complaint filed with the court today lists two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer [PC 187(a)], one count of injuring a spouse [PC 273.5(a)], and six counts of assault with a firearm on a peace officer or firefighter [PC 245(d)(1)]. The charges also come with enhancements for discharging or using a firearm in the offenses.

CHP pursuit from San Francisco to Bay Point ends in crash, arrests of five

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One of the five suspects from the overturned car surrenders to CHP officers on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. Video screenshot

Speeds reached in excess of 120 MPH

By CHP – Golden Gate Division Air Operations

Early Saturday morning, Dec. 9, 2023, CHP helicopter H30 was requested by San Francisco CHP units to assist in pursuing a vehicle wanted for reckless driving.

The crew of H30 arrived overhead as the vehicle crossed the Oakland Bay Bridge as speeds in excess of 120 mph. The suspect vehicle led officers on a 45-minute pursuit through three counties. (See video)

With H30 overhead, ground units were able to back off to a safe distance and set up spike strips.

After hitting the spike strips, the vehicle lost multiple tires and the driver eventually lost control and crashed. Five occupants in the vehicle were subsequently taken into custody.

CHP Contra Costa is handling the investigation.

Following standoff Pleasant Hill man suspected of shooting wife arrested

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By Pleasant Hill Police Department

On Friday, December 8, 2023 at approximately 11:45 PM, the Central County SWAT team, and crisis negotiators responded to the 200 block of Cleopatra Drive. The husband from the previous incident, Chunliam Nai Saechao (40 years old), was determined to be a danger to the public and a felony warrant was obtained for his arrest. During the day, information was gathered from social media and other investigative means, which led to this decision.

A shelter in place was issued for the Sherman Oaks neighborhood.

Saturday morning at around 7:52 am Chunliam Saechao exited his residence and surrendered to the FBI SWAT Team without further incident. The FBI SWAT team was summoned early this morning to relieve Central County SWAT who intended to return to the scene at 2:00 pm, if necessary. Mr. Saechao will be booked on several felonies to include assault with a deadly weapon and attempted homicide on a police officer.

According to a CBS News Bay Area report, Saechao communicated with police through social media. “During the standoff, he posted videos to social media wearing a bulletproof vest and holding an assault rifle. One message posted online said, ‘Anyone try to break into my home is going to be killed and I will have no remorse because I did a good thing to rid evil.’”

We acknowledge this prolonged and serious event caused great disruption and stoked fear within the Sherman Acres neighborhood and the surrounding community. De-escalation tactics, including disengagement, are routinely utilized in hope for peaceful resolutions, such as this one. Even after disengaging with the suspect during the early morning hours of December 8, the community’s safety and security was consistently monitored and constantly assessed. Police officers remained ready in the area, and we continued to monitor Mr. Saechao’s social media activity. We are relieved that the tactics employed led to a peaceful resolution, avoiding any bodily injuries or fatalities to members of law enforcement or the surrounding community.

According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, Saechao is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on no bail.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Retired cop shoots wife, holes up in Pleasant Hill house, SWAT responds

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Police activity in the Sherman Acres neighborhood of Pleasant Hill, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. Photo: PHPD

Posts on social media; stand off ends Thursday, begins again Friday evening, police close nearby roads

By Lt.  Jason Kleven, Pleasant Hill Department

On December 7, 2023 at around 7:05 PM, Pleasant Hill Police Officers responded to a residence on Cleopatra Drive for a welfare check on an adult female who reported to family that she had been locked out of their residence by her husband. Upon arrival, Officers located the female who had minor injuries to her lower body. Officers determined the female had tried to gain entry to the residence, through the barricaded side garage door, and her husband fired a single shot from a shotgun towards the door, striking his wife. The female was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries where she was treated and later released. The husband remained inside the residence, alone.

Officers secured the scene and called crisis negotiators and the Central County SWAT team to the scene. Over several hours, numerous attempts to contact the husband, via telephone and loudspeaker, were made, but he was unresponsive to these attempts. The husband continuously posted to social media during the incident. The posts suggested he may be suicidal.

Crisis negotiators tried for several hours to communicate with the husband with no success. The circumstances surrounding this event indicated the husband was not an immediate threat to the general public. The SWAT team disengaged from the scene and the husband was left alone inside the residence.

According to a tweet by Henry Lee of KTVU, the man is a retired police officer.

On Friday, Dec. 8, Pleasant Hill Police announced they had returned to the neighborhood by tweeting, “5:30 pm Monument Blvd at I680 both directions and Marcia Dr is closed to all thru traffic. Please use alternate routes. Shelter in place issued for the Sherman Acres neighborhood due to police activity.”

Learn more from KTVU’s report here.

This is an ongoing investigation by the Pleasant Hill Police Department.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

Contra Costa DA’s Office issues Use of Force Report on Frank Correa of Oakley

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Claims 2022 officer involved shooting death “was justified and lawful.”

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office’s report on the August 25, 2022, use of force death of 58-year-old Frank Correa in Oakley is now publicly available. (See related articles here and here)

District Attorney Diana Becton emphasized: “The Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident (LEIFI) reports my office releases to the public reflect my administration’s commitment to government transparency. The public should have the opportunity to independently review our investigations into the use of force and understand how my team and I analyze the details to arrive at our legal conclusions.”

Each LEIFI report summarizes the results of the District Attorney’s independent criminal investigation, including a summary of an autopsy, the outcome of a coroner’s inquest, a legal analysis of the facts, and a determination of criminal liability.

In the incident on August 25th, 2022, involving Frank Correa, it was reported that Mr. Correa — armed with a semiautomatic firearm — threatened to kill his girlfriend at his residence. His girlfriend managed to escape to safety and the police were contacted shortly thereafter about the incident. After Oakley Police officers responded to the scene and endeavored to de-escalate the situation for over two hours, Correa proceeded to discharge his firearm seven times at responding Oakley Police Department officers. To counter an imminent threat of death/great bodily injury, Oakley Police Department Sergeant Jeff Solomon authorized Officer Brett Jackson to use lethal force against Mr. Correa to protect themselves and others in the neighborhood from death or bodily harm.

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s legal analysis of the totality of the circumstances determined the officer’s use of deadly force on August 25th was justified and lawful. Therefore, no further action will be taken in this case.

To read the complete LEIFI report on Frank Correa, click here.

Two arrested in downtown Walnut Creek armed robbery

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Source: WCPD video screenshot

By Lt. Bruce Jower, Walnut Creek Police Department

On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at approximately 7:36 PM, Walnut Creek Police Dispatch received a 911 call of a robbery on the 1500 block of Bonanza Street. Walnut Creek police officers responded to the scene and located two victims. The victims said they were approached by three male suspects wearing all black clothing and masks. One of the suspects was armed with a dark-colored handgun. The suspects stole the victim’s wallet, pistol-whipped and stole the bag of the other victim, and fled the scene in a white Lexus. The victim who was assaulted sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

Walnut Creek Police Detectives, in coordination with the Oakland Police Department, located the white Lexus in Oakland. Walnut Creek Police Detectives arrested two suspects, Elias Alcorn and Daymonee Johnson, and recovered stolen property from this robbery. Both were booked at the Martinez Detention Facility for the following charges with a bail of $250,000:

  • PC 211 – Robbery
  • PC 245 – Assault with a Deadly Weapon
  • PC 182(A)(1) – Conspiracy to Commit a Crime

The Walnut Creek Police Investigations Bureau continues to pursue investigative leads related to this incident. We encourage anyone with information regarding this robbery to contact the Walnut Creek Police Department at 925-943-5844 or utilize our Anonymous Tip Line at 925-943-5865.

Case #: 23-38521

From prisoner to pastor Discovery Bay resident brings hope to inmates

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Pastor Chris Mullen

By Neil Sterud, Herald Intern

Reaching across 22 prisons in four states, Pastor Chris Mullen, a Discovery Bay resident, has touched the lives of tens of thousands of prisoners. The unique journey that led him to this position is nothing less than remarkable.

Pastor Chris has walked a tumultuous path with a familiarity that extends to the prison gates. His journey into the dark realms of drugs and dealing began at the age of twelve, escalating to his first incarceration at fifteen when he set fire to a teacher’s classroom, fueled by a sense of perceived injustice. As the years unfolded, he found himself in a relentless cycle of criminality, convinced that his mission was merely to excel as a drug dealer, viewing the revolving prison doors as an unfortunate norm. Serving a total of six years behind bars, Chris’s redemption journey began with a spiritual awakening—a “tug on his heart” echoing through the confines of his San Quentin cell as volunteers sang Christmas carols, sparking the rekindling of his faith.

Amidst a history marked by recurring encounters with the legal system, one of Chris’ parole violations unfolded in a harrowing incident—a collision with a police car during a traffic stop while under the influence.

Years later, he was arrested again. Faced with the consequences of his actions, he recognized the urgent need for a transformative change. Upon his release, Chris sought assistance for his struggles with substance abuse and, in a pivotal moment, rededicated his life to a path guided by faith in God.

In 1999, facing denial to serve in San Quentin State Prison, Pastor Chris secured access to the California Division of Juvenile Justice. For years, he dedicated one day a month to this mission without financial compensation until he felt a compelling calling to take a leap of faith. After fervent prayer, he courageously resigned from his high-paying job, navigating the challenges of the Great Recession in 2009 with no backup plan, solely driven by his commitment to serving the inmate community. Throughout this transformative period, he relied on donations of free food from food banks and churches to make ends meet.

Inspired by his pastor’s definition of mercy as ‘not getting what we deserve’ and grace as ‘getting what we don’t deserve,’ Chris named his prison ministry “Mercy and Grace”. Based in Livermore, the ministry is a beacon of hope within correctional facilities, offering inmates the transformative power of compassion and unmerited favor. It is a 501c3 non-profit corporation registered in the State of California.

Mercy and Grace Ministries has since expanded its reach to outside California, to Utah, Idaho and Florida, with preparations underway to launch their Idaho Region. Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pastor Chris’ sermons found a unique platform on the Division of Rehabilitative Programs Television, broadcast on Inmate TV across every state prison in California. Additionally, the ministry actively engages with inmates through a robust letter-writing program, connecting with men and women in California and Idaho, as well as women in Utah. The organization thrives with 60 passionate volunteers, fueling impactful change behind bars.

To extend his service to a broader audience, Pastor Chris enlisted the help of a translator to connect with Spanish-speaking prisoners. Leveraging available resources, he had his sermons translated and shared in Spanish over 100 times. In the past six months, the Spanish arm of Mercy and Grace Ministries was launched, with dedicated individuals now delivering the Good News in a second language.

In a society that often turns its back on the demographic of prisoners, Pastor Chris stands as a beacon of unwavering commitment to the overlooked. In a candid conversation, when remarking on the gravity of crimes committed by some in his congregation, he responded with a touch of humor, saying, “All of the guys I work with are in there for jaywalking.”

His experiences are far from lighthearted, though, as he has braved the chaos of violent gang clashes, enduring the ominous rain of powder rounds from guard turrets, and even donned the weight of body armor. Despite these challenges, Pastor Chris remains undeterred in his mission, extending a compassionate hand to those that society often chooses to forget.

To learn more about his ministry and how to volunteer, visit https://mercyandgrace.org.