Contra Costa Herald

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

Missing Oakley woman Alexis Gabe’s remains found in Amador County

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Alexis Gabe from her missing poster.

Last seen in Antioch on January 26, 2022.

According to the Oakley Police Department and the Amador County Sheriff’s Office, on November 3, 2022, at approximately 3:00 p.m., the Amador County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip from a local resident of the Plymouth, California area who had discovered something suspicious that was thought to be human remains. Amador County Sheriff’s Office detectives and crime scene investigators responded to the scene and initiated a search of the area where they ultimately located the remains described in the tip. The remains were determined as those of missing Oakley woman Alexis Gabe.  She went missing on January 26, 2022, was last seen in Antioch and is suspected of being murdered by her late ex-boyfriend, Marshall Curtis Jones of Antioch. He was later shot and killed by police in Washington state. (See related articles here and here)

Plymouth is located in the west end of Amador County. The tip was made through the Amador County Secret Witness Program. Amador County Sheriff’s detectives and crime scene investigators documented the evidence found and collected the remains.

Due to the time of day and diminishing daylight, it was determined it would be best to keep watch over the area and initiate a more thorough investigation this morning. Members of the Oakley Police Department and the Antioch Police Department responded to the Plymouth area early Friday morning to assist with the investigation with the assistance of cadaver dogs. More evidence was identified and collected from the scene.

The specific location is an area just off of Jackson Road in Plymouth. The area where Alexis’ remains were found has been searched further and no other remains have been located.

The collaborative investigation did confirm the partial remains were human. A forensic odontologist responded to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office facility to examine the remains. The forensic odontologist positively identified the remains as those of Alexis Gabe. All evidence collected by the Amador County Sheriff’s Office was turned over to Oakley Police Department detectives and Coroner jurisdiction has been turned over to the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office to determine manner and cause of death.

The Gabe family has been notified and they are requesting respect and privacy during this time of mourning.

According to the Oakley Police Department, the Gabe family has been notified and they are requesting respect and privacy during this time of mourning.

Jackson Road is an area we identified early on as an area where Jones travelled to in the hours and days after Alexis was reported as missing.

Due to the nature of the condition of Alexis’ remains, and the lack of her full body, we believe the remainder of her remains are scattered in various areas.

Due to the condition of Alexis’ remains we realize there may never be a full recovery of her. The City of Oakley has determined there will be no extensions of reward funds for any future remains that may be found.

A press conference will be scheduled for early next week and we will provide details for the date and time as soon as possible. Any questions regarding this case should be directed to the Antioch and Oakley Police Departments.  The Amador County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend their condolences to the Gabe family in this difficult time.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Man convicted of throwing objects at vehicles receives 22-year prison sentence

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Killed Antioch grandmother, blinded Concord nurse

By CHP-Contra Costa

On Friday October 21, 2022, Mark Navone was sentenced in Contra Costa County Superior Court to a 22-year prison sentence after being found guilty of numerous charges relating to throwing objects at vehicles.

Navone, 38-years-old was arrested after a California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigation identified him as the suspect in multiple incidents of vehicles being struck by thrown objects, such as rocks and bricks, on Hwy 4, near Hwy 242. Navone’s malicious actions resulted in the death of a 63-year-old grandmother from Antioch as well as the blinding of a 37-year-old delivery nurse from Concord. Navone was arrested on April 2, 2021, by Contra Costa Area CHP officers on a wide range of felony charges.

We would like to thank Contra Costa Area CHP investigators, CHP Golden Gate Division Investigative Services Unit Detectives, the Concord Police Department, the Antioch Police Department, and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office for their incredible work in building this case. We would also like to thank the public for the valuable information they provided that enabled us to put this case together and ultimately hold Navone responsible for his actions.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.

 

Sutter Health agrees to pay $13 Million to settle False Claims Act allegations of improper billing for lab tests

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By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California, U.S. Department of Justice

SAN FRANCISCO – Sutter Health, a Sacramento-based health care services provider, and its affiliate Sutter Bay Hospitals, the successor to Sutter East Bay Hospitals dba Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (collectively Sutter Health), agreed to pay more than $13 million to settle allegations that it violated the federal False Claims Act by billing the United States for toxicology screening tests performed by outside labs, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds; Federal Bureau of Investigation San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General (OPM OIG) Special Agent in Charge Amy K. Parker; Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan; Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Western Field Office Special Agent in Charge Bryan D. Denny; and the Defense Health Agency (DHA). Sutter Health DOJ Settlement Agrmt 10.17.2022

“Sutter Health agreed to pay $13 million to settle allegations that it billed government health programs for lab tests performed by others,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds. “Government health care programs must be protected, and this office will investigate and pursue health care providers that fail to provide the services paid for by public health care programs.”

“Investigating health care fraud and abuse is a priority for the FBI,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. “These cases are often worked in conjunction with our federal law enforcement partners, and this settlement is a great example of the multi-agency investigative team’s hard work to protect the integrity of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.”

“The OPM OIG is committed to protecting the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program from fraudulent claims,” said OPM OIG Special Agent in Charge Amy K. Parker. “I applaud the dedicated team for their effort in securing today’s settlement.”

“When medical providers charge federal health care programs for services that other providers actually performed, the integrity of these programs is undermined,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to uproot and investigate such schemes.”

“Today’s announced outcome concludes a collaborative effort to hold Sutter Health accountable for its improper billing practices that harmed our health care system, including the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program,” said DCIS Western Field Office Special Agent in Charge Bryan D. Denny. “DCIS will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the health care system.”

“We commend the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s office, and the other state and federal agencies for their commitment to justice,” stated the Defense Health Agency. “Their efforts protect taxpayer dollars to ensure our service members, veterans and their families continue to receive the highest level of medical care.”

The United States contends in the civil settlement agreement signed by Sutter Health that under the terms of a contract which the Sutter Health hospital Alta Bates Summit Medical Center entered into with Navigant Network Alliance, LLC, Navigant referred urine toxicology specimens obtained from physicians and laboratories across the country to Sutter. Sutter submitted bills, or caused bills to be submitted, for reimbursement of the qualitative and quantitative testing it performed on the specimens. The United States asserts that Sutter did not perform the quantitative testing on thousands of specimens referred under the agreement and that these quantitative tests were instead performed by third-party labs. The United States alleges that Sutter nevertheless sought reimbursement for the tests. In the settlement agreement, the United States contends that between August 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017, Sutter billed for urine toxicology tests it did not perform and was paid for the testing by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare.

Sutter agrees in the settlement agreement to pay $13,091,452 to settle the false claims allegations. Of that amount, Sutter has already paid more than $6.5 million to the United States. Sutter agrees to pay the remaining amount of approximately $6.5 million to the United States within 30 days. The settlement agreement resolves the civil law claims that the United States might have brought based upon these allegations.

This matter is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David DeVito, with assistance from Garland He, Jonathan Birch, Lillian Do, and Alan Lopez. The matter is the result of a coordinated investigation between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the FBI, OPM OIG, HHS-OIG, DCIS, and the DHA.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The civil settlement agreement is neither an admission of liability by Sutter Health nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.

 

CEO of company that sold election poll worker software to L.A., Contra Costa counties arrested on personal-data theft charges

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Stored data on severs in the People’s Republic of China, Los Angeles DA says

Contra Costa data “was not involved in the alleged incident” – Debi Cooper, County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar

Dominion voting equipment used by county does have removable media ports; test run on Friday

By Allen D. Payton

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced on Tuesday, Oct. 4 that the CEO of Michigan-based Konnech Corporation which is responsible for the software used in managing Los Angeles County election poll workers, has been arrested as part of an investigation into the possible theft of personal identifying information of those workers. The Contra Costa County Elections Division also uses the same software. However, it’s been confirmed that Contra Costa’s data was not involved in the alleged incident.

Konnech distributes and sells its proprietary PollChief software, which is an election worker management system that was utilized by the county in the last California election. The software assists with poll worker assignments, communications and payroll. PollChief requires that workers submit personal identifying information, which is retained by the Konnech.

“I want to thank my prosecutors and investigators for their commitment to eliminating cyber intrusions against government entities and local businesses,” Gascón said. “Data breaches are an ongoing threat to our digital way of life. When we entrust a company to hold our confidential data, they must be willing and able to protect our personal identifying information from theft. Otherwise, we are all victims.”

The investigation was concerned solely with the personal identifying information of election workers. In this case, the alleged conduct had no impact on the tabulation of votes and did not alter election results. But security in all aspects of any election is essential so that we all have full faith in the integrity of the election process.”

Earlier that day, Konnech Corporation Chief Executive Officer Eugene Yu was taken into custody on suspicion of theft of personal identifying information by investigators from the District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Meridian Township Police Department in Michigan. In addition, hard drives and other digital evidence were seized by LADA investigators.

The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office is seeking Yu’s extradition to Los Angeles.

Under its $2.9 million, five-year contract with L.A. County, Konnech was supposed to securely maintain the data and that only United States citizens and permanent residents have access to it. District Attorney investigators found that in contradiction to the contract, information was stored on servers in the People’s Republic of China.

The East Lansing Police Department and Ingham County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan also assisted in the investigation.

“Konnech was required to keep the data in the United States and only provide access to citizens and permanent residents but instead stored it on servers in the People’s Republic of China,” the L.A.D.A.’s office said.

As a result of Yu’s arrest, Prince William County, Virginia stopped using the PollChief software, this week, according to a Potomac Local News report.

Contra Costa Clerk Says County’s Data Not Included

Several questions were emailed to Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar Debi Cooper, including “does your department use any Konnech software, including its proprietary PollChief, for the Elections Division? If so, do you know if any the personal data of any poll workers, any voters or anyone else in our county was part of the alleged theft and also stored on servers in China? If so, what if anything has the Elections Division done or are they doing about it?”

Cooper responded, “Contra Costa uses PollChief for our poll worker management and communication and asset management (supplies inventory). Our software and data are stored in a secure private cloud located in Lansing, Michigan. This system is used to schedule training and communicate with our volunteers and to track polling place supplies.  It is critical to note that this system is not connected to our voter registration/ elections management system nor to our stand-alone vote tabulation system, which is not connected to any other network or the internet.”

“Our poll workers’ personal info, such as SSN or vaccination information, is managed by the Contra Costa County HR database, which is not connected to PollChief in any way,” she continued. “We have confirmed that our data was not involved in the alleged incident.  Per our contract, our data and the system have remained in the secure cloud in Lansing, Michigan.”

“In addition, Contra Costa’s PollChief system does not require any personal identifiable information to apply as an Election Volunteer, therefore no volunteer personal identifiable information is captured or stored on Contra Costa’s PollChief site,” Cooper shared. “We continue to be in regular contact with the vendor as they work through this issue.  We have reviewed our contract terms and confirmed with the company that the terms continue to be met and our data remains fully secure and without breach.”

Contra Costa’s Dominion Voting Equipment Removable Media Ports Under Lock and Key

As previously reported the county has been using the controversial Dominion voting equipment since 2018.

Regarding election security in Contra Costa County, Cooper was asked, “does the Dominion voting equipment used by the Elections Division have ports in which a mobile hard drive can be inserted and/or removed? If so, who in the office handles that and why would it be done?”She responded, “Any open ports on our equipment at in-person voting locations (ICX accessible voting equipment, ballot printers, etc.) have locking covers or port blockers installed, which we retain the keys to.”

10/17/22 UPDATE: Friday Test Results in 100% Accuracy

On Friday, Oct. 14th, the Elections Division performed the county’s official logic and accuracy testing on central ballot counting and processing equipment. Logic and accuracy testing is a standard pre-election procedure. The test is designed to confirm that all central count equipment is in working order and functioning properly. A set of test ballots was run through each scanner to ensure they are properly programmed and operating as expected.

Questions were sent to the Elections Division staff asking about the results of the test.

Helen Nolan of the County Elections Office responded, “Our logic and accuracy testing on Friday went very well. We scanned 22,000 ballot cards, which were a mix of pre-printed test ballots, hand marked test cards, ICX (Ballot Marking Device) ballots, RAVBM ballots, and MBP printed ballot cards. Our test decks were comprised of 167 different patterns for each ballot type (unique combination of contests, candidates, and rotations). These test ballots come to us with an expected set of results.

700 ballot cards were adjudicated in order to test each ‘out-stack’ condition (blank card, overvoted contest, indeterminate marks, and write-in positions) to ensure the scanners were accurately identifying those ballots with those pre-indicated conditions.

Our end results matched 100%, meaning after all test ballots were scanned and adjudicated, we found our test results matched the predetermined expected results with 100% accuracy.”

Antioch Mayor Thorpe no show for DUI trial, attorney says he wants to change plea

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Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe is facing DUI charges from an arrest in the early morning of March 19, 2022.

New hearing set for Dec. 13

By Allen D. Payton

According to an Antioch resident who was at the courthouse in Martinez, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, Mayor Lamar Thorpe did not show up for his DUI trial before Judge Joni T. Hiramoto, and that his lawyer stated Thorpe wants to change his plea from not guilty. The resident also shared that a new hearing for Thorpe is set for Dec. 13, 2022, in Dept 20. at 8:30 am. The information was later confirmed by Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer, Ted Asregadoo.

Thorpe was arrested in March for DUI at 1:15 a.m. in Concord. In a Facebook video later that morning he apologized for having “the drink with dinner”. He wouldn’t say with whom or where he had dinner nor what alcohol he had consumed that night. Thorpe was charged by the DA and later pled not guilty. (See related articles here, here, here and here)

However, reports from the staff of an Antioch restaurant are that Thorpe had consumed three shots of alcohol earlier that evening before heading out of town.

An email was sent to Asregadoo Wednesday morning asking, if he could confirm the information provided by the resident was true and if not, to please provide the correct information. In addition, he was asked who from the DA’s office is prosecuting the case.

“You are correct,” he replied. “The next court date is on 12/13/22 at 8:30 am in Department 20.  They set the date today for a change of plea. I don’t know which DDA has been assigned to this case, but the supervisor of the misdemeanor trail team is Jay Melaas.”

Attempts to reach Thorpe were unsuccessful asking if what the resident shared is true and if not to please provide the correct information. He was also asked, “Why weren’t you there? Were you still in Seattle for the APTA conference or traveling home at the time? What will you be changing your plea to? No contest or guilty? Will you attend the new hearing on Dec. 13?”

Thorpe might have been traveling home from the conference, today and unable to respond to questions. An effort to reach staff of Tri Delta Transit asking who from the agency attended the conference and if Thorpe, who is the agency’s board vice chair, was among them were unsuccessful prior to publication time. District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson who is also a board member for the agency representing Antioch did not attend the conference, as was previously expected.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Danville middle school teacher charged with lewd acts on minors

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Also, worked as cheerleader instructor in San Ramon; faces additional charge of distributing or showing porn to minor

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office has filed felony charges against a Middle School teacher in Danville for committing lewd acts on minors.

A three-count felony complaint was filed with the Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County on September 16th against 41-year-old Nicholas Brandon Moseby of Concord. Moseby is being charged with two counts of committing a lewd act upon child. One minor is 15 years old, and the offense occurred on August 31, 2022. The other minor is 14 years old and was also a victim of a lewd act and unwanted pornographic images on September 4, 2022. For that offense, Moseby faces one count of distributing or showing pornography to a minor.

Moseby was arrested on September 14th, and at the time he was a biology teacher at Diablo Vista Middle School in Danville — and also worked as a cheerleader instructor at Nor Cal Elites in San Ramon. Moseby’s arraignment is scheduled on September 19th at 1:35 pm in Martinez. He’s currently in custody in the Martinez Detention Facility and bail is set at $200,000.

The Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated this incident. There may be other victims, and anyone who has information, please call Darryl Holcombe, Senior Inspector with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, at 925-957-2200.

Case Number: 01-22-01583 | The People of the State of California v. Nicholas Brandon Moseby

In post of self-promoting comments Antioch Mayor Thorpe repeats Quinto family’s debunked false claims about police officers, in custody death

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creenshot of Thorpe’s Oct. 6, 2022, Facebook post of Quinto family comments.

Quinto was not in police custody when he died in the hospital three days later from “excited delirium and prescription drugs”

Antioch Police Officers Association, Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica respond; Thorpe does not

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on his official Facebook page on Thursday, Oct. 6, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe repeated the lies by the family of Angelo Quinto that he “was killed by Antioch Police” and that his was an “in custody death”. Both claims have been debunked by both the Contra Costa County Coroner and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, as well as former Police Chief Tammany Brooks.

Thorpe posted the glowing comments about himself by Quinto’s mother and stepfather, that include the false claims which read, “‘Mayor Lamar Thorpe has been a courageous leader, helping the city of Antioch overcome a history that has often failed many members of its highly diverse community.

Our son, Angelo Quinto, was killed by Antioch Police in December 2020, soon after Mayor Thorpe was elected. A second in custody death followed closely thereafter. Mayor Thorpe was instrumental in seeking and achieving meaningful reforms, including body cams and non-police mental health response teams, that led to better policing for the Antioch community in an expeditious manner.

As a result of Mayor Thorpe’s fearless leadership, the city of Antioch has reformed or is in the midst of reforming many critical areas. His fearlessness has often made him the target of attacks by members of the community who don’t understand the need or are afraid of the reforms that have been undertaken. He is a forward looking leader who will not be silenced, and is helping Antioch overcome a legacy of exclusion and division, and transform it into a city that lives by its motto, opportunity lives here.’

Cassandra Quinto-Collins and Robert Collins”

The other death they referred to, was of a man that occurred in February 2021 while he was in custody at a local hospital. He was under the influence of drugs, running into traffic on major city streets and attempted to break into a car with the driver inside and had to be tazed by police to subdue him. He was administered NARCAN and later died while still in-custody at a local hospital. (See related article)

March 2021 – Antioch Police Chief: No Knee to Neck, Quinto Died Not In Police Custody

Yet, during the press conference held about the case, in March 2021, then-Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks said Quinto died in the hospital three days after the incident while not in police custody. (See related article)

At that press conference which Thorpe both attended and spoke during, Brooks said there was no knee on Quinto’s neck by officers and he was not in custody at time of his Dec. 26 death. In addition, Brooks released the 9-11 calls from Quinto’s family to Antioch Police demonstrating the need for the officers’ response to protect the family from Quinto who was harming them. Officers arrived on the scene to find Quinto being actively restrained by his mother on a bedroom floor of the home, Brooks further shared.

In addition, he shared he had “been in contact with the Coroner’s Office and the following four points have been jointly approved by multiple pathologists related to their findings thus far:

  1. Although the decedent had injuries consistent with a struggle with his family and law enforcement, none of the injuries appeared to be fatal.
  2. There were no fractures of the skull, torso, or extremities.
  3. A full examination of the neck revealed there was no evidence of strangulation or crushed airway.
  4. They are currently expanding toxicology testing because they were aware of reported past drug use.”

August 2021 – County Coroner’s Inquest Jury: Quinto’s Death Was Accident Caused by “Excited Delirium and Prescription Drugs”

Then in August 2021, a Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner’s Inquest Jury, after hearing the testimony of witnesses, found that Quinto’s death was an accident. He “succumbed to excited delirium and prescription drugs during the physical altercation with officers, the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office ruled”.  (See related article)

September 2022 – Contra Costa DA Report: Officers Acted In Lawful, Objectively Reasonable Manner

Finally, early last month, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office issued a 39-page, “Report of the Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident In-Custody Death of Angelo Voithugo Quinto on December 24, 2020” in which they wrote, “…Antioch Police officers engaged with Quinto in a manner that was lawful and objectively reasonable under the circumstances…an internal examination showed no bone fractures or damage to Quinto’s larynx and trachea…” The report concluded that, “In applying the applicable law and the California District Attorney’s Uniform Crime Charging Standards to the present case, there is no evidence of a criminal offense committed by Officer Becerra, Officer Perkinson, Officer Hopwood, or Officer Shipilov. As such, no further action will be taken in this case.” (See related article)

Thorpe Refuses to Answer Questions, Now Limiting Comments on Official Facebook Page

Questions were sent to Thorpe Saturday morning, Oct. 8 asking, “do you not believe the findings from the office of your political ally, D.A. Diana Becton? Do you not recognize the negative impacts of what you’ve shared on the morale of Antioch Police Department personnel?

Are you not aware that officers who are leaving the department are claiming in their exit interviews that it’s partially and directly related to your attitude and that of your two council colleagues, Monica Wilson and Tamisha Torres-Walker, against them, other APD officers and the department as a whole?”

In addition, posts on his Facebook page show Thorpe only allows select individuals to post comments. Below each post the following sentence can be read: “Mayor Lamar A. Thorpe limited who can comment on this post.”

He was then asked, “Why have you limited comments on this and other posts on your official Facebook page? Are you afraid of reading comments by ang engaging with your constituents who you were elected to represent and serve? Do you not want to know what your constituents are thinking? Isn’t that being cowardly? Who are you allowing and not allowing to comment on the posts on that page? What is the criteria you are using for your selectivity?”

Screenshot of Sept. 2, 2022, Facebook post of APOA statement regarding the CCDA’s Quinto case report.

Antioch Police Officers Association Responds

Asked if he had a response to Thorpe’s post Sergeant Rick Hoffman, president of the Antioch Police Officers Association responded with the statement they issued to the Associated Press in September and posted on their Facebook page on Sept. 2nd:

“The death of Angelo Quinto was an unfortunate circumstance and the men and women of the Antioch Police Department continue to pray for the Quinto family. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office has cleared the Antioch Police Officers involved in this incident of any wrongdoing and we believe this is the correct decision.”

Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica Also Responds

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica also responded to Thorpe’s posting of the Quinto family’s comments, sharing the Sept. 2nd post on his own official Facebook page following the announcement by the DA’s office. He wrote, “I want to be very clear that the loss of any human life is tragic. This is not in any way meant to minimize that. This article speaks for itself and I believe that we should wait for investigations to be completed before making assumptions.

Screenshot of Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica’s Sept. 2, 2022, Facebook post regarding the CCDA’s Quinto case report

During this time, so many statements were made by members of the public and elected officials which led many people to believe there was wrongdoing before any formal investigation was complete. I want to point out, that I always understand the emotion and the sense of loss from family members, so this is in no way referring to their response or minimizing their grief. This is about people within our community and elected officials that should know better, that we should wait to find out the facts before jumping to conclusions.

Last year there were even statements published after being made by Assemblyman Gipson of So. CA. that there was an officer that did kneel on Mr. Quinto’s neck for five minutes, giving the appearance that this contributed to this death. This statement was made before any findings were made public.

On 9/3/21, I personally called and spoke with the Assemblyman about this, telling him that I disagreed with his public statement, especially before any findings had been published and that there was no evidence of this. I also brought to his attention at that time, the recent Coroner’s Inquest findings. During that conversation, he told me that he was going to personally call Chief Brooks and apologize for the premature statement and apologize to the APD. With Chief Brooks permission, I supplied the Assemblyman with the chief’s personal cell phone number.

On 9/13/21 I again reached out to him as that call had not yet happened, but he told me that he would be making the call. To my knowledge, that has yet to happen.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

 

 

Brothers found guilty in brutal 2020 Antioch sexual assault, robbery case

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Kenry Young (left) and Lamar Young. Photos by APD.

Face life sentences

ANTIOCH, CA – On Monday, September 26, 2022, a jury of Kenry Lee Young and Lamar Young’s peers returned with a guilty verdict after a five-week trial. The brothers were convicted of California Penal Code Section 289 (sexual penetration by a foreign object), PC 287 (oral copulation), and two counts of PC 211 (robbery) for the numerous crimes they committed on October 17, 2020. (See related article)

While we regret these crimes took place, we would like to commend the bravery of the victims for coming forward and assisting with the prosecution of these two men. Because of their efforts, the Young brothers will never be able to victimize anyone else.

Additionally, we would like to thank Deputy District Attorney Jessica Murad and everyone else involved for their hard work during this lengthy trial.

The Antioch Police Department would like to thank the members of the community who assisted us with this investigation, in addition to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, Serological Research Institute, FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Stockton Police Department.

Lastly, we would like to recognize the tireless efforts of Antioch PD Detective Kelly Inabnett, who was the lead investigator on this case. His extensive work and dedication to bringing justice to the victims led to the identification, arrest, and successful prosecution of this case.

According to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, Lamar and Kenry Young, the two brothers who callously committed a sexual assault and robbed two foreign national students in Antioch are facing life sentences.

35-year-old Lamar Lee Young of Stockton and 33-year-old Kenry Lee Young of Antioch attacked a couple on October 16, 2020, before midnight in the Palms Parking Lot near G Street in Antioch. The victims traveled to Antioch from the South Bay to go fishing at a pier on the Delta. When the victims returned to their vehicle, Lamar and Kenry approached them on foot with handguns drawn while the couple were seated in their car. The Youngs then proceeded to use their firearms as blunt force weapons on both individuals, carried out sexual acts on the female victim, and robbed them of their valuables — including an ATM card.

Members of the Antioch Police Investigations Bureau took the lead in reviewing a large amount of video evidence – including areas near the scene of the crime and a bank’s security camera footage where Kenry Young attempted to use the stolen ATM cards to withdraw cash. Investigators also used a DNA sample from Kenry Young to compare it to forensic evidence from the scene of the crime – which resulted in a positive match.

On October 22, 2020, members of the Antioch Police Special Operations and Problem Oriented Policing Units arrested Kenry Young at his residence in Antioch, which was only a few blocks from the crime scene. Lamar Young, identified as the second suspect, was arrested in Stockton on October 29, 2020.

After the Youngs were booked into the Martinez Detention Facility, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed a six-count felony complaint on November 2nd against Kenry and Lamar Young.

On September 26th, 2022, a jury found both men guilty of forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by a foreign object with enhancements for use of a dangerous or deadly weapon, as well as second-degree robbery and assault.  Each faces a minimum of 30 years to life. A sentencing date has been set for December 16th, 2022, in Martinez in front of Judge Rebecca Hardie.

Deputy District Attorney Jessica Murad – who prosecuted the case for The People — said she’s thankful to the victims for coming forward and “having the courage to testify against these men for these truly horrific crimes. By doing so they have ensured no one else will ever be victimized by these brothers again.”

Antioch Police Detective Kelly Inabnett said in a statement: “I am sorry I met the victims during one of the most traumatic moments of their lives, but I am grateful and inspired by the strength they showed when testifying against their perpetrators. I am grateful the jury decided to hold the Young brothers accountable for their actions.”

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and the Antioch Police Department would like to thank the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, Serological Research Institute, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Stockton Police Department, the CCCDAO’s Sexual Assault Unit, Legal Assistants, Victim Support, and the members of the community who helped in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

Original Antioch Police News Release

ANTIOCH, CA. On Saturday, October 17, 2020, at about 1:00 am, Antioch Police patrol officers were notified of a brutal sexual assault that occurred in the Palms Parking Lot (near the Foot of G Street). Officers learned two victims were fishing at the San Joaquin River and returned to their vehicle at about 11:50 pm the previous evening. They were approached by two male suspects who were armed with handguns. The suspects robbed and pistol whipped both victims. After doing so, both suspects forced the female victim to perform sexual acts on them. The suspects left the scene in a vehicle – and minutes later – attempted to use a credit card stolen in the incident at an ATM.

Members of the Antioch Police Investigations Bureau took over the investigation and performed an extensive collection of video evidence. This included areas near the scene of the crime and the ATM that was used. From this video collection, investigators developed a suspect, 31-year-old KENRY LEE YOUNG of Antioch. A reference sample of his DNA was compared to forensic evidence from the scene of the crime, resulting in a positive match. On October 22, 2020, members of the Antioch Police Special Operations and Problem Oriented Policing Units arrested Kenry Lee Young at his residence, which was only a few blocks from the crime scene.

Detectives conducted additional investigation and learned the second suspect was Kenry Young’s brother, 33-year-old LAMAR YOUNG of Stockton. On October 29, 2020, members of the Special Operations and Problem Oriented Policing Units placed Lamar Young under arrest in Stockton.

On Monday, November 2, 2020, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged both Kenry and Lamar Young with multiple felonies, including oral copulation by force, sodomy by force, sexual penetration by force, aggravated assault with a firearm, and two counts of

robbery. Both remain in-custody at the Martinez Detention Facility awaiting trial and their bail was set at $3,450,000.

The Antioch Police Department would like to thank the members of the community who assisted us with this investigation, in addition to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, Serological Research Institute, FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Stockton Police Department.

Additional inquiries or information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Inabnett at (925) 779-6932 or by emailing kinabnett@antiochca.gov. Anonymous tips or information about this – or any other incident – can be sent via text to 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword ANTIOCH.

Former Antioch High football QB and female partner in custody for Brentwood armed robberies

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Delvon Hasain Hasan & Dioni Tamira Patton. Photos by Brentwood PD.

Identified, arrested with assistance from Concord PD, Antioch PD

By Brentwood Police Department

On Tuesday, Sept. 20 at approximately 3:25 PM, Brentwood Police officers responded to the Bank of America located at 6261 Lone Tree Way for a robbery that just occurred. The victim reported that after exiting the bank, she was approached by one suspect who attempted to grab her purse. A struggle ensued with the suspect while a second suspect was waiting close by in a getaway vehicle. The victim’s wallet and purse, containing an undisclosed amount cash was stolen during the struggle. Both suspects fled the scene in the getaway vehicle, described as a black four-door sedan was seen traveling eastbound on Lone Tree Way.

The victim sustained minor injuries and it was determined a second minor victim was on scene but did not sustain any injuries.

Our investigators quickly performed follow-up and with the help of Concord PD and Antioch PD, identified and arrested 18-year-old Dioni Tamira Patton and 20-year-old Delvon Hasain Hasan both from Antioch. Our investigators also recovered two firearms, other related evidence and two vehicles associated with the robbery. Additionally, it was determined through surveillance footage, these suspects were responsible for a similar robbery that occurred at the same location on Sept.16, 2022, at approximately 2:25 p.m.

Guns confiscated by Brentwood police and Delvon Hasan perp walk.

According to MaxPreps Hasan is a 2021 graduate of Antioch High School where he played baseball and football. According to hudl.com he wore jersey #5 and played quarterback and tight end in 2019.

Through collaboration and partnership, we were able to safely take both suspects into custody. A special thank you to Concord PD and Antioch PD for their assistance.

Please remain vigilant at all times and aware of your surroundings. If you see something suspicious immediately report it to the police.

If you have any information related to this crime, please contact Detective Sares at 925-809-7733. Callers may remain anonymous.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Contra Costa Deputy Sheriff arrested in illegal firearms case

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Pinole resident twice honored as department’s Officer of the Year

Matthew Buckley. CCCSheriff

By Jimmy Lee, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

On Thursday, August 25, 2022, detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division arrested Matthew Buckley, a Deputy Sheriff and 15-year veteran of the department. This comes after an investigation into illegal firearms.

As part of the investigation, a search warrant was served at a residence where evidence was seized.

41-year-old Buckley of Pinole, the department’s Officer of the Year for two consecutive years, was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on the following charges:

Felony Grand theft of a firearm (two counts), receiving stolen property (two counts), felony unlicensed transfer of a firearm, felony filing a false report, destroying/concealing evidence, and possession of a controlled substance.

Buckley is being held in lieu of $175,000 bail. He is on paid administrative leave from the Sheriff’s Office.

“When we were first apprised of the allegations, we immediately started an investigation,” said Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston. “No one is above the law and employees of the Sheriff’s Office who violate the law will be held accountable. I am disappointed but this arrest is not a reflection of the many outstanding employees of the Sheriff’s Office.”

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

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.