Contra Costa Herald

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

During San Pablo traffic stop motorcyclist arrested for over 100 grams of meth

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108 ounces of meth confiscated on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Photo: San Pablo PD

By San Pablo Police Department

Tonight’s Attempt at a Getaway: 0/10 Stars

On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at approximately 8:40 p.m., officers attempted a traffic stop on a motorcycle that was missing one important accessory: license plates.

As soon as the rider spotted the officer, he decided to test his luck and accelerated away. Unfortunately, while attempting to pass another vehicle, he failed to notice the center median and introduced himself to it rather abruptly.

Spoiler alert: he did not get away.

During a search, officers located approximately 108 grams of methamphetamine. The rider was treated for minor injuries and received a complimentary ride in an ambulance.

As for the motorcycle… let’s just say it took the collision a little harder than its rider did.

Two arrested for stealing sunglasses worth $45K from San Ramon store

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Stolen sunglasses recovered from thieves on June 11, 2026. Photos: San Ramon PD

By San Ramon Police Department

On Thursday June 11, 2026, San Ramon Police officers arrested two suspects following a retail theft at City Center that resulted in the recovery of more than $45,000 in stolen merchandise.

Emptied out sunglass cases inside store. Photos: San Ramon PD

A suspect entered a local business, filled a garbage bag with high-end sunglasses, and then fled the store. A Corporal assigned to our Organized Retail Theft Suppression Team, who was patrolling the area at the time, quickly located the suspect, who attempted to evade capture on foot before getting into a waiting vehicle.

Working together, patrol officers stopped the vehicle and safely took both suspects into custody. All stolen merchandise was recovered and returned to the business.

This case is a great example of the impact proactive patrols and teamwork can have on crime in our community. Because officers were already in the area and responded quickly, a significant theft was solved within minutes, stolen property was recovered, and those responsible were taken into custody.

Outstanding work by the officers involved!

In addition, following is a brief summary of the arrests made by officers from the San Ramon Police Department from in their police log for the week of June 4-11, 2026.

06/06/2026

  • A 44-year-old male was arrested for criminal conspiracy, shoplifting, petty theft with priors, and violating probation.
  • A 43-year-old female was arrested for criminal conspiracy, shoplifting, petty theft with priors, and violating probation.
  • A 33-year-old male was arrested for unlawful possession or use of tear gas, possession of a controlled substance, violating probation, violating parole, smuggling a controlled substance into jail, and pursuant to an arrest warrant.

06/07/2026

  • A 26-year-old female was arrested for shoplifting.
  • A 25-year-old male was arrested for violating a domestic violence court order.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Pleasant Hill Police make 92 arrests in May

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Source: Pleasant Hill PD

By Pleasant Hill Police Department

It’s June and you know what that means – it’s time to provide you with a look at some of the police activity that took place in our city in May 2026.

We’ll continue sharing this information monthly on social media, but for a more extensive look at our crime stats, please visit our website – https://www.phillca.gov/1384/Crime-Statistics.

Walnut Creek Police Department’s K9 Rollo to get donation of body armor

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Walnut Creek Police K9 Rollo. Photo: WCPD

By Walnut Creek Police Department

K9 Rollo will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Rollo’s vest was sponsored by Buddy the Basset and Friends of Scottsville, VA and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of Buddy the Basset – A friend to all”. Delivery is expected within ten weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and National Institute of Justice (NIJ) certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 6,513 vests valued at $6.9 million to K9s in all 50 states, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

The program is open to U.S. dogs at least 20 months old, actively employed, and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $1,050 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1800.00, weighs an average of 4-5 lbs., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call (508) 824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

Con Fire crews clean up hazardous materials leak in Concord

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Photos: Con Fire

By Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

On Monday, June 15, 2026, shortly before 11:40 a.m., Contra Costa Fire responded to a hazardous materials alarm at a facility in Concord. Facility personnel reported a fluorine leak alarm had activated inside the building, prompting an immediate evacuation of employees.

The first arriving crews confirmed the building was evacuated, secured the area and initiated hazardous materials operations.

Firefighters developed an entry plan and assembled a hazardous materials team to investigate the source of the leak. Firefighters entered the building wearing specialized protective equipment and conducted air monitoring throughout the facility. Operations were conducted to isolate the leak and safely shut down the affected valve.

Following mitigation efforts, a second entry team conducted additional monitoring throughout the building. Air monitoring confirmed all readings had returned to zero, indicating the leak had been successfully controlled and the atmosphere was safe.

As part of the operation, firefighters completed decontamination procedures before exiting the incident. Decon is the process of removing or neutralizing potentially hazardous substances from personnel and equipment before they leave the operational area. Crews utilized a Tiger Paw decontamination system and paper indicator testing to verify that no contamination remained on personnel or equipment.

No injuries were reported.

See more photos, here.

SCAMS: Rep. Harder’s advocacy leads to coordinated crackdown on international scammers

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Google, FBI partnering on lawsuit against major criminal scam syndicate in China

Google endorsing Harder’s Stop SCAMS Act to create all-of-government response to organized cybercrime

By Kevin Winslow, Communications Director, Office of Congressman Josh Harder

WASHINGTON – On Monday, June 15, 2026, Rep. Josh Harder (D, CA-09) announced that his anti-scam advocacy led to a major coordinated crackdown on international scammers. Google, major tech companies, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a lawsuit today against the China-linked cybercriminal network “Outsider Enterprise” alongside Google’s endorsement of Harder’s “Stop Schemes, Cyberfraud, Abuse, Manipulation, and Swindles Act” or Stop SCAMS Act, H.R. 7215, which would establish a government-wide task force to respond to cyberscams.

Organized crime rings are overwhelming law enforcement and victims alike:

  • Groups like Outsider Enterprise have created over 9,000 fake websites, 1 million fraudulent URLs, and supported over 2.5 million scam texts to Android users alone.
  • Californians lost as much as $2.5 billion to online scams in 2024, in the form of robocalls, texts, fake tax collections, phony job ads, card-declined alerts, and cryptocurrency schemes targeting seniors, veterans, and working families.
  • Severe scams like identity theft are growing rapidly and increasingly targeting previous victims multiple times.

“International cybercriminals are robbing our families of their hard-earned savings, and we need a permanent solution to bring them to justice,” said Rep. Harder. “My Stop SCAMS Act would bring every level of government together to aggressively crack down on scams and the organized crime rings behind them. I’m grateful to have Google’s support and look forward to partnering with law enforcement and industry partners to stop cyber scams once and for all.”

“We strongly support the Stop SCAMS Act,” said Halimah DeLaine Prado, Google General Counsel. “Shutting down scammers takes a coordinated effort, and this bill will help government agencies work better together to keep Americans safe. Thank you to Representatives Harder and Fitzpatrick for championing this vital consumer protection.”

How the Stop SCAMS Act cracks down on organized cybercrime:

  • New Task Force – Directs the FBI to organize a coordinated, government-wide task force to prevent and respond to modern scams.
  • Better Data – Aligns inter-agency actions, definitions, and data to improve the efficiency of scam-fighting efforts.
  • Prevention – Measures the effectiveness of scam prevention efforts and improves public education campaigns.

Harder represents California’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The new district boundaries under Prop 50 will include Antioch and other portions of Eastern Contra Costa County following the November election.

Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office temporary per-diem Deputy arrested

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

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff recently discovered criminal conduct involving an employee at its Property Services Unit office in Concord.

Detectives launched an investigation into the conduct. During the investigation, detectives obtained a search warrant for the employee’s residence and as well as an arrest warrant.

This afternoon, detectives arrested the employee who was involved in thefts from the Property Services Unit.

He is identified as 62-year-old Kevin Ray Lee of Martinez. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on four felony charges: burglary, receiving stolen property, embezzlement and possession of an assault weapon. He is being held in lieu of $160,000 bail.

Lee joined the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office in May 1990 as a Deputy Sheriff and later became a Temporary Deputy Sheriff (Per-Diem) in 2012 and was assigned to the Property Services Unit.

In light of this incident, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office will request the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to conduct an independent audit of the Property Services Unit.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Lee is Asian/Pacific Islander and bonded out of custody as of June 17th at 2:18 AM.

“All Sheriff’s Office employees are held to the highest standards and any employee who is involved in criminal conduct will be held accountable,” said Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston. “This matter was taken seriously, and a thorough investigation was immediately launched once we learned about it.”

Back-to-back gun arrests by San Pablo Police graveyard officers

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Guns confiscated during arrests on June 14 and 15, 2026. Photos: San Pablo PD

Richmond police assist

Included two juveniles, one sent to Juvie Hall, the other released to guardian

By San Pablo Police Department

Zero Dark Thirty Activities

On Sunday, June 14, 2026, at around midnight, San Pablo Police graveyard officers pulled over a car at the intersection of Church Lane and Dover Avenue for a vehicle code violation.

The officers were instantly greeted by the unmistakable smell of marijuana drifting out the car. Officers saw the driver acting nervously and appeared to be hiding something in his waistband. Based off these peculiar behaviors, officers asked the driver to step out of the car. Low and behold, Officers found a loaded gun in his waistband.

The suspect’s midnight joyride was cut short, and he was promptly fitted with silver bracelets and booked into the local Juvenile Hall.

The gun was found to be stolen and no person in the car was over the age of 21 with a medical permit.

On Monday, June 15, 2026, around 11 p.m. graveyard officers pulled over a car at the area of San Pablo Avenue and Van Ness Street for a vehicle code violation. The male driver must have thought the officer’s lights and siren were a polite suggestion, so he decided to not stop for a few blocks. When the car eventually stopped, officers got out of their cars, but simultaneously so did two female passengers at a much hastier pace.

The wild sequence of events unfolded as follows:

One female took off running, but while being chased, she decided to shed some weight by casually tossing a loaded 9mm Glock on someone’s lawn. Spoiler alert, she was shortly captured after.

Another female decided her best camouflage was to hide directly underneath a parked car. Shout out to the helpful neighbors who ratted her out to our officers!

Less of an aerodynamic (but just as effective) arrest. This female was found to be a juvenile out past her bedtime.

Meanwhile, the male driver left the two females and casually drove to his home in Richmond where Richmond Police Department officers were patiently waiting for his arrival for his complimentary ride to jail.

The car was slapped with a 30-day vacation at the tow yard, the adults were sent off to the county jail, and the juvenile was released to her guardian.

Richmond Police investigate Tuesday night homicide

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By Richmond Police Department

The Richmond Police Department is currently investigating a homicide that occurred in the 4500 block of Potrero Avenue.

Officers responded to the area and are actively conducting an investigation. Detectives remain on scene gathering evidence and following up on leads.

At this time, there is no additional information available for release. More details will be provided as they become available and when it is appropriate to do so without compromising the investigation.

We ask community members to avoid the immediate area and expect an increased police presence while investigators complete their work.

Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Richmond Police Department or submit an anonymous tip through the department’s tip line at (510) 223-1214.

The Richmond Police Department appreciates the community’s patience and cooperation as investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident.

More information will be released when available.

Pittsburg data center issue to return to City Council agenda

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By Toni Baldazo, Community Engagement Officer, City of Pittsburg

The City Council appreciates the members of the public who attended and participated in last night’s City Council meeting. The community’s engagement, questions and feedback are valued and play an important role in shaping our community’s future.

At the direction of the Mayor and the Pittsburg City Council, a workshop on development of data centers will be placed on an upcoming regular meeting of the City Council to allow for additional public engagement. The direction follows the June 15, 2026, meeting, where residents shared their perspectives on the development of data centers in Pittsburg.

The item will be discussed at an upcoming City Council meeting and will provide an opportunity for public participation and City Council direction. Consistent with California’s open-meeting law, that agenda will be posted publicly on bulletin boards at City Hall, 65 Civic Avenue, the Pittsburg Library, 80 Power Avenue, and on the City’s website, www.pittsburgca.gov. Pursuant to City practices, the agenda will be posted and emailed to all who have requested email notice of City Council agendas 10 days in advance of the meeting date so that residents have adequate notice and an opportunity to review the item, plan to attend, and offer public comment in advance of the meeting. In addition to this required posting the City will announce the meeting on each of its social media platforms.

We encourage residents to stay involved and to sign up to receive notifications about City projects and initiatives to remain engaged in the process. Sign up for the City’s enews here: pittsburgca.gov/government/enews-sign-up.

The City of Pittsburg remains committed to transparent, accessible processes and will continue to keep the community informed at every step.