Contra Costa Herald

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

Bay Point man arrested for murder of woman following domestic disturbance early Saturday

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

At about 12:03 Saturday morning, Oct. 2, 2021, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a domestic disturbance on Island View Drive in Bay Point.

Deputies arrived, finding a man and woman in the street. The man fled on foot but was apprehended by deputies.

The woman sustained injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Early this afternoon, she was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

The man is identified as 47-year-old Richard Ortiz of Bay Point.

He is currently booked at the Martinez Detention Facility on the following charges: murder, domestic violence, and resisting an executive officer.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office 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.

Open House at Roddy Ranch for new regional park Saturday, Sept. 25

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By Eddie Willis, Planner, East Bay Regional Park District

Greetings, park supporters:

I am excited to announce that East Bay Regional Park District and East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy will be hosting a free, on-site OPEN HOUSE EVENT at the former Roddy Ranch Golf Course in Antioch the morning of Saturday, September 25. This is an opportunity to see the site in-person, walk along a section of former golf cart paths, and learn about park planning efforts, design ideas, and habitat restoration for the future Regional Park. Capacity is limited, so registration is required. Face coverings and/or social distancing may also be required per local health orders.

When: Saturday, September 25*, 2021 from 9:30am – 11:30am

*If September 25 is canceled due to wildfire smoke or other issue, an alternate date of Saturday, October 9 will be offered.

Where: Former Roddy Ranch Golf Course at 1 Tour Way, Antioch (entrance off Deer Valley Road)

Registration required: visit [t.ly/4Axy]t.ly/4Axy or call 1-888-EBPARKS (1-888-327-2757) and reference program #41871

Please pass this invitation along to any community members, civic leaders, family, or friends you think may be interested in learning about the new park. For general questions, I can be contacted at ewillis@ebparks.org. 

Thank you for supporting your Regional Parks!

 

Acting U.S. Attorney announces major law enforcement initiative to combat violence, drug distribution by La Nuestra Familia gang

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Map of La Nuestra Familia’s Areas of Criminal Influence. Source: FBI San Francisco

“Operation Quiet Storm was one of the largest gang takedowns in FBI San Francisco division’s history,” charges 55 defendants, some from Contra Costa

Acting U.S. Attorney Hinds emphasizes focus on community engagement to root out drivers of violent crime

SAN FRANCISCO – Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds held a press conference Thursday to announce the unsealing of federal charges filed against 55 defendants, many of whom were members of, or affiliated with, the Nuestra Familia prison gang and its subservient street gangs.  Acting U.S. Attorney Hinds was joined in making the announcement by Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Chief Office of Correctional Safety Derrick Marion, Santa Clara Sheriff Laurie Smith, and San Jose Deputy Chief of Police Elle Washburn.

The focus of the press conference was the unsealing of 17 charging documents, including 14 indictments and 7 criminal complaints, setting out a broad array of charges against the defendants.  DOJ NF indictment 082521 DOJ SJG indictment 081221 DOJ EHP indictment_081221

According to an FBI San Francisco tweet on Thursday, “Operation Quiet Storm was the culmination of more than 5 years of complex investigative work. The gangs targeted in this case are responsible for much of the illicit drug distribution and violent crime that has plagued areas throughout CA.”

“No single defendant is responsible for all the conduct I am describing,” said Hinds. “The charges against each defendant are described in a charging document that is unique to each defendant. By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets.  By removing violent actors and crime drivers from the streets, we make our neighborhoods safer.”

According to the documents unsealed today, La Nuestra Familia – Spanish for “Our Family”– was a prison gang operating in the California state prison system. Falling under the gang’s supervision are Norteño street gangs established in numerous cities and counties, and in jails and prisons, throughout Northern California and elsewhere. Several of the charging documents unsealed Thursday describe various aspects of the gang.  For example, one indictment (here (Leadership)) describes the largely-incarcerated leadership, while another (here (SJG)) describes the activities of a street gang called the San Jose Grande and yet another (here (EHP)) describes a group referred to as El Hoyo Palmas Street Gang. The picture that emerges is one of a violent and structured organization that finances its activities through crime and encourages its members to visit violence upon anyone who threatens the gang’s existence, including members who break gang rules, members who attempt to leave the gang, and rival gang members.

According to the documents unsealed Thursday, of the 55 defendants, 28 individuals were charged with racketeering crimes, while the remaining individuals were charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Conspiracies alleged in the indictments include agreements to distribute drugs including heroine, methamphetamine, and cocaine; to commit armed robberies; and to commit murder.  Additional defendants were charged with other related crimes ranging from drug distribution to armed robbery.

According to a San Diego Union-Tribune report, “Prosecutors said 36 of the defendants were already in state prison and have been moved to federal holding facilities. Authorities have not said how many of the 19 remaining defendants were arrested in law-enforcement sweeps this week.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Hinds emphasized the goal to “fish with a spear, not a net.”

“Working with our federal and state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, as well as impacted communities, our law enforcement efforts have focused on addressing violent crime-driven by gangs,” said Hinds.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, as well as members of our community, to identify and address the drivers of crime in our neighborhoods.  We intend to continue to deliver results by focusing on the needs of our communities.”

“Operation Quiet Storm was one of the largest gang takedowns in FBI San Francisco division’s history,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Fair.  “The coordinated efforts of this operation were done with one goal in mind: to disrupt the communications and organizational structure of a criminal network who has terrorized our neighborhoods for far too long.”

“Today’s operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. This investigation revealed the wide-ranging influence of the gang that extends far beyond prison walls. It is clear they have hard and fast rules, and those who run afoul are met with intimidation and violence that spills into our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shannon. “We will continue to look at these organizations structurally to disrupt and dismantle them.”

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI (San Francisco, Sacramento, and Phoenix Divisions) and the DEA, with the assistance of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and the San Jose Police Department, as well as the support of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Antioch Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Fremont Police Department, King’s County Sheriff’s Office, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain View Police Department, Sacramento Police Department, Salinas Police Department, Menlo Park Police Department, Santa Clara County Parole Department, Santa Clara County Probation Department, Santa Clara Police Department, Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Modesto Police Department, San Francisco Police Department, and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, and Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.

This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

 

Mexican prison gang Nuestra Familia’s leaders, members, associates charged with racketeering including some from Contra Costa

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Description of indictment by USDOJ against Nuestra Familia leaders, members and associates on Aug. 25, 2021.

Indictment describes the gang’s nexus of power overseeing thousands of members throughout California; Antioch Police Department assist in investigation

Involved in plots to murder 14 victims, plus robbery, drug trafficking and money laundering

SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants with racketeering conspiracy, including acts involving murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and money laundering, and charging five others with drug trafficking-related crimes.  The indictment handed down on August 25, 2021, and unsealed Thursday, September 16, 2021 catalogues a litany of crimes allegedly directed by the Nuestra Familia’s command structure incarcerated in California prisons.  The charging announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Crag D. Fair, and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon at a press conference this morning. Also appearing at the press conference were Chief of the Office of Correctional Safety for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Derrick Marion, Santa Clara Sheriff Laurie Smith, and San Jose Deputy Chief of Police Elle Washburn. DOJ NF_indictment 082521

“The indictment charges all seven of the members who make up the Nuestra Familia’s ruling body: the General Council,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Hinds. “While the physical movement of this leadership was restricted by prison walls, the indictment alleges their power and influence were not so constrained. By disrupting gang leadership, we reduce violence on our streets.  By removing violent actors and crime drivers from the streets, we make our neighborhoods safer.”

“The arrests made yesterday, most significantly the arrests of the Nuestra Familia leadership, will severely cripple the ability of this criminal enterprise to continue to facilitate crimes in communities throughout the state and help break a decades-old cycle of violence,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Fair.

“Today’s operation strikes a substantial blow to Nuestra Familia leadership. This investigation revealed the wide-ranging influence of the gang that extends far beyond prison walls. It is clear they have hard and fast rules, and those who run afoul are met with intimidation and violence that spills into our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon. “We will continue to look at these organizations structurally to disrupt and dismantle them.”

According to the indictment, the 17 racketeering defendants were members and associates of the Nuestra Familia (“NF”) prison gang, a violent and lucrative organization formed in the 1960s.  The NF is alleged in the indictment to be a criminal enterprise that was created to organize, protect, discipline, profit from, and maintain the allegiance of gang members on the streets of and within custodial facilities in California.  As outlined in the indictment, membership in the NF involved a process of sponsorship, approval, and indoctrination.  The perpetration of violence and other crimes was ordinarily a prerequisite to entrance, continued membership, and advancement in the organization.  Once membership was achieved, this membership was for life.  The indictment alleges an NF oath provides: “If I lead, follow. If I stumble, push me. If I fall, avenge me. If I betray you, kill me.”

The indictment also describes the NF’s organizational structure and, in particular, the gang’s governing body: a seven-member “General Council,” made up of three Generals and a four-member Inner Council, which makes significant decisions and oversees the activities of the NF and its subservient gangs.  The indictment outlines each position according to the NF Constitution.  According to the NF Constitution, the Street Regiment General oversees the NF’s “overall street operations.”  The General of the Prisons is responsible for the NF’s “overall pinta [prison] functions,” and the General Advocates Office is the NF’s “justice department.”  Tiered just below these three NF Generals was the Inner Council, which consisted of four senior NF members who served as “advisors” to the Generals and provided a system of checks and balances.  All seven members of the NF’s General Council led the NF organization while incarcerated in the California prison system.  Each is charged in this indictment.

Further, the indictment describes the appointment by these leaders of NF members to positions of power over hierarchical and paramilitary structures called “regiments,” imposed on its gang members operating on the streets in California.  While the NF was composed of a relative few, it exercised control and wielded influence over thousands of subordinate gang members in counties and prisons throughout Northern California using such regiments.  These regiments primarily guaranteed the NF’s vast influence and control over its own and its street gang members, ensured avenues to direct violence and other illicit activity, and secured means for the NF to make money through the commission of criminal activity.

The NF oversaw such regiments in Contra Costa County, Santa Clara County, Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Alameda County, Solano County, San Joaquin County, Fresno County, Kings County, Tulare County, Madera County, Merced County, Kern County, Sacramento County, Yolo County, Humboldt County, Shasta County, Lassen County, Tehama County, Butte County, Yuba County, Sutter County, Lake County, Placer County, and Sonoma County, as well as in Salinas Valley State Prison, Pelican Bay State Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison, California State Prison – Solano, California State Prison – Sacramento, and High Desert State Prison.

According to the indictment, NF members and associates were involved in plots to kill 14 victims between April 2013 and July 2019 as part of the charged racketeering conspiracy.  The defendants charged in the alleged racketeering conspiracy include the following:

Defendant Age Charges Maximum Statutory Penalty
DAVID CERVANTES aka “DC” 73 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
ANTONIO GUILLEN aka “Chuco” 55 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
JAMES PEREZ aka “Conejo”

 

 67 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
SAMUEL LUNA aka “Sammy”

 

 46 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
GUILLERMO SOLORIO aka “Capone”

 

 42 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
TRINIDAD MARTINEZ aka “Trino”

 

 41 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
GEORGE FRANCO aka “Puppet”

 

 56 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
STEVEN TRUJILLO aka “Esteban”

 

 56 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
SALVADOR CASTRO aka “Gangster”

 

 51 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
BRYAN ROBLEDO aka “Turtle” 48 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
ALEX YRIGOLLEN aka “Sleepy”

 

 52 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
JUAN SOTO aka “Drifter”

 

 38 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
EDGARDO RODRIGUEZ aka “Big Evil”

 

 41 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
ROBERT MALDONADO aka “KJ”

 

 46 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
ERIC ZARATE aka “Baby G”

 

 43 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
ROCKY BRACAMONTE aka “Fox”

 

 37 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy Life
JOSHUA CORTEZ aka “Buddah”

 

 28 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy 20 years

Also charged in the indictment are defendants who allegedly participated in two conspiracies to possess and distribute methamphetamine, one in May of 2019 and the other in September 2020 to March 2021.  The charges pending against these defendants are as follows:

Defendant Age Charges Maximum Statutory Penalty
WILLIAM RODRIGUEZ aka “Negro” 34 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine At least 5 years, up to 40 years
MARVIN RODRIGUEZ 34 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

 

 At least 5 years, up to 40 years
CRISTIAN MORA aka “C-Fresh” 28 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

 

 At least 5 years, up to 40 years
MARTIN JOSEPH RUPPEL JR. 42 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

 

 At least 5 years, up to 40 years
ANAELISA CUEVAS 35 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) – Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine At least 5 years, up to 40 years

The court also may order additional terms of supervised release, fines, and restitution.  Nevertheless, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The defendants are scheduled to make initial federal court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Nathanael Cousins and U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Sallie Kim today.

This case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI (San Francisco, Sacramento, and Phoenix Divisions), the DEA, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshal Service, with the assistance of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and the San Jose Police Department, and with support from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Antioch Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Fremont Police Department, King’s County Sheriff’s Office, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain View Police Department, Sacramento Police Department, Salinas Police Department, Menlo Park Police Department, Santa Clara County Parole Department, Santa Clara County Probation Department, Santa Clara Police Department, Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Modesto Police Department, San Francisco Police Department, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, and Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.

This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

 

Fire fighters protest COVID-19 vaccine mandate at Contra Costa Supervisors meeting

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Goes into effect tomorrow, Sept. 17; Board supports LAFCO consolidation of fire departments

By Daniel Borsuk

With the clock ticking, a battalion of upset Contra Costa County Fire District fire fighters remotely protested before the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors that they refuse to obey a “draconian” August 13 Contra Costa Health Services order requiring county first responders to be fully vaccinated or face termination.

The county health order that goes into effect Friday, Sept. 17 was drafted by Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano and adopted by the board of supervisors in a closed session because of its employment ramifications for many veteran fire fighters and sheriff deputies and other first responders who might refuse to take the vaccine for personal, political or religious reasons.

Dr. Farnitano claims the tough vaccine employment order for first responders arises at a time the number of COVID-19 patients in county hospitals is on the rise.

But a check with the Contra Costa Health Department’s COVID-19 website shows there are 154 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals. That is down 9.3 percent over the past two weeks, the CCCHD website showed.

In addition, the county health department reported 2,421 active COVID-19 cases. That is down 45.9 percent from two weeks ago.

Nearly 85 percent of Contra Costa residents are vaccinated, county health department data shows. The national vaccination rate is 73.9 percent.

The new vaccine employment edict applies to fire department and sheriff office personnel. There were no personnel from the sheriff’s office who protested against Dr. Farnitano’s vaccination/employment order.

Nearly 40 firefighters, many with more than 20 years in service, from all ranks including engineers, firefighters, and captains, protested against the county health officer’s order.

“This is an infringement of our freedom of choice,” said Collin Spencer, a fire fighter/paramedic.

Upon opposing the vaccine mandate, fire fighter Nick Sandburg, a father of two with a “pregnant wife” commented, “I don’t think the vaccine is effective. I oppose the vaccine mandate. Just give us universal testing.”

“None of us took this lightly,” said District 4 Supervisor Karen Mitchoff. “This is about protecting the public.”

District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen was more direct commenting “I am really shocked about the misinformation that our fire fighters have about the COVID-19 vaccine. Somewhere there is a big disconnect.”

It’ll be interesting what the fire fighters will do when the Sept. 17 deadline arrives. The county could be in a major fire crisis if large numbers of well trained, experienced fire fighters are let go especially during the start of the county’s peak fire season.

In the past month, there were 206 vegetation fires that CCCFD responded to and in one day there were seven structure fires, reported Contra Costa County Fire Department Chief Louis Brousard III.

Board Supports LAFCO Consolidation of Fire Departments

Supervisors, serving as commissioners of the Contra Costa County Fire District, pushed along on a 5-0 vote to have the Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Committee (LAFCO) to act on consolidating the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the financially struggling East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.

ECCFD board member Joe Young told supervisors he will oppose the consolidation at the district’s board meeting on Sept. 16 because the consolidated district will continue to inadequately fund fire services in Oakley, Brentwood, and Discovery Bay. Young not elaborate at the supervisors’ meeting.

“There are a lot of details that have yet to be addressed on consolidation,” admitted CCCFPD Fire Chief Broussard. “We’ll bring leaders from both organizations to make this a successful annexation.”

While giving Board Chair Diane Burgis credit for being a key player in the merger of the two districts, District 1 Supervisor John Gioia said the newly enlarged fire district will draw fire protection upgrades especially with equipment and personnel once “millions of dollars of Proposition X sales tax funds” pour into the district. Gioia was a big backer for the Prop. X ballot measure to appear on last November’s election ballot.

A proposal to consolidate the Rodeo-Hercules Fire District into the enlarged CCCFPD was not considered by the supervisors. That proposal was dropped.

 

Man in stolen truck from Antioch leads CHP on wrong-way pursuit, arrested Tuesday

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Stolen Antioch truck heads the wrong way on the eastbound Hillcrest Avenue offramp of Hwy 4 on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. CHP video screenshot.

By CHP Golden Gate Division Air Operations

Stolen truck on railroad tracks in Pittsburg on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. CHP video screenshot.

On the morning of September 14 2021, CHP airplane A-31 was returning to the Napa airport, when it’s onboard sensors detected a stolen vehicle in the Antioch area due to a LoJack stolen vehicle recovery system that utilizes GPS to locate users’ vehicles. A-31 began a search of the area, eventually locating the vehicle on city streets. (See video)

When ground units were requested to make an enforcement stop, the truck fled at a high rate of speed. The driver drove wrong way on surface streets and the freeway, entering Hwy 4 at the eastbound Hillcrest Avenue offramp. He exited the freeway on the eastbound onramp at Lone Tree Way, crossed under the overpass and re-entered westbound Hwy 4 in the correct direction. The driver then exited at Loveridge Road in Pittsburg. At one point, becoming lodged on railroad tracks just north of the Antioch-Pittsburg Hwy aka W. 10th Street.

Driver and occupants flee stolen trucks on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. CHP video screenshot.

Eventually the occupants fled from the vehicle in a residential neighborhood and A-31 was able to track the driver to a backyard where he was apprehended.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Contra Costa DA’s Office appoints Arnold Threets as Chief of Inspectors

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Arnold Threets is given his oath of office as the new Chief of Inspectors by Contra Costa District Attorney Diane Becton on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Source: CCDA

By Bobbi Mauler, Executive Assistant to the Contra Costa County District Attorney

New CCDA Chief of Inspectors Arnold Threets. Source: CCDA

District Attorney Diana Becton announced Tuesday, that the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office appointed Arnold Threets as the new Chief of Inspectors. He initially joined our Office in 2019 as the Assistant Chief of Inspectors and was sworn in today as our new Chief.  Please welcome him as the new Chief of Inspectors and below is his impressive bio:

Arnold is an experienced executive leader with almost 30 years of law enforcement experience. Prior to coming to the District Attorney’s Office, he spent the preceding 25 years with the Richmond Police Department where he served, managed, and lead various patrol, investigative, tactical, and administrative units. Arnold served with distinction, retiring from the Richmond Police Department as a Police Captain in November 2018.

Arnold has a strong operational background in field and investigative operations. This led to his selection as the founding Commander of RPD’s Special Investigative concept where he led the effort to reduce violent gang crime, by working closely with the City of Richmond’s Office of Neighborhood Safety on a community driven, police-involved, focused deterrence model of preventing violent gun crime. This approach has become a national model for reducing violent gun crime, albeit without alienating the community we’re sworn to protect.

“I have known Chief Threets since I was a judge in Richmond and he was a young detective. I was always impressed with his demeanor, candor, and commitment to justice,” Becton shared. “I have watched his career as he rose all the way through the ranks of the Richmond Police Department, retiring as a Captain. Arnold continues to help our Office modernize and embrace new technologies and strengthen our protocol investigations.”

While at RPD, he developed an appreciation for the role technology could play in keeping our communities safe. He led RPD’s transition to a new computer aided dispatch (CAD)/Records Management System (RMS), as well as their adoption of Axon body worn cameras. This interest and experience with technology made him a natural fit to lead the Office’s expansion of the use of Evidence.com with our law enforcement partners throughout the County.

He joined the District Attorney’s Office in June of 2019 as the Assistant Chief of Inspectors. Since coming to the Office, he’s played a key role in the development, training and implementation of DA Becton’s new internal Protocol investigative process. At the request of the Contra Costa County Chiefs of Police Association, he partnered with former Chief Assistant Venus Johnson to train County law enforcement personnel on the changes to the law regarding the use of deadly force, as well as the updates to our internal investigative process.

Threets considers himself to be the ultimate ‘late bloomer’ in that he didn’t finish his formal education until he was in his 40’s. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management from The Union Institute and University in Ohio and a Master’s Degree in Criminology, Law and Society from UC Irvine. He graduated from CA POST Command College Class 56 and the Senior Management Institute for Policing (SMIP) Class 66.

“This is a position with significant responsibilities and I’m thankful to DA Becton for the confidence and trust she has placed in me,” Threets said. “I’ve been working in this community for over 27 years and it’s an honor to continue serving the citizens of Contra Costa County.”

He is a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps and he and his wife, Tessa, have three adult children.

 

Richmond man Sentenced to 27 years in prison for 2018 first degree residential robbery in Brentwood

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Convicted felon with a two-decade history of violence, weapons violations, theft, attempted murder and resisting arrest.

By Scott Alonso, PIO, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Last week, defendant Paul Simmons (Muscat) of Richmond was sentenced to 27 years in state prison by the Honorable John Cope for the first degree, residential robbery of a female victim. On August 12, 2021, a Contra Costa County jury found Simmons guilty as charged for two felonies. The second felony was first degree burglary with a person present– both offenses were committed in 2018. The jury also found true the enhancements listed in the first charge against Simmons, use of a firearm. (See related article)

“What the victim experienced that morning is anyone’s worst nightmare—the defendant put her behind the barrel of a handgun, in her own bedroom, just feet away from her one- and three-year-old daughters. The evidence was overwhelming—after once trying to take the life of victim’s husband, the defendant tracked her down, invaded her home, and forever robbed her family of their sense of safety. The victim’s bravery, the first-rate investigation by Brentwood and Livermore PD, the jury’s verdict, and the Court’s well-reasoned sentence may finally help this family begin to feel safe again in their own home,” Deputy District Attorney Amy Bailey stated. DDA Bailey prosecuted the case on behalf of the People.

In the early morning of September 17, 2018, the victim woke up in her Brentwood home with her two young daughters when she noticed someone in her bathroom behind a curtain. She quickly realized the person in her bedroom was not her husband. The defendant was wearing a mask, armed with a handgun he stole from the victim’s closet. The defendant pointed the handgun at the victim and directed her downstairs. She was able to escape from him and she went up to her bedroom with her children to hide.

While the victim and her children hid in a closet, the defendant fled with multiple items from her home, including three of her husband’s firearms, an Apple Watch, Beats headphones, car keys and ammunition. The police investigation, conducted by the Brentwood Police Department, determined Simmons entered the victim’s garage first, then entered the home and eventually in the victim’s bedroom. The investigation also determined that Simmons searched for blueprints of the victim’s home days before he committed the robbery.

Five days later, the defendant was arrested by Livermore Police Department officers after he was inside a Rite Aid acting in a suspicious manner. The defendant was casing the Rite Aid and wearing a disguise and gave a fake name to the police. Police located some of the items from the victim’s home, including the victim’s husband’s handgun. The Livermore investigation also connected Simmons to a string of other burglaries in Livermore for which the defendant was convicted in Alameda County.

Five years before this robbery, the defendant tried to kill the victim’s then boyfriend, now husband in Livermore. Due to this shooting, the defendant was convicted of a serious felony, assault with a firearm. This 2014 conviction is a strike, and the judge imposed the strike during the sentencing of this case.

Case information: People v. Paul Victor Simmons (Muscat), Docket Number 05-200286-3.

Discovery Bay man dies in multi-vehicle Highway 4 crash in Antioch Friday

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By CHP – Contra Costa

Friday afternoon at about 1:38 pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a four-vehicle crash on Hwy-4 westbound, east of Hillcrest Avenue. Upon emergency personnel and CHP arrival, it was determined that four vehicles were involved. (A black Chevrolet Tahoe, a white Infiniti G37, a grey Toyota Corolla, and a white semi-truck trailer.)

It appears that the driver of the Infiniti drove between the semi-truck and the Chevrolet Tahoe and collided into the side of the Tahoe. The driver of the Tahoe (56-year-old male from Discovery Bay) lost control and veered the Tahoe across all lanes to the right side of the road and crashed into the guard rail. Then subsequently careened off the guard rail and back into the lanes where it was struck by the semi-truck, and then continued across the lanes towards the center divider, where it was then struck by the Toyota Corolla. Tragically the 56-year-old male driver from the Tahoe sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. No other drivers from the other vehicles involved were transported to any hospital. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the deceased male.

Alcohol or drugs are not suspected to be a factor in this collision. This collision is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed it or the events leading up to it and have not yet spoken with CHP, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez, (925) 646-4980.