Contra Costa Herald

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

Concord Police search for driver in fatal hit and run collision Sunday

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By Concord Police Department

On Sunday, July 21, 2019, at approximately 12:24 A.M., Concord PD Officers were dispatched to a motorcycle vs. automobile collision that occurred near the intersection of Concord Blvd. and Lodato Way. A motorcyclist was traveling east on Concord Blvd. when he attempted to pass a Toyota Prius also traveling east on Concord Blvd. ahead of him. The motorcycle collided with the rear end of the Prius and the solo rider was ejected, landing in the westbound lane of Concord Blvd. A dark-colored pickup truck, traveling west on Concord Blvd., ran over the motorcyclist while he was laying in the roadway. The driver of the truck continued west on Concord Blvd. and was not located. The driver of the Prius remained on scene and was cooperative with the investigation.

Due to injuries he sustained, the motorcyclist was pronounced deceased at the scene by Emergency Medical Personnel. His identity is not being released pending notification of next of kin.

The collision is still under investigation. Officers are attempting to identify and locate the driver of the pickup truck that left the scene.

Concord Blvd., between Ayers Road and Kirker Pass Road, was closed for approximately three hours for the investigation. No further details are being released at this time.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who has any information on this case is asked to contact Traffic Officer Derrick King at the Concord Police Department, 925-671-5880.

Antioch, Bay Point men arrested for beating Bay Point man to death, assault on another Thursday

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

On Thursday, July 18, 2019, at about 9:09 PM, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a suspicious circumstance in the area of Riverside Drive and Mariners Cove in Bay Point. The caller stated that there was a man who appeared to be beaten in the street.

Deputies arrived and found an unresponsive man in front of a home on the 200 block of Riverside Drive. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. He is identified as 38-year-old Johnny Burns of Bay Point.

At about 9:21 PM, Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon on the 2700 block of Willow Pass Road in Bay Point. The victim was later treated and released from a local hospital.

The suspect vehicle and suspect descriptions were broadcast to law enforcement agencies in the area. The Concord Police Department later located the vehicle. Deputies responded to that location and took custody of 20-year-old Abel Garcia of Antioch. An arrest warrant was issued for the second suspect, Erick Ruiz. The 24-year-old Bay Point resident was arrested Friday, July 19, 2019.

Garcia was later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF) on the following charges: assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery, conspiracy and participating in acriminal street gang. Garcia is being held in lieu of $140,000 bail. Ruiz was also booked into the MDF for assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery and conspiracy. He is being held in lieu of $160,000 bail.

Detectives are still investigating both incidents to determine if they are linked.

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

 

“Boss Lady” convicted of pimping women in Richmond

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Nicole Hernandez. Photo by Richmond PD.

By Richmond Police Department

On 07-18-2019, 33-year-old Nicole Marie Hernandez was convicted of pimping two women and sentenced to three years in State Prison. The victims were originally intercepted by the Richmond Police while loitering for prostitution in the 23rd Street Corridor on March 21. Hernandez had rented them a room at the nearby Civic Center Motel. Forensic analysis of the victims’ cell phones revealed that the two were working as prostitutes for Hernandez. One of the victims even referred to Hernandez as “boss lady” in evidence recovered from her cell phone.

Human Trafficking Unit Supervisor Dana Filkowski prosecuted the case for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. She emphasized that “just as pimping and pandering crimes don’t respect jurisdictional boundaries, they also don’t respect gender boundaries. Women can be pimps just like men and they will be prosecuted and held accountable just like men.”

If you or someone you know is being pressured or encouraged to engage in prostitution to benefit or help support another person, help is only a phone call away. Contact Community Violence Solutions at 800-670-7273to speak to a confidential counselor. Or visit the Contra Costa Family Justice Centers in Richmond, Concord or Antioch to talk to a Navigator about a variety of services and support available right here in Contra Costa County. The Family Justice Centers are a family-friendly one-stop center serving victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and other types of interpersonal violence. No appointment is needed and the centers are located at 256 24th Street in Richmond, 2151 Salvio St., Ste. 201 in Concord or 3501 Lone Tree Way in Antioch.

To learn more about human trafficking in Contra Costa County, visit the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition’s webpage at www.contracostacoalition.org.

Four convicted in organized auto insurance claims fraud ring for theft of over $100,000

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By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney

On Monday July 15, 2019, defendants Cornelius Salmer, Antoinette Green, Benisha Seldon, and Jonnie Gilbert pleaded guilty to insurance fraud for their roles in an organized fraud ring. The defendants submitted fraudulent auto insurance claims in excess of $100,000 to insurance companies using multiple vehicles and stolen identities.

Salmer pleaded no contest to six felonies, including three counts of filing a false insurance claim in violation of Penal Code section 550(a)(1) and three felony counts of identity theft in violation of Penal Code section 530.5. Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge David Goldstein sentenced him to three years in prison and ordered him to pay $63,217.26 of restitution pursuant to the terms of the plea.

Seldon and Green each pleaded no contest to two felonies for filing a false insurance claim in violation of Penal Code section 550(a)(1) and identity theft in violation of Penal Code section 530.5. Judge Goldstein sentenced Seldon to three years of formal probation and 180 days of jail and ordered her to pay $32,597.02 restitution pursuant to the plea terms. Judge Goldstein also sentenced Green to three years of formal probation and 180 days of jail and ordered her to pay $19,414.17 restitution.

Gilbert pleaded no contest to a single count of receiving stolen property as a misdemeanor and received a sentence of two years’ probation, 30 days jail, and $2,450.52 of restitution pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement.

The case originated with a referral from the analysts at the National Insurance Crime Bureau that triggered a joint investigation by the California Department of Insurance, the California Highway Patrol, and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. Investigators linked multiple insurance claims to the defendants and identified a corridor of suspected mail theft along the Interstate 5 freeway by locating and interviewing the identity theft victims. The investigators traced the money from the fraudulent claims to identify and arrest the charged defendants for this fraud conspiracy.

Deputy District Attorney Greg Chiarella prosecuted the case. DDA Chiarella is assigned to our Auto Insurance Fraud Unit.

The District Attorney’s fraud units investigate and prosecute all forms of insurance fraud, including false claims activity, organized fraud rings, health care provider fraud and kickback schemes, industry insider fraud, and employer premium fraud. You can report suspected insurance fraud by email to DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org.

Hercules man arrested for DUI, evading police

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Stephen McDonald. Photo by Hercules PD.

By Hercules Police Department

On June 24, 2019, at approximately 1:05 pm, an Officer attempted to stop a red, 2015, Nissan Altima, on San Pablo Avenue near Sycamore Avenue for speeding. The vehicle did not yield for the officer’s emergency lights and turned east onto Sycamore Avenue. The vehicle started to cut in and out of traffic while still ignoring the Officers emergency lights. The vehicle drove through a red traffic light and then continued to weave in and out of traffic east bound on Sycamore Avenue. The vehicle finally yielded in the Rite Aid Parking lot near the Turquoise Drive entrance.

The driver, 53-year-old Stephen McDonald from Hercules, was detained. McDonald displayed objective signs of being intoxicated. McDonald was placed under arrest for Evading the Police and DUI and ultimately transported to jail.

From post on Hercules PD Facebook page on Wed., July 17, 2019.

Richmond man charged for sex trafficking teenage girl

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Mychal Nelson arrest photo. Courtesy of CCDA.

Investigation started by FBI Safe Streets Task Force

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney

On Wednesday, July 17, 2019, 34-year-old Richmond resident Mychal Duane Nelson was charged by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office in a felony complaint alleging violations of sex trafficking a minor, pandering a minor, using a minor for sex acts, showing pornography to a minor, contact with a minor for a sex offense and pandering, with allegations that he suffered prior “three strikes” convictions.

In a separate case, Nelson has also been charged with the residential burglary of an apartment in Hercules where losses exceeded $20,000. Nelson is a known associate with a North Richmond Street Gang and has prior arrests for violent crimes. He is currently on State Parole.

The sex trafficking investigation started with the Federal Bureau of Investigation/Contra Costa County Safe Streets Task Force and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit. The investigation showed that Nelson was using social media and other forms of communication to actively recruit a 16-year-old girl and encourage her to engage in prostitution. As part of this process, Nelson sent the girl sexually explicit videos and images of himself and requested that she do the same.

During the sex trafficking investigation, Nelson was tracked throughout Northern and Southern California with the assistance of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles County Human Trafficking Task Force, the Richmond Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department and several federal law enforcement agencies. He was ultimately arrested on July 13 in Hayward by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

Social media platforms are frequently used to identify and recruit minors into the commercial sex industry. If you or someone you know are being pressured or encouraged to engage in prostitution to benefit or help support another person, help is only a phone call away. Contact Community Violence Solutions at 800-670-7273 to speak to a confidential counselor. Or visit the Contra Costa Family Justice Centers in Richmond or Concord to talk to a Navigator about a variety of services and support available right here in Contra Costa County. The Family Justice Centers are a family-friendly one-stop center serving victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and other types of interpersonal violence. No appointment is needed, and the centers are located at 256 24th Street in Richmond, 2151 Salvio St., Suite. 201 in Concord or 3501 Lone Tree Way in Antioch. To learn more about human trafficking in Contra Costa County, visit the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition’s webpage at www.contracostacoalition.org.

Nelson has two pages on Facebook. The first page has his name spelled correctly and showing him living in Richmond. The other has his name misspelled Mychael Nelson and living in Antioch.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office Senior Inspector Kevin Coelho at 925-957-8629.

UPDATE: According to Alonso, “there might be additional victims.”

Case Information: People v. Mychal Nelson 01-190646-0; People v. Mychal Nelson 02-330323-7

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Dublin teen and swim instructor arrested for possession of child pornography

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James Happ

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

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff and the Contra Costa D.A.’s Office recently received information about a person who was allegedly possessing and sharing child pornography. Detectives launched an investigation and on July 3, 2019, executed search warrants at residences in Danville and Dublin.

Detectives subsequently found child pornography on electronic devices belonging to 18-year-old James Happ of Dublin. He was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility for possession of child pornography. Happ was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and has since bailed out.

Additionally, as Happ is a swim instructor at The Wave in Dublin, the Dublin Police Department is conducting a separate investigation. Any inquiries regarding The Wave can be directed to the Dublin Police Department.

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

Contra Costa DA charges Suisun City man, former basketball coach and school district employee with sexual abuse of a child under 14

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Paul Fielder

Result of Walnut Creek Police Department investigation, arrest

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney

On Monday July 15, 2019, Paul Fielder, a 60-year-old resident of Suisun City, California was charged with 32 counts of sexual abuse of a child under 14 years old.

The charges are a result of an investigation by the Walnut Creek Police Department, in conjunction with the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. On July 11, 2019, Fielder was arrested by Walnut Creek Police Detectives and Federal Agents when he arrived at a location to meet a minor to engage in sex acts. The investigation revealed Fielder had been sexually abusing a minor for several years.

Investigators learned Fielder previously coached youth sports in Solano County and was employed by at least one high school as a campus supervisor.

Fielder was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility and his bail was set at $3.2 million. He remains in the custody of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. Fielder will make his next appearance for his arraignment in Contra Costa County Superior Court on July 23 at 9:00 a.m. in Department 6 before the Honorable David Goldstein.

Anyone with information can contact Walnut Creek Police Detective Amber Martin at 925-943-5870 or Senior Inspector Darryl Holcombe at 925-957-8757.

The Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Concord and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Contra Costa County Probation Department and Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force along with Special Agents from the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service.

Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org for further information.

Case information: People v. Paul Fielder, Docket Number 01-190620-5

 

Pittsburg woman arrested in Hercules in getaway car from Antioch armed robbery

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Shaneta Brown. Photo by Hercules Police.

By Hercules Police Department

On July 10, 2019, at 5:12 A.M., the Hercules Police Traffic Officer was conducting traffic enforcement in the area of John Muir Parkway. He noticed a Honda Civic that was described as a felony vehicle and trailed it to westbound I-80 at the Appian Way off ramp. Dispatch confirmed the felony vehicle and he initiated a felony stop. The Honda was used as a getaway vehicle in an armed robbery that occurred in Antioch on July 9, 2019. The driver, 26-year-old Shaneta Brown, of Pittsburg was detained.

She had an unrelated warrant for theft out of Antioch. Antioch P.D. arrived to take custody of the Honda and Brown was transported to Martinez Detention Facility.

During the felony stop, a traffic break was initiated and lasted approximately five minutes.

Vallejo woman arrested in Hercules for seven outstanding warrants for theft

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Lynette Williams. Photo by Hercules Police.

By Hercules Police Department

On July 10, 2019 at 10:09 a.m. An Officer did a traffic enforcement stop on a Silver ’97 Honda Civic on Sycamore Ave. at Taco Bell for a traffic violation. The driver was contacted and gave the Officer a California Driver’s License (CDL) falsely identifying herself as another person. The Officer looked at the photo on the CDL and saw the photo did not match the drivers characteristics. The driver insisted she was the person photographed but, was detained. The driver then falsely identified herself as another female. The driver eventually admitted her true identity and was identified as (A) Lynette Williams (DOB 07/24/67) of Vallejo.

Williams was found to have a total of 7 outstanding Misdemeanor Warrants for theft related crimes out of both Solano and Napa Counties. Williams was arrested and during a search of the vehicle, several credit cards, California driver’s licenses and social security cards were located, none of which belonged to Williams.

Several victims got their property back thanks to you.