Contra Costa Herald

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

Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center recognized for patient safety

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Photos: Kaiser Permanente

Named to 2024 Cal Hospital Compare Patient Safety Honor Roll for having a strong culture of safety

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California 

With a commitment to providing high-quality, safe patient care, Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center has been named to the Cal Hospital Compare 2024 Patient Safety Honor Roll.

The honor roll uses objective, publicly available patient safety measures to evaluate hospitals across a variety of domains, including hospital-acquired infections, adverse patient safety events, sepsis management, patient experience, and the Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade.

This year, 72 of the state’s 306 adult, acute-care hospitals made the honor roll. Kaiser Permanente Northern California had 10 hospitals on the list – representing 14% of the hospitals recognized.

“The safety of our patients is our top priority,” said Pam Galley, senior vice president and area of Kaiser Permanente’s Diablo service area. “Our health care providers work hard to create a safe, exceptional patient-care experience.”

Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals are consistently recognized as among the country’s best for outstanding patient safety, positive care outcomes, and exceptional patient-care experiences.

“We are committed to providing excellent personalized care while keeping our patients safe from harm,” said Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center Physician in Chief Sharon Mowat, MD. “We are very grateful for our extraordinary physicians, nurses and staff members who make a difference every day.”

Hospitals on the honor roll had to meet a rigorous threshold of performance by having at least two-thirds of measure results above the 50th percentile and no measure result below the 10th percentile and/or an “A” grade in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for the past three reporting periods.

This honor roll offers Californians a rigorously evaluated list of hospitals that have consistently demonstrated a strong culture of safety across multiple departments, according to Cal Hospital Compare.

 

In Memoriam: Longtime East County civil rights activist Willie Mims passes at 79

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Willie James Mims

November 30, 1944 – May 22, 2024

Willie James Mims was born to Edward and Lillie Mims on November 30, 1944, in McCaul, LA. He was one of nine siblings. He lived in California since he was two years old. Willie grew up in West Pittsburg, now called Bay Point, California, where he attended and graduated from Pacifica High School in 1963. In high school, Willie excelled in sports, including track and field, basketball, and football. Willie was concerned about issues revolving around environmental justice, especially in Pittsburg. In 1963, he entered the political arena for the first time, passing out flyers supporting the Rumford Fair Housing Act. George Ealy, a local political activist, organized that event.

Willie married Darlene Lea-Mims on July 15, 1967, and they celebrated 52 years of joyous marriage before she preceded him in death. From this union, they have two children, Dana and Marcus; six grandchildren, Tasha Thompson, Nailah Thompson, Khiry Gosha-Mims, Zaheem Smith, Niara Mims, and Inaya Mims; and two great-grandchildren, Khira Gosha-Mims and Chance Gosha-Mims.

Willie graduated from Diablo Valley College in 1972 with an Associate of Arts Degree. He then transferred to San Francisco State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English/Creative Writing in 1974. He proceeded to graduate school, where, in 1978, he earned an M.A. Degree in English/Creative Writing. Willie’s thesis was a collection of short stories called “The Boy Who Threw Rocks,” loosely based on his childhood. Willie then earned a California Secondary Education Teaching Credential in English in 1979.

From 1965 to 1970, he was employed as a stevedore with the Concord Naval Weapons Station. From 1971 to 1987, he worked as a food service worker at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Martinez, California. Willie worked for the Vallejo City Unified School District for over 25 years, serving as Teacher/Teacher-in-Charge at John Finney High School, formerly Peoples High School. He retired from wage work in 2009.

Since retirement, he continued as an activist, advocating for the best interests of the community, parents, and students in the school system. Willie believed that parents and activists should monitor and observe the school districts in East County. This included monitoring and observing local governments and how they conduct the people’s business.

He attended local and county-wide meetings (mainly those in Central and East Counties), bringing issues of concern to School Boards, City Councils, and the Board of Supervisors. His goal on all issues was to support students, parents, or people in their grievance redress.

NAACP East County Branch tribute to Willie Mims.

Willie was a former mentor of the S.I.M.B.A (Safe In My Brother’s Arms) program, which focuses on boys from 8 to 16 to support self-esteem and served as a form of “manhood” training. He was a former East County Boys and Girls Club board member. He served as an “on-call” Educational Advocate for the YIN (Youth Intervention Network) Program. He served as a volunteer historian for the Parents Connected Organization. He was a representative of the Black Political Association in Pittsburg, CA, and a member of the Executive Committee of the East County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he served as its Education Chair. He worked as a volunteer for the Greater Faith Food Pantry, an agency serving and feeding low-income and underserved citizens of Pittsburg. He was a member of its board and volunteered four times per month. He was a member of the Antioch School District’s African American Male Initiative, a former representative on the Contra Costa Community College’s Hiring Policy Review Committee, a member of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s Equity & Disproportionality Committee, and a member of the Vallejo Unified School District’s LCAP & LCFF Committees.

Willie was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Lillie Mims, his sisters Wilma Douglas and Isabel Medford, and his brothers Melvin Mims, Mack Mims, and Walter Mims. He leaves behind his two children, Dana and Marcus (Cassandra) Mims; six grandchildren, Tasha Thompson, Nailah Thompson, Khiry Gosha-Mims, Zaheem Smith, Niara Mims, and Inaya Mims; and two great-grandchildren, Khira Gosha-Mims and Chance Gosha-Mims. He is also survived by sisters: Hilda Murdoch (Pittsburg), Nancy Mims-Burt (Pittsburg), and Ruth Mims-Jemerson (Oakland), Melodye Montgomery (Alameda), daughter-in-law Cassandra Waller-Mims, a brother-in -law/friend Larry Harold, who was always by his side, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and lastly, the East Bay Community.

Willie’s main goal was to educate, motivate, and support his community. He leaves a legacy of love, compassion, and service that will continue to inspire all fortunate enough to know him. Willie James Mims will be missed by his family, friends, and the community.

You can send flowers to the family or plant a memorial tree in memory of Willie Mims.

Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at Delta Bay Community Church, 1020 E. Tregallas Road in Antioch. Repast immediately following burial at Pittsburg Youth Development Center at 1001 Stoneman Avenue in Pittsburg.

To watch online visit zoom link ID: 740 600 9196, Password: 2024

Donations in his memory to the Willie J. Mims Education Scholarship for East County Youth are accepted at www.obituare.com/willie-james-mims-obituary-133141/.

Love Life’s annual LifeRide fundraiser in Antioch June 15

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Sponsors needed

By Sophia Martin, Regional Director, Love Life NorCal Antioch

Please support us in our annual fundraiser, LifeRide. We will be riding bikes across the nation to raise awareness and funds to unite and mobilize the Church to end abortion and the orphan crisis.

What is LifeRide?

In 2023, Pastor Jay Stewart at the age of 60, rode his bicycle over 3,100 miles across America to bring awareness to the ministry of Love Life and to raise over a million dollars. Pastor Jay has been a partnering pastor with Love Life from the beginning and his church is also a House of Refuge church. (See video1 and video2)

Locally, our goal is to raise $10,000. If you would like to give $25, $50 or $100 to help us meet our goal and learn more, please visit: https://join.liferideusa.org/team/580862.

“Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” – Proverbs 24:11

For more information about Love Life visit https://lovelife.org and to sign up for a 1-Hour Journey visit: https://lovelife.org/1-hour-journey. Get your Love Life apparel and coffee here: https://shop.welovelife.org/?ref=antioch.

CA Department of Justice clears Antioch Police of criminal charges in 2021 officer-involved shooting

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Cover of CA DOJ Policy and Practice Recommendations for APD and Figure 1. photograph from Brentwood Police Department drone footage showing Guadalupe Zavala taking aim and shooting at a police drone. Source: CA DOJ

Guadalupe Zavala caused 6-hour stand-off ending in his death while unarmed; son later sued City of Antioch

CA DOJ “commends APD” for manner in which they handled situation

CA Attorney General issues “policy and practices recommendations”

By California Department of Justice

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), today released a report on Guadalupe Zavala’s death from an officer-involved shooting involving the Antioch Police Department in Antioch, California on December 10, 2021. The report is part of the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ’s findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case. However, DOJ recognizes the important lessons to be learned from this incident. As required by AB 1506, the Attorney General has issued specific policy and practice recommendations related to the incident.

Figure 2: Distance between Mr. Zavala’s house and the location where Officer Duggar and Sergeant Chang were when they fired their shots. Figure 6: This image shows that the distance between Officer Rombough and Detective McDonald (both positioned on the Antioch armored vehicle) and were about 103 feet from Mr. Zavala when they fired. Source: CA DOJ

“Loss of life is always a tragedy,” said Attorney General Bonta. “AB 1506 is a critical transparency and accountability tool, and our hope for this report is to provide some understanding and aid in advancing towards a safer California for all. The California Department of Justice remains steadfast in our commitment to working together with all law enforcement partners to ensure an unbiased, transparent, and accountable legal system for every resident of California.”

Figure 11: Bullet holes photographed in residence neighboring Mr. Zavala’s home where neighbors reported shots fired by Mr. Zavala. Figures 11A&B: Bullets holes in neighbor’s vehicles outside Mr. Zavala’s residence. Source: CA DOJ

On December 10, 2021, Antioch Police Department responded to multiple calls regarding a man who was barricaded in his home with a rifle after shooting at neighboring homes and vehicles. A standoff lasting more than six hours ensued, during which Mr. Zavala fired multiple rounds from various locations towards law enforcement personnel, vehicles, and nearby residences. De-escalation measures, communications from the crisis negotiations team, and attempts to coerce Mr. Zavala from his residence were unsuccessful. At one point, Mr. Zavala exited his front door carrying what appeared to be a “full AR-15 style rifle.” Two snipers with the Antioch Police Department each fired one round hitting Mr. Zavala, causing him to fall back. However, because Mr. Zavala was wearing body armor, he was able to regain his footing and moved back inside the residence. Later, a fire started in Mr. Zavala’s home, and he ran out and took cover in his backyard. When law enforcement knocked down the fence of Mr. Zavala’s yard with an armored vehicle, Mr. Zavala ran towards the armored vehicle and was fatally shot.

Zavala’s son, Diego Zavala, joined in a 2023 federal lawsuit against the City of Antioch and six Antioch Police officers. (See related articles here, here and here)

Figure 25: Still frame from armored vehicle video of Mr. Zavala getting up halfway after the first round of shots were fired by officers. Figure 4: Mr. Zavala lying prone outside the North side of his home, under a barbecue, with what the helicopter reported to possibly be a handgun in his hands (circled). Figure 9: Cellphone image from Mr. Zavala’s phone from the day of the incident. Source: CA DOJ

Under AB 1506, which requires DOJ to investigate all incidents of officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state. DOJ conducted a thorough investigation into this incident and concluded that the evidence does not show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officers involved did not act in lawful self-defense or defense of others. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the officers. As such, no further action will be taken in this case.

Figure 19. Assault rifle found in the hallway of a bedroom in Mr. Zavala’s residence. Figure 21. Ballistic vest recovered from the backyard. Figure 23: A box of unfired .40 caliber S&W ammunition found in the safe of the master bedroom of Mr. Zavala’s residence. Source: DOJ

CA DOJ “Commends APD” for How They Handled Situation

In addition, the report shows the California DOJ Police Practices Section conducted a supplemental review of the information and “PPS commends APD for the manner in which they handled this volatile, dangerous situation, coordinating with neighboring agencies, exploring less-lethal options, and rapidly deploying the SWAT and CNT teams to the incident to attempt to achieve a peaceful surrender.”

Source: CA DOJ

CA DOJ Recommendations

As part of its investigation, DOJ has identified several policy recommendations that it believes will help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. These recommendations include:

COMMUNICATION

Antioch Police Department should ensure that officers are equipped with effective communications devices that can operate in the hilly areas covered by their department. Antioch Police Department can seek additional coverage or upgrades through their department-issued cell phone or radio carriers or, if that is impracticable or not feasible, examine whether there are other cell phone carriers or radio channels that would work in all areas they serve.

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AGENCIES

Antioch Police Department should ensure that their officers can effectively and efficiently communicate with officers from other agencies in future incidents by setting up regional radio channel systems for interagency communication.

See CA DOJ APD Policy Recommendations from Zavala_AB1506 Report

Emails were sent early Friday afternoon to Acting Antioch Police Chief Brian Addington, Antioch Police Officers Association leaders and their attorney, Mike Rains for comment on the report, as well as City Attorney Thomas L. Smith, Addington and Rains with questions regarding the 2023 lawsuit that included Zavala’s son. The efforts were unsuccessful prior to publication time, except for a response by Rains.

Early Friday evening he said, “That was good news from the DOJ. I think the findings were appropriate. The DOJ does a very good job, in my opinion, in these 1506 cases analyzing the facts and clearing the officers of any wrongdoing. I also see the PPS commends the department for de-escalation.”

About the lawsuit Rains said, “I don’t know on the civil side if the lawsuit is settled or not,” as Rains’ firm does not represent former officer Eric Rombough.

“We represented the officers in the 1506 case, including Duggar and Chang, who were the two primary officers who fired their weapons and were part of the DOJ investigation,” he added.

A copy of the complete report can be found here.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Contra Costa Fair Board president says “two temporary staffers” robbed of “a little under $100,000” during bank deposit

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Photos of the 2024 Contra Costa County Fair by Allen D. Payton. See more photos on the @cocoherald Facebook page.

“Not any business, including any business I worked for would take a deposit at night” – Craig Cannon, Contra Costa County Fair Board President

Shares more details, says policies and procedures will be discussed at next Board meeting June 12

Positive Fair news: Mexican rodeo group working to bring Hispanic-themed events to former arena

By Allen D. Payton

Following the armed robbery of proceeds from the Contra Costa County Fair during an attempted bank deposit early Monday morning, May 20, 2024, after the end of this year’s fair Sunday night, on Thursday, Fair Board President Craig Cannon shared additional details about the incident. (See related article)

Asked to confirm the amount of $90,000 that was stolen he said, “I got it as a little under $100,000. I got that from the police. (Fair CEO) Joe Brengle’s not even talking to me.”

However, according to another board member, John Pence, Brengle sent out an email Wednesday night to him and the other board members about the matter. Cannon said he hadn’t seen it.

“Not any business, including any business I worked for would take a deposit at night,” Cannon continued. “It’s unusual. It’s one of the things I want to get the board together to talk about. Why would you make such a poor decision? The only one who has a deposit key is the fair manager.”

“A lot of information is not being shared when it’s supposed to be,” he stated. “It all boils down to the fair manager. He handles the overall money receipts, personnel, hiring and firing. But Joe works for the board. We hire and fire him.”

Asked if insurance will cover any of the loss, Cannon said, “I don’t believe so because it wasn’t during Fair hours or on property and it wasn’t in the bank. There’s a really thin line, there.”

Asked why the people depositing the funds weren’t joined by armed escorts by either the contracted security firm or county sheriff’s deputies, he responded, “That’s the question I’m trying to find out. But he’s (Brengle’s) not being forthright. That’s what we will discuss at the next board meeting. I’ve talked to the State of California, and they said I can’t have an emergency meeting. In my eyes, almost a hundred grand is a major crime against us.”

About the security firm, Praetorian and this year’s Fair, Cannon said, “They were great. This year’s fair was a good one and safe.”

He then reiterated what was shared with other media, that the loss of that amount of money could impact the fair’s music headliners and animal attractions for next year.

“This whole thing stinks,” he stated.

Two Temporary Staffers Handled Deposit

Asked who handled the deposit Cannon said, “Two temporary staffers hired by the Fair, this year in charge of parking and ticket sales. That’s another red flag. Something’s really wrong. Joe seems like a sensible guy. I don’t know why he would make that decision.”

Asked why the money wasn’t left in a safe on the fairgrounds and deposited during daylight, he said, “That’s a decision for the fair manager” and shared that the Fair, technically state’s 23rd District Agricultural Association, currently only has two full-time employees, Brengle and an administrative assistant who works in the office with him.

Since it’s the public’s money Cannon said, “That’s my concern. I also suggested the state bring in the CHP which oversees county fairs in the state. They delegate the authority to the county sheriff’s office.”

“I don’t work for the state,” he explained. “I’m appointed by the governor. Not this governor, the past one. The appointments are renewed. We can barely have a meeting quorum. If someone is sick, we can’t hold a meeting. The governor’s busy with the budget.”

Asked why the funds weren’t taken to the bank by the fair manager and a board member for a check and balance and if there is a procedure in place Cannon stated, “There will be. The Fair Board is all about policies and procedures. The manual is about 50 pages. But we don’t handle the day-to-day. Taking funds to the bank during daylight hours should be the policy.”

“He (Brengle) hasn’t been forthcoming to anyone on the board about this,” the fair board president reiterated. “This is crazy. It makes no sense at all.”

One positive thing Cannon shared is that a Mexican rodeo group is working to bring Hispanic-themed events to the former arena that was used as the paintball park.

The next board meeting, which is open to the public, will be held Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fair Board Directors’ Room at the Contra Costa Event Center (fairgrounds) located at 1201 W. 10th Street in Antioch.

 

Armed robbery of Contra Costa County Fair funds during bank deposit

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Possibly $90,000, police seek public’s help

By Antioch Police Department

On Monday, May 20, 2024, at approximately 2:18 AM, Antioch police officers responded to the 2500 block of Somersville Road for the report of an armed robbery.

When officers arrived, they contacted two victims. Officers learned the victims were employees of the Contra Costa County Event Park (Fairgrounds). The Contra Costa County Fair had ended, and two employees were tasked with conducting the night deposit. While conducting the night deposit at the BMO Bank they were approached by an unknown suspect. The suspect robbed the victims of the money and personal belongings at gunpoint.

Other news reports have pegged the amount stolen at $90,000. When asked, a county fair representative offered no comment but didn’t know how that amount was known by other media. Questions were emailed late Wednesday night to Fair CEO Joe Brengle asking if that’s correct, why the deposit was made at that time instead of leaving it in a safe on the fairgrounds and waiting until Monday morning to make the deposit, what is the usual procedure and for any additional information he could share.

We are asking for anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau. Additional inquiries or information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Sgt. Palma at (925) 779-6876 or by emailing kpalma@antiochca.gov.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Idaho man arrested in 22-year-old Oakley kidnap, rape of girl

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Eric J. Ferguson arrest photo. By Kootenai Co Sheriff’s Office

DNA match for former East Contra Costa resident Eric J. Ferguson; U.S. Marshals, Idaho police, sheriff’s deputies assist in SWAT team operation

By Allen D. Payton

A suspect in a 22-year-old case of sexual assault of a girl in Oakley was identified and arrested this past week. Eric J. Ferguson, age 49 of Rathdrum, Idaho previously lived in Eastern Contra Costa County.

On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard provided the following information:

In April 2002, a sexual assault accord near Laurel Road in Oakley that involved a juvenile female who had been out walking her dog. The juvenile was approached by a man who got out of his vehicle, pointed a gun at her, ordered her into the back seat of the vehicle and ordered her to perform several sexual acts at gun point. At some point, the juvenile escaped.

The juvenile went to a nearby house for help and the police were called. DNA was collected and analyzed as part of the investigative protocol. In 2022, a CODIS hit alerted the Oakley Police Department to a possible DNA match from the sexual assault case in 2002.

CODIS, or Combined DNA Index System, is a national database that contains DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crimes and missing persons. The database also includes profiles from detainees, legal samples and arrestees. CODIS automatically searches its indexes for matching DNA profiles, which allows law enforcement to cross reference their data to learn the identity of suspects of confirm identities.

The CODIS notification identified a man residing in Northern Idaho. With this information, Oakley Police Detectives began coordinating with the U.S. Marshals Service and a detective from Coeur d’Alene Police Department. Oakley Police Detectives Gill and Pistello travelled to Idaho on May 12, 2024, and were assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service, Coeur d’Alene Police Department and the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office in serving a search warrant for DNA collection from the lead suspect in the case.

Detectives Gill and Pistello traveled back home and presented DNA from the lead suspect to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Laboratory so it could be compared to the DNA in the sexual assault case; the DNA from the lead suspect was a direct match to the DNA recovered during the initial investigation in 2002.

On May 16, 2024, Oakley Detectives presented the case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and a formal complaint was filed against the man, who is identified as Eric J. Ferguson (49, Rathdrum, Idaho). Ferguson is a former resident of the East Contra Costa County area (he lives in the area in 2002). The formal complaint was signed by a judge from the Contra Costa County Superior Court, for the charges of: Rape of an Incompetent Person, Forcible Oral Copulation and Kidnapping for Rape.

On May 16, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service, Coeur d’Alene Police Department and Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, utilizing their SWAT team, conducted an operation which brought Ferguson into custody. Oakley Detectives Gill and Pistello will bring Ferguson back to California later this week and book him into the Contra Costa County jail for the crimes that were committed 22 years ago.

According to Kootenai County Sheriff’s Lt. Zachary Sifford, Ferguson was 29 yearsold at that time and allegedly used a dangerous or deadly weapon during the commission of the crimes.

“I am truly in awe of all the work that was put into this case,” said Chief Beard. “Everything from the foresight 22 years ago to collect DNA evidence to all of the cooperation and assistance we received along the way has yielded powerful results. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of the involved men and women of the United States Marshals Service, Coeur d’Alene Police Department and Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office who helped us with this case. I am well informed by my people that a great deal of hospitality was extended to them while they did their work in Idaho. For that I am especially grateful for how my people were taken care of and treated.

“I am extremely proud of Detective Gill and Detective Pistello for bearing down on this case and putting in all of the diligent and intricate work that was needed to bring resolve to this longstanding investigation. The work of Detective Gill and Detective Pistello are indicative of what I have come to expect out of the men and women of the Oakley Police Department – good police work, no matter how many jurisdictional lines that need to be crossed.

“Again, thank you to all who were involved in this case; stay safe, Oakley.”

As of Wednesday morning, May 22, Ferguson was still in custody of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office at the Kootenai County Jail awaiting extradition.

Sheriff Robert “Bob” Norris said, “Kootenai County is a safer place because Ferguson is now in jail. A firearm was used in this alleged violent sexual attack and the suspect needs to be held accountable for his actions.”

United States Marshal for the District of Idaho, Brent Bunn, expressed his gratitude for the interstate collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies in order to get one step closer to bringing justice to the victim in this case. U.S. Marshal Bunn noted, “The persistence of the Oakley Police Department detectives throughout this investigation was exceptional.” U.S. Marshal Bunn also commends the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and the Idaho Department of Corrections for their partnership and strong commitment to increasing public safety in North Idaho.”

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the USMS, Coeur d’ Alene Police Department and the Oakley Police Department for their assistance and collaboration in the investigation and apprehension of Ferguson.

Screenshot from Eric Ferguson’s Facebook profile.

According to Ferguson’s Facebook profile, he is from San Ramon, has been married since October 23, 2004, attended De La Salle High School and studied at San Diego State University.

Oakley Police provided the following additional information: If you or a loved one needs local support related to sexual assault or family violence, please visit Community Violence Solutions at https://cvsolutions.org/rape-crisis-center/.

 

 

 

Contra Costa bus systems offer Summer Youth Bus Pass for unlimited rides June 1 to Aug 31, 2023

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Half-off passes on sale now through June 30th only.

Kids don’t want to be stuck at home for the summer, and parents don’t want to be stuck driving everywhere.

Give your kids their own set of wheels with a Summer Youth Bus Pass.

The Summer Youth Pass is the perfect way for youth riders to get around Contra Costa County during the summer. Passholders can take unlimited rides on Tri Delta Transit, West CAT, and County Connection local and express buses for an affordable and discounted price.

For only $30*, youth 6-18 can take unlimited bus rides from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2023 – one of the best summertime bargains for getting around Contra Costa County!

Click here to purchase your pass https://511cc.org/youthpass or come to our office.

*Actual pass price $60. Advertised $30 price reflects a $30 supplement per pass provided by 511 Contra Costa. Passes receiving the 511 Contra Costa supplement are limited in quantity and available only while supplies last.

 

Tracy man sentenced for computer attack on Discovery Bay Water Treatment Facility

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Photos source: Town of Discovery Bay

To serve home confinement and probation, pay restitution

Defendant was former employee of contractor and admitted to unleashing attack

By U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California

OAKLAND – Rambler Gallo was sentenced to serve six months of home confinement and 36 months of probation for intentionally causing damage to the computer network for the Discovery Bay Water Treatment Facility, located in the Town of Discovery Bay, Calif., and thereby threatening public health and safety. Specifically, Gallo intentionally uninstalled the main operational system for the water treatment plant that operates the automated monitoring system that protects the entire water treatment system, including monitoring and controlling the chemical levels and filtration of the water across all the Discovery Bay water service facilities. The sentence was handed down on Wednesday by Haywood S. Gilliam Jr., United States District Judge. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.

Gallo, 53, of Tracy, Calif., was a full-time employee of a private Massachusetts-based company identified in the indictment as Company A, which contracted with Discovery Bay to operate the town’s wastewater treatment facility. The facility provides treatment for the water and wastewater systems for the town’s 15,000 residents. During his employment with Company A, from July of 2016 until December of 2020, Gallo was the company’s “Instrumentation and Control Tech,” with responsibility for maintaining the instrumentation and the computer systems used to control the electromechanical processes of the facility in Discovery Bay.

According to his plea agreement, while Gallo was employed with Company A, he installed software into his own personal computer and into Company A’s private internal network that allowed Gallo to gain remote access to Discovery Bay’s Water Treatment facility computer network. Gallo resigned from his employment with Company on November 25, 2020, giving two weeks’ notice. Approximately five weeks later, Gallo accessed the facility’s computer system remotely and transmitted a command to uninstall certain software which was designed to perform as the main hub of the facility’s computer network.

The software that Gallo accessed protected the entire water treatment system, including water pressure, filtration, and chemical levels. Documents filed by the government in connection with Gallo’s sentencing describe how Gallo’s actions took the monitoring software offline into the following day when it was discovered by employees. Employees thereafter took steps to rectify the situation and mitigate any potential damage to the water treatment system. The government argued that Gallo’s actions “were well thought out to be as disruptive as possible” and “caused a potential threat to the health and safety of the community’s water supply.”

A federal grand jury indicted Gallo on June 27, 2023, charging him with one felony count of transmitting a program, information, code, and command to cause damage to a protected computer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1030(a)(5)(A) and (c)(4)(B)(i). Gallo pleaded guilty to the charge.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Gilliam ordered Gallo to forfeit his computer and to pay $44,250 restitution.

Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia Frey is prosecuting this case with assistance from Kathy Tat and Kevin Costello. The case is being investigated by the FBI.

 

Brentwood man charged for child pornography, illegal rifle

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Michael Lee Patterson one of 7 arrested during 15-agency Operation Spring Clean in May 2023, including men from Oakley, San Ramon, another from Brentwood

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

OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has indicted Michael Lee Patterson for receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2) and (b), and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d), announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, United States Secret Service (USSS) Special Agent in Charge Shawn M. Bradstreet, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. The indictment, filed April 18, 2024, was unsealed on May 6, 2024, at Patterson’s initial federal court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. On May 16, 2024, Magistrate Judge Ryu ordered Patterson detained pending trial.

According to the government’s detention memorandum, in late May 2023, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SV-ICAC) conducted an operation to identify and arrest adults engaging in sexual conversations with undercover chatters posing online as minors. During this operation, Patterson engaged in an online conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl, and eventually planned to meet and engage in sexual conduct. Officers arrested Patterson when he arrived at the agreed upon location. In Patterson’s car, officers located the phone Patterson had used to communicate with the undercover officer, and next to the phone, officers located a loaded .38 caliber revolver. The government further argued that after his arrest, Patterson was found to have been in possession of over 600 videos and over 1,200 individual images depicting child sexual abuse material on various electronic devices, as well as dozens of firearms, firearm components, boxes of ammunition, and firearm manufacturing machines and components, including a computerized gun milling machine. Three of the firearms were unregistered short-barreled rifles and one was an unregistered fully automatic machine gun.

Patterson is scheduled to appear before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. on June 26, 2024, in Oakland.

As previously reported, Patterson was one of seven men arrested during the week of May 31st, 2023, while the Brentwood Police Department hosted the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for an operation targeting adults who were seeking to meet minors for sex with the goal of identifying victims of child sexual abuse. A total of 15 law enforcement agencies participated in “Operation Spring Cleaning,” which encompassed over 1,200 law enforcement work hours throughout the week. The ICAC Task Force seized approximately 40 illegal firearms and 39 electronic devices, executed eight (search warrants, and impounded five vehicles. In total seven arrests were also made: 29-year-old Nhouel Dulay (Oakley), 42-year-old Michael Patterson (Brentwood), 43-year-old Jeffrey Pallesen (Stockton), 25-year-old Carlos Vera (Brentwood), 21-year-old Edward Stinson (Merced), 54-year-old Robert Stearns (San Ramon), and 29-year-old Randall Alston (Berkeley).

According to localcrimenews.com, Patterson is White, five-feet, seven-inches tall and 150 lbs.

The ICAC program helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and internet crimes against children. This includes forensic and investigative services, training, technical assistance, victim services, and community education. Our agency remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our community and would like to thank all of the participating agencies for their contributions last week in combatting child exploitation.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate, for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2) and (b), and 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $10,000 for a violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d). However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonah Ross is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske and Claudia Hyslop. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the USSS, ATF, SV-ICAC, the Brentwood and Walnut Creek Police Departments, and the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.