Contra Costa Herald

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

Contra Costa DA dismisses 40 cases due to Pittsburg, Antioch officers’ crimes of moral turpitude

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Won’t be prosecuted because the cases are “compromised to the point they can’t be salvaged” – Ted Asregadoo, CCDA PIO

By Allen D. Payton

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has dismissed 40 cases from prosecution as part of the investigation into crimes of moral turpitude by Pittsburg and Antioch Police Officers announced in March. As previously reported, several officers were placed on paid administrative leave due to the accusations against them. (See related articles here, here and here)

Asked for details about the 40 cases, CCDA Public Information Officer Ted Asregadoo said he could not provide it as “it’s still an active investigation of the Pittsburg and Antioch officers.”

Out of a group of the cases, there are 40 cases that can go forward in the investigative process. Approximately 40 of those cases were dismissed,” he continued.

Asked how cases were from which agency Asregadoo responded, “I can’t talk about that.”

“The DA’s office is involved in ongoing evaluations of the cases to determine if the cases are compromised due to the criminal wrongdoing and misconduct,” he stated. “Those 40 have been compromised to the point they can’t be salvaged so they were dismissed.”

“The Antioch and Pittsburg Police Departments are cooperating with us and are assisting,” Asregadoo shared. “It’s a complex endeavor and is wide ranging. The scope of it is not a single incident.”

Chief Assistant District Attorney Simon O’Connell offered the following statement about the matter:

“There are multiple officers who are subjects of an ongoing criminal investigation involving a range of offenses which constitute crimes of moral turpitude. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office is actively engaged in evaluating these cases to determine whether the charged case is compromised or whether the case can proceed. Community safety remains paramount, and the District Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in preserving as many cases as possible.”

An estimated three or five Antioch Police Officers are involved.

Antioch Police still won’t say how many Antioch officers are under investigation, APD Public Information Officer Darryl Safford said. But he did confirm they are still on paid administrative leave. Asked if the DA’s office shared how many of the 40 cases were from Antioch Saffold said, “they have not informed us.”

In addition, an effort to reach new Pittsburg Police Chief Steve Albanese for details from his department was unsuccessful prior to publication time. Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Martinez man arrested, charged in sexual assaults in Central Contra Costa

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Also charged with elder abuse; bail set at $8 million

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

Christopher David Owens. Photo: CCC Sheriff’s Office

Detectives from the Investigation Division of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff served a search warrant on July 7, 2022, at a residence in Martinez. At that time, they arrested 39-year-old Christopher David Owens of Martinez. Detectives identified Owens as the suspect in sexual assaults that occurred in the Pacheco area this year. During the investigation, detectives worked with other local law enforcement agencies, which identified Owens as a suspect in their cases. These include:

-A rape that occurred in Walnut Creek in March 2017

-A rape in Concord in August 2017

-An attempted rape in Pleasant Hill in October 2020

Owens was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on numerous sexual assault and other felony charges. He is currently being held in lieu of $8 million bail.

Detectives presented the case to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office on Monday, July 11, 2022. He was charged with numerous felonies to include three counts of rape, assault with intent to commit rape, forced oral copulation, sexual penetration by a foreign object, elder abuse, and sexual battery.

The cases remain under investigation. Detectives believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division. Detective A. Kotchevar can be reached at (925) 313-2623 or by email at: akotc@so.cccounty.us. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

According to localcrimenews.com, Owens was arrested by Walnut Creek Police in 2018 for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, and again, later that year by Martinez Police on an outstanding warrant.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Pittsburg Marsh Fire contained, no threat to structures but still producing significant smoke

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Pittsburg Marsh Fire on Friday, July 8, 2022. Photo: PG&E

Stubborn six-week-old peat fire in largely inaccessible areas of Bay Point and Pittsburg

By Steve Hill, PIO, Contra Costa Fire Protection District

Aerial view of Marsh Fire on Monday, July 11, 2022, of peat burning for six-plus weeks along Bay Point and Pittsburg shorelines. Photo courtesy PG&E

July 12, 2022 – Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) today announced details regarding a peat fire that has been burning since May 28 in the waterfront areas of Bay Point and Pittsburg.

  • The original fire began the early afternoon of May 28 in a homeless encampment near Suisun and Solano Avenues in Bay Point that burned to approximately 200 acres. The homeless encampment was completely consumed by the fire. No injuries were reported.
  • The May 28 fire occurred in a largely inaccessible area with no structures or inhabitants and created a lingering and stubborn fire that has burned in the marsh since that date. The fire burned into large amounts of peat in the area throughout the ensuing six weeks, consuming additional vegetation and intermittently producing noticeable smoke, depending on weather conditions, but still threatening no structures or lives.
  • On Saturday, July 9, driven by wind, the peat fire flared up extending into adjacent grassy areas of Pittsburg, threatening overhead high-voltage PG&E transmission lines and nearby decommissioned industrial sites.
  • In spite of high winds at the scene, an overwhelming response from Con Fire, aided by Cal Fire, resulted in the fire being contained before it could extend into neighboring homes.
  • Con Fire requested mutual aid from Cal Fire for water-dropping helicopters. Due to the threat to PG&E infrastructure, this request was granted.
  • Before it was contained, the fire consumed an additional 74 acres, bringing the total area consumed by the fires to approximately 500 acres. As of July 11, the Marsh Fire is contained and continues to smolder in inaccessible areas of the Bay Point and Pittsburg waterfront.
  • Peat fires are notoriously stubborn, can be virtually impossible to extinguish, and are often left, for lack of alternatives, to burn themselves out.
  • Today, the remaining peat fire is producing significant smoke but presenting little fire danger to the surrounding area. It is NOT threatening structures; no evacuations are anticipated, as a result. The Fire has consumed most of the fuel adjacent to the community, increasing the margin of safety that would otherwise present a fire risk.
  • The property owner has been cooperative, hiring contractors to mow and disk hundreds of acres to eliminate hazardous fuels.
  • PG&E also provided resources to support the operation in the form of infrastructure protection teams and a large water-dropping helicopter.
  • We share resident concerns regarding the smoke and are aggressively pursuing additional remedies for the situation with city and county officials, other jurisdictions, the property owner, and multiple regulatory agencies, in an attempt to mitigate the situation as soon as possible.
  • Con Fire continues to monitor the fire scene and is prepared to immediately address any flare ups that may occur.
  • We have coordinated with Contra Costa Health Services to monitor air quality in the fire area and, as a result, CCHS issued a health advisory late on July 11.
  • For information on protecting yourself and your family from smoke, please visit cchealth.org/wildfire-smoke/.

Infrared view of hot spots (in white) burning in peat under visible grass fire in Bay Point and Pittsburg on Sunday, July 10, 2022. Photo courtesy Cal OES

Women Forward International brings together Mexican, Calif. food recovery partners for distribution event in Antioch Thursday

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Source: White Pony Express

Under the auspices of WFI, the Mexican Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs is joining with California’s White Pony Express to create a model for attacking food insecurity on a global scale

On July 7, 2022, a new global partnership will make the first of many shared moves against food insecurity.

Women Forward International, the global non-profit that is building creative partnerships to bring about unity, collaboration and service to humanity, will bring their Mexican partners, the Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico (EVM), for a site visit and food distribution with their California partner, White Pony Express (WPE), a leading food rescue and recovery non-profit, located in Contra Costa County. This follows on WPE’s site visit sponsored by WFI to EVM’s headquarters in Monterrey, Mexico last month.

The food distribution will be held in conjunction with RR Ministries, a community bilingual church in Antioch. The event will take place on Thursday, July 7 at (time) in the church’s parking lot at 512 W. 2nd Street. Sweetgreen, the health-focused casual food restaurant chain and WPE partner, is providing 150 vegan salads for the volunteers. World Centric, leader in compostable materials and sustainability, will be providing earth friendly containers for the food distribution.

The event represents WFI’s expansion of a volunteer-powered food delivery service initiative in Mexico. The non-profit organization is bringing together White Pony Express and the Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico in order to provide technical assistance and support for EVM’s Mesa Redonda Round Table initiative, aimed at reducing hunger in America’s neighbor.

Throughout EVM’s visit, WPE will help EVM deepen its work underway, institute safety policies and practices, raise awareness, and ultimately expand their services. WPE will provide lessons learned and will help develop manuals and approaches that will enable Mesa Redonda to incorporate more restaurants and other types of businesses into their network as well as serve additional organizations supporting women who have suffered from gender-based violence (GBV).

Source: White Pony Express

According to Kent Davis-Packard, founder and president of Women Forward International, “The collaboration of White Pony Express with its Mexican counterpart demonstrates the power of cross-border partnership to alleviate food insecurity and contribute to social equality. It also provides an example of a new paradigm of philanthropy that is based on love and human unity.”

Eve Birge, Executive Director of White Pony Express, added, “We look forward to deepening the impact of the Mesa Redonda initiative through sharing best practices and approaches to building trust and collaboration. In short, we will help them create a model that will be scalable and is based on our belief in the ‘all of us taking care of all of us’ vision.”

Rocio Cavazos, founder and president of EVM, envisions a deeper purpose for her organization’s visit, “WFI and WPE are helping us achieve a shared goal of uplifting lives, protecting the environment, and putting an end to hunger and marginalization. This model can be applicable to the entire world.”

ABOUT WOMEN FORWARD INTERNATIONAL (WFI)

WFI(www.womenforwardinternational.org) builds creative partnerships that bridge mind and heart to bring about unity, collaboration and service to humanity. WFI’s partnerships encompass a range of private sector, academic and non-profit clients to identify research critical to human progress, and then pairs teams of graduate international studies students with these organizations to complete that research and implement innovative solutions. These projects include empowering women artisans in conflict zones, enabling sustainable farming with gender equity and taking steps toward the elimination of hunger along with inclusive access to education through digital and other unique platforms. WFI uses the reflective power of Art to reveal and investigate the underlying cultural issues at stake in a given international relations issue. It thus provides the next generation of global leaders with a more holistic approach to human relationships.

ABOUT VEGAN ENTREPRENEURS OF MEXICO (EVM)

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, the Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico (en.aevm.mx) is an NGO and entrepreneurial community that strives to empower consumers to adopt conscious and healthy lifestyles. Members make plant-based options accessible to the general public, replacing the use of animals to achieve balance with the Earth, the health of our bodies and an ethical interaction with other living beings with which we share the planet.

ABOUT WHITE PONY EXPRESS (WPE)

Based in the California Bay Area, White Pony Express (WPE) (www.whiteponyexpress.org) is a volunteer-powered organization with a mission to eliminate hunger and poverty by delivering the abundance all around us to those in need—with love. They serve 120,000 people each year by partnering with more than 80 non-profit agencies who have strong ties to the community. The rescue program at WPE has expanded this model by subjecting all collected food to a meticulous culling process and promising that it is obtained, sorted, and redistributed within a twenty-four-hour time period—seven days a week.

ABOUT RR MINISTRIES (MINISTERIOS REY DE REYES): RR Ministries is a bilingual ministry, located in Antioch, California. We believe God has called us to teach His word as an instrument of restoration and healing for the families in our community. We, as a church are committed to create an environment that builds healthy individuals and strong families. The church’s Promise Keeper Program conducts regularly conducts food and supplies distribution on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. For information, call (925) 588-4818.

Three suspects arrested for Friday armed robbery in Danville grocery store parking lot

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18-year-old from San Jose and two juveniles; Antioch Police, Sheriff’s Office STARR helicopter assist in search

By Danville Police Department

On Friday, July 1, 2022, at about 4:36 PM, Danville police officers were dispatched to a report of an armed robbery that occurred at the Trader Joe’s grocery store parking lot located on Railroad Avenue in Danville.

The victim reported he was held up at gunpoint by two suspects as he exited his car. The suspects fled in a waiting vehicle with the victim’s personal property.

Danville police and Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs along with Sheriff’s Office STARR helicopter began an extensive search for the suspects. Other law enforcement agencies were also notified.

Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division located the suspect vehicle in Antioch. With the assistance of the Antioch police department and STARR helicopter, all three suspects were arrested.

One suspect is identified as 18-year-old Leon Cathay Fountain of San Jose. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on charges that include armed robbery, conspiracy, participating in a criminal street gang, and several weapons violations. He is being held in lieu of $380,000 bail.

The two other suspects are juveniles and are not being identified.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on this incident 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.

Armed Robbery at Trader Joe’s in Danville this afternoon. Vehicle fled the scene. No injuries.

Concord man charged with multiple felonies for attempted sex with minor

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Arrested in Danville park

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Office of the Contra Costa County District Attorney

A 43-year-old resident of Concord has been charged with nine felony counts related to arranging to meet a minor for sex.

On July 1, 2022, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against Phillip Soliman Moussa. Police arrested Moussa in Danville on June 29, 2022, after he engaged in online communications with an individual he believed was a 14-year-old child. During the course of their communications, Moussa allegedly sent the minor a text requesting to meet at a park in Danville to engage in prohibited sex acts. When Moussa arrived at a park, he was arrested by police. He remains in the custody of the Contra Costa County Sheriff. His bail has been set at $675,000.

Moussa is scheduled to be arraigned on July 5, 2022, on the following charges: three counts of arranging to meet a minor for sex, three counts of online enticement of a minor, and three counts of attempted lewd acts with a child.

The case was investigated by the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Concord, and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and Inspectors from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force.

Anyone with information about this case should contact Sheriff’s Detective Andreas Gianopoulos at 925-313-2621.

Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org or the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s website for further information.

Case information: People v. Moussa Docket # 01-22-00955

Con Fire responds to 30 fires across the District Monday evening July 4 – nine known to be, majority suspected from fireworks

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Firefighters extinguish fireworks on Monday night, July 4, 2022. Photos ConFire

Con Fire responded to some 30 fires across the District Monday evening, July 4. Of these, 9 are known fireworks caused with the vast majority of others suspected. Since the start of the holiday weekend Friday p.m., Con Fire responded to 70 fires, many caused by fireworks. #cccsafe4th

In the 10 p.m. hour, Con Fire firefighters responded to 11 grass and exterior fires involving palm trees, fences, yards & parks. Two of these known fireworks caused, remainder likely. At about 11:30 p.m. crews were on-scene at 7 separate fires across the District. #cccsafe4th

Confiscated illegal fireworks.

 

Update regarding the California DOJ’s CCW permit holder data breach

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SACRAMENTO –  The California Department of Justice has announced that personal information was disclosed in connection with the June 27, 2022 update of its Firearms Dashboard Portal. Based on the Department’s current investigation, the incident exposed the personal information of individuals who were granted or denied a concealed and carry weapons (CCW) permit between 2011-2021. Information exposed included names, date of birth, gender, race, driver’s license number, addresses, and criminal history. Social Security numbers or any financial information were not disclosed as a result of this event. Additionally, data from the following dashboards were also impacted: Assault Weapon Registry, Handguns Certified for Sale, Dealer Record of Sale, Firearm Safety Certificate, and Gun Violence Restraining Order dashboards. DOJ is investigating the extent to which any personally identifiable information could have been exposed from those dashboards and will report additional information as soon as confirmed.“This unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable and falls far short of my expectations for this department,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “I immediately launched an investigation into how this occurred at the California Department of Justice and will take strong corrective measures where necessary. The California Department of Justice is entrusted to protect Californians and their data. We acknowledge the stress this may cause those individuals whose information was exposed. I am deeply disturbed and angered.”On the afternoon of June 27, 2022, DOJ posted updates to the Firearms Dashboard Portal. DOJ was made aware of a disclosure of personal information that was accessible in a spreadsheet on the portal. After DOJ learned of the data exposure, the department took steps to remove the information from public view and shut down the Firearms Dashboard yesterday morning. The dashboard and data were available for less than 24 hours.In the coming days, the Department will notify those individuals whose data was exposed and provide additional information and resources. California law requires a business or state agency to notify any California resident whose unencrypted personal information, as defined, was acquired, or reasonably believed to have been acquired, by an unauthorized person.DOJ asks that anyone who accessed such information respect the privacy of the individuals involved and not share or disseminate any of the personal information.  In addition, possession of or use of personal identifying information for an unlawful purpose may be a crime. (See Cal Penal Code Sec. 530.5.)We are communicating with law enforcement partners throughout the state. In collaboration, we will provide support to those whose information has been exposed.In an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice will provide credit monitoring services for individuals whose data was exposed as a result of this incident. DOJ will directly contact individuals who have been impacted by this incident and will provide instructions to sign up for this service.Any Californian may take the following steps to immediately protect their information related to credit:Monitor your credit.  One of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft is to monitor your credit history.  To obtain free copies of your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com.Consider placing a free credit freeze on your credit report. Identity thieves will not be able to open a new credit account in your name while the freeze is in place. You can place a credit freeze by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus:Equifax: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/; 888-766-0008Experian: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html; 888-397-3742TransUnion: https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze; 800-680-7289Place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert helps protect you against the possibility of someone opening new credit accounts in your name. A fraud alert lasts 90 days and can be renewed. To post a fraud alert on your credit file, you must contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies listed above. Keep in mind that if place a fraud alert with any one of the three major credit reporting agencies, the alert will be automatically added by the other two agencies as well.Additional Resources. If you are a victim of identity theft, contact your local police department or sheriff’s office right away. You may also report identity theft and generate a recovery plan using the Federal Trade Commission’s website at identitytheft.gov. For more information and resources visit the Attorney General’s website at oag.ca.gov/idtheft.

Contra Costa DA’s Office, U.S. Department of Labor announce partnership to combat wage theft

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By Ted Asregadoo, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

On June 17th, 2022, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton and U.S. Department of Labor Assistant District Director for San Jose Alberto Raymond formalize a partnership to combat wage theft and protect workers’ rights.

Both agencies commemorate the agreement by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the District Attorney’s Office in Martinez. The MOU means the DA’s Office will be devoting resources to prosecute criminal wage theft cases to curtail labor trafficking, unfair business practices, payroll tax evasion, and wage and hour violations. To do this, District Attorney Becton will create a Workplace Justice Unit that’s committed to a fair and equitable workplace.

Becton noted, “While the DA’s Office and the Department of Labor have had an informal relationship on human labor trafficking and wage theft cases since 2014, this Memorandum of Understanding marks the start of a formal five-year partnership to continue our efforts to seek justice for victims of crime.”

Wage theft affects victims in various ways – and at all income levels. Some workers are denied overtime or are paid less than the minimum wage per hour. Some employers also refuse to pay bonuses, vacation pay, or reimbursement of business expenses. According to investigations by the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division in 2021, U.S. workers were denied over 230-million dollars in back pay.1

“Cooperation between federal and local agencies is critical in the fight against all forms of wage theft here in Contra Costa County and elsewhere in the country,” Assistant District Director Raymond said. “The formal renewal of this longstanding partnership highlights our determination and commitment to combat wage theft and to hold their perpetrators accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Wage theft is a felony punishable by up to three years in jail. Employers caught stealing from their employees may be personally liable for unpaid wages and face criminal asset forfeiture actions.2

In addition to investigating and prosecuting cases, both agencies will conduct community outreach programs to inform the public about reporting wage theft — as well as provide resources for employers to help them follow labor and payroll tax laws.

If you are a victim of wage theft, call 1-866-4-USWAGE or contact the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office at: DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org.

1 U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Labor Division (FY 2021) data found a total of $234,280,603.96 in back pay was owed to workers.

2 Pursuant to PC section 186.11

East Contra Costa Fire to transfer command to Contra Costa Fire District during ceremony Friday morning

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About East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District – The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) is a rural-funded fire district that currently operates 3 fire stations and has a 3-station deficit. The District protects a population of more than 128,000 across its 249 square-mile service area. ECCFPD provides firefighting personnel, emergency medical services (basic life support) and fire prevention to the residents and businesses of the cities of Brentwood and Oakley, and unincorporated communities of Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Knightsen, Byron, Marsh Creek, and Morgan Territory.

About Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) — A recognized fire service leader – Con Fire provides fire and emergency medical services to some 625,000 residents in nine cities and five unincorporated areas across our 304 square-mile jurisdiction. With few exceptions, county emergency ambulance transport services are provided by Con Fire through our unique sub-contractor Alliance model across the District and beyond to include some 520 square miles of the County. In 2021, the District responded to more than 141,000 incidents of all types, including some 55,000 fire and EMS emergencies, and dispatched nearly 100,000 ambulances, providing expert medical care on more than 75,000 ambulance transports. The District, with 26 fire stations and more than 400 employees, is dedicated to preserving life, property, and the environment.