Contra Costa Herald

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

Multiple police agencies shut down “sideshows” in East County, Concord Sunday night

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Screenshot from CCC Sheriff helicopter STAR 3 video of sideshow at Vasco and Marsh Creek Roads, Sunday night, March 7, 2020. Photos courtesy of Antioch Police.

Enforcement results in numerous arrests, 60 citations issued and 55 vehicles towed

By Sgt. Rick Smith, Antioch Police Field Services – Patrol

Information was developed that a large scale “sideshow” event was planned to occur in Eastern Contra Costa County on March 7, 2020. These events have been frequently occurring in the Bay Area and if not addressed by law enforcement they become out of control. These events are extremely dangerous due to the reckless driving that often leads to violence or subjects being severely injured while disrupting the lives of non-involved motorists and residents.

The Antioch Police Department reached out to surrounding law enforcement agencies for assistance in addressing this planned “sideshow” due to the anticipated size of the event and the various locations in Eastern Contra Costa County identified as possible locations of occurrence. The request was answered with officers being sent from all east county agencies to include the Brentwood Police Department, Oakley Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Deputies from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Air Operations also assisted by having Helicopter STAR 3 overhead in support.

A large “sideshow” event occurred with participants performing dangerous and reckless driving maneuvers in the intersection of Marsh Creek Road and Vasco Road. This is a heavily travelled area of roadway and participants used their vehicles to stop traffic in all directions while performing dangerous driving maneuvers. CCSO STAR 3 was overhead and was able to help responding units stop and arrest numerous participants.

Several of these participants did manage to escape arrest by driving at and around arriving officers on roadway shoulders and into oncoming lanes of traffic. Again, putting numerous citizens and officers in harm’s way. These participants went to other nearby areas and continued to take over intersections by performing dangerous and reckless driving maneuvers.

Thanks to CCSO STAR 3 overhead, several officers were able to break-up this second “Sideshow” event that was occurring along Vineyards Parkway in the City of Brentwood. Several participants were again stopped and arrested with their vehicles being towed.

Cars on Vineyard Parkway in Brentwood.

CCSO STAR 3 helped identify a third “sideshow” location on Balfour Road at American Avenue in the City of Brentwood. Arriving Officers located and arrested several more drivers with their vehicles again being towed.

Cars at Balfour Road and American Avenue in Brentwood.

This continued with a fourth “sideshow” taking place in the City of Antioch at the intersection of A Street and East 18th Street. Officers arrived as the participants were dispersing. Officers were able to identify the involved drivers and vehicles. More vehicles were stopped at various locations with the drivers being arrested and their vehicles being towed.

During these events, a motorcycle was involved and fled from officers when an enforcement stop was attempted. With the assistance of CCSO STAR 3, officers were able to follow the motorcycle safely and later located the rider. The rider was taken into custody with his motorcycle being subsequently towed and stored.

The remaining group of drivers then made their way into the City of Concord. The Concord Police Department was aware of what was occurring in the eastern end of the county. They were able to disperse the remaining participants from their city. After this last incident, it appears the participants stopped for the night and no other incidents were reported.

Nearly 60 citations were issued. 50 of the citations were for infield arrests for reckless driving offenses directly related to “sideshow” activity. This resulted in 55 vehicles being towed and stored. There were three other arrests as a result of this enforcement for charges of driving under the influence, felony evading, and a warrant arrest for robbery.

This type of reckless driving has become a regular occurrence in the Bay Area. It is an extreme danger to those involved and even more of a danger for the un-involved citizens who unfortunately become victims of the illegal activity. Due to the officers pro-actively addressing this issue, several of the involved drivers will now be without their vehicles for an extended period and will also be facing possible fines from the Courts. Officers in Contra Costa County will continue to address these incidents with zero tolerance.

As a reminder to those who choose to show off their driving skills, public roadways are not the proper venues for this type of behavior. There are sanctioned events and locations throughout the state that allow this type of driving. Often rewarding drivers for their skills while providing a safe environment to all.

This preliminary information is made available by the Community Policing Division. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Five new novel coronavirus Cases Confirmed in Contra Costa County, nine total

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Board of Supervisors to consider calling for state of emergency in the county at Tuesday meeting

Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) confirmed five new cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in residents of the county.

Four are being treated at hospitals in Contra Costa. They had no travel history outside the U.S. or known contact with a confirmed case. The fifth patient, who had close contact with another person who previously tested positive for COVID-19, is isolating at home under the guidance of CCHS.

Coronavirus. Image by CDC

As of Sunday morning, Contra Costa has nine confirmed cases of novel coronavirus. One patient who tested positive last week remains in a local hospital, while three other previously identified patients who tested positive are also isolating at home. CCHS will not release further details about the patients to protect their medical privacy, including the names of the hospitals where they are being treated.

“The coronavirus is here in our community. As we ramp up our testing, we expect to identify more cases. But there is still a lot we can do to slow down the spread and protect our most vulnerable,” said Dr. Ori Tzvieli, acting Contra Costa Health Officer.

Last week, CCHS released recommendations for people who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Practicing good public health hygiene remains the best way of avoiding any respiratory disease, including novel coronavirus:

  • People who are sick should stay home from work or school until they are well
  • Older adults and people with chronic conditions should avoid large gatherings, as they are at higher risk of becoming infected
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available
  • People who are sick should cover their coughs and sneezes using a tissue or their elbow
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your unwashed hands
  • Masks are for sick people. There is no evidence that wearing masks in public prevents healthy people from getting sick with novel coronavirus

Calls have been placed to Anna Roth, Director and Dr. Chris Farnitano, Health Officer for Contra Costa Health Services and Dr. Samir Shah, Chief Medical Officer for the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center seeking additional information. Dr. Shah was specifically asked in a voicemail when Contra Costa County will become more transparent and share the names of the hospitals where the patients are located as that doesn’t violate HIPAA law, according to other medical professionals.

“We have a presentation to the Board of Supervisors, tomorrow,” said Will  Harper, Acting Communications Director for Contra Costa Public Health when reached for comment. “We’ve been asked to give an update with the latest guidance for the community. The board will consider declaring an emergency in the county.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website, “the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the HIPAA Privacy Rule to implement the requirements of HIPAA.”

Furthermore, “A major goal of the Privacy Rule is to ensure that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high quality health care and to protect the public’s health and well-being. The Privacy Rule strikes a balance that permits important uses of information while protecting the privacy of people who seek care and healing.”

However, according to the CDC, “the Privacy Rule permits use and disclosure of protected health information, without an individual’s authorization or permission, for 12 national priority purposes.” One of those is labeled, “Serious Threat to Health or Safety. Covered entities may disclose protected health information that they believe is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person or the public, when such disclosure is made to someone they believe can prevent or lessen the threat (including the target of the threat).”

The question is whether or not the HIPAA privacy rule prevents the release of the names of which hospitals patients are being treated so the public can decide whether or not to go to that hospital for treatment.

“We have not announced any hospitals to protect the patient privacy and the operations of the hospital,” said Scott Pauley, Public Information Officer for the CDC. “There’s a very thin line there. That’s policy level and the decisions made are by the hospitals and county health officials.”

Visit cchealth.org/coronavirus for local information about COVID-19.

Allen Payton contributed to this report. Please check back later for updates.

Contra Costa elections update shows District 5 race for Supervisor too close to call

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By Allen Payton

As of the update posted Friday, March 6, 2020 at 4:33 p.m., the results of the election for Contra Costa County Supervisor in the District 5 race between incumbent Federal Glover and two challengers is still too close to call.

Glover, seeking his sixth term on the board, is just 0.3% away from winning the race outright. If not, in the November General Election he will face either County Assessor Gus Kramer, who has 25.82% of the vote and leading Martinez Planning Commissioner Sean Trambley with 24.48% of the vote, by just 516 votes.

However, there are approximately 40,000 ballots remaining to be counted in the county. According to the Contra Costa County Elections website:

Below are the estimated number of ballots that remain to be counted as of March 6

7,500       Vote by Mail

29,200     Provisional

800          Conditional Voter Registration

2,500       Other

40,000    Total Estimate

Before the latest update was provided, Trambley commented on Thursday, “We will see what happens. Although this wasn’t the outcome I expected, I’m proud of the campaign I ran.”

“Hard to say how many of those (remaining ballots) are in District 5,” he added.

Fatal big rig crash on I-680 in Alamo takes life of Oakland man Saturday morning

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By CHP – Contra Costa

This morning, Sat., March 7, 2020 at about 5:59 am, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a vehicle collision involving a big rig at I-680 southbound, just south of Stone Valley Road. Upon emergency personnel and CHP arrival, the solo male driver of the big rig (64-year-old male from Oakland) had been ejected and was declared deceased at the scene. A prior non-injury collision was in the roadway just before the Freightliner big rig crashed. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the male driver.

It appears that the big rig driver was unable to avoid the collision that was just ahead of him. He veered his big rig to the left in an attempt to avoid the previous crash, towards the concrete center divider, but subsequently crashed into the concrete barrier. It appears that the driver was not wearing his seatbelt because he was ejected onto the roadway. Unfortunately, the driver did not survive and was declared deceased at the scene. No other drivers were injured.

This incident is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez at (925) 646-4980. Thank you.

Richmond High P.E. teacher sentenced to 3 years in state prison for sex with minor

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Israel Ayala-Lopez; Photo by Richmond PD.

By Scott Alonzo, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney

Earlier this week, Israel Ayala-Lopez (27-years-old) of Richmond pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, Jane Doe, and he will serve three years in state prison. Ayala-Lopez will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Ayala-Lopez at the time of his arrest in the late summer of 2019, was a physical education teacher and soccer coach at Richmond High School. He received his teaching credential from the state of California in 2017.

Ayala-Lopez had sexual relations with the victim multiple times from at least April 2019 until August 2019. He was arrested by the Richmond Police Department and has been in custody since our Office filed criminal charges against him. Ayala-Lopez was also a collegiate athlete at San Jose State University and California State University Monterey Bay for their respective soccer teams.

To protect their confidentiality, our Office does not release the name or age of the victim, or their relationship to a defendant for this type of case. A criminal protective order was also ordered by the judge to prevent the defendant from communicating with the victim.

The case was investigated by the Richmond Police Department. Deputy District Attorney Kate Jewett prosecuted the case on behalf of the People. DDA Jewett is assigned to our Sexual Assault Unit.

Case information: People v. Israel Ayala-Lopez, Docket Number 02-330632-1.

Hercules couple arrested with stolen mail following Antioch police chase into Pittsburg Tues. night

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The car driven by the mail theft suspects and recovered stolen mail. Photos by APD.

By Antioch Police Department

Late last night, an alert resident contacted our Dispatch Center to report suspicious individuals in a blue BMW going through mailboxes in the Mira Vista Hills Neighborhood (Robles Drive at Silverado Drive). Officers not content in seeing our residents be victimized saturated the area and found a matching vehicle stopped in front of a mailbox on Candlestick Drive. As the officer was checking the license plate, the driver (who apparently had a guilty conscious) sped-off and led us on a chase to Pittsburg. Luckily there was hardly anyone out, and this guy wasn’t the best driver, because his mad dash was halted as his tires bounced off a curb on the Loveridge off-ramp (nice work curb!).

Instead of calling it quits, both the driver and passenger tried to see if officers were keeping up on their exercise routine and led us on a sprinting activity for a few hundred yards. Fortunately, our officers had not been skipping the gym that week and were able to take both the driver and passenger into custody without any further malfeasance. Inside the car, officers found stolen mail (including tax refunds!), from numerous victims throughout Contra Costa County, including our own Antioch.

The driver, a 32-year-old Hercules resident, was sent back to jail for a variety of charges, including violating his probation from leading officers on two previous high-speed chases. The passenger, a 34-year-old Hercules resident, joined the driver in jail for similar charges including violating her probation for identity theft.

We love when our residents see something suspicious and call us to investigate. Mail theft is a huge problem throughout our region and leads to other crimes like identity theft, fraud, and forgery. Installing a locking mailbox is a good preventative measure, but we also wanted to inform our fine residents of a FREE service offered by the Postal Service called “Informed Delivery.” Each day, the Post Office will email previews of the letters and packages scheduled to arrive at your house. Interested residents can follow this link to sign up for this service:

https://informeddelivery.usps.com/…/pages/intro/start.action

As always, if you see something – say something! If you witness a crime in-progress, give our Dispatch Center a call on 9-1-1 or at (925) 778-2441 if you don’t think it’s an emergency. We love catching the bad guys and gals but can’t always do it without your help!

Burgis, Andersen re-elected Supervisor, Glover appears to be facing run-off, opponent not yet decided

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Supervisor Diane Burgis and supporters look at the results online during her Election Night party in Brentwood, Tuesday night.

“It’s not over.” 50,000 ballots left to be counted in the county. Next results update not until this Friday by 5 p.m.

Supervisor Federal Glover (in red shirt) checks the election results on his laptop surrounded by family and supporters as they celebrate his first place finish at his home in Pittsburg, Tuesday night. Photo courtesy of the Glover campaign.

By Allen Payton

According to the unofficial election results on the Contra Costa Elections website from Tuesday night at 11:58 pm, Supervisor Diane Burgis is sailing smoothly into a second term, having garnered 66.49% of the vote against her opponent, Sanitary District Board Member Paul Seger who has 33.51% of the vote.

In a Facebook post Tuesday night, Burgis wrote, “Looking Good! The numbers will be coming in for the next couple days with all of the mail in ballots. Thank you to all those that helped make this happen. The walking & calling, the letters to the editor, Facebook posts & helping hang up signs. You all kept it positive & professional. I am blessed to have such a terrific support system! It is an incredible privilege to do this work & I look forward to another 4 1/2 years!”

Then on Wednesday afternoon, Burgis said, “I want to thank everyone for voting. It is a privilege to serve you, and I will continue to work hard every day to maintain your trust. I look forward to doing more good work for Contra Costa County.”

Supervisor Candace Andersen faced no opponent in her race for reelection in District 2, representing Lamorinda and most of the San Ramon Valley. In a Facebook post Wednesday morning, Andersen wrote, “I never take any election, even when running unopposed, for granted. Thank you to the 34,750+ (votes are still being counted) people who voted for me! I love my job and look forward to another 4 years. And congratulations to my colleague Diane Burgis who also won her election!”

Supervisor Federal Glover, running for a sixth term on the board to represent, is in a strong first place with 48.96% of the vote, just 1.05% shy of winning the election outright. He’s followed by County Assessor Gus Kramer with 27.24% who is closely trailed by Martinez Planning Commissioner Sean Trambley with 23.8% of the vote.

If Glover isn’t able to obtain 50% plus one vote, he will face one of his opponents in a run-off election in November.

The results only include votes by mail up until Monday and the votes at the polls on Tuesday, according to County Elections staff. They will know after 3:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, how many ballots are left to be counted in the county.

Glover was available for comment, Wednesday morning.

Kramer believes he’ll end up being Glover’s opponent in the General Election.

“It’s quite frankly too close for comfort,” he said. “Most likely, odds are I will be his opponent. I have some people who are telling me they’re surprised I did as well as I did with all the bad press from the Times. I have others who have said they’re not surprised.”

“It’s better to have tried and failed than to have failed to try,” he continued. “That’s my attitude about this race.”

“They have 50,000 ballots left to count, countywide, which means there’s about 10,000 ballots in this race, alone,” Kramer added. “It’s not over.”

Glover’s other challenger, Trambley, who has never held public office before and was running for office for the first time, was not available for comment Wednesday morning.

The next update to the results will not be provided until this Friday, March 6 by 5:00 p.m. The Elections Division has 28 days to certify the election.

Please check back later for updates to this report.

 

Contra Costa health officials announce first county resident with coronavirus

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Screenshot from KNTV NBC Bay Area of Dr. Ori Tzvieli, County Public Health Medical Director speaking during press conference on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.

By Allen Payton

Tuesday night, Contra Costa public health officials announced the first positive case of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, involving a county resident. The individual is in critical condition and is in medical isolation and completely separated from the general public, according to Contra Costa County Public Health Director Dan Peddycord.

The person tested positive Tuesday afternoon but “had no known travel history and no known contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19.” He is an adult man over 18 years old who has underlying health conditions. The patient was admitted to a local hospital on Sunday, March 1 suffering from a respiratory illness.

The county’s public health lab conducted the test, which is expected to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the coming days. The patient, who is being treated at a hospital in the county, had no known travel history and no known contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

CCHS is conducting a thorough investigation to identify anyone who may have had close contact with the patient.

“Contra Costa Health Services is conducting a thorough investigation to identify anyone who may have had contact with the patient before they were isolated,” said Dr. Ori Tzvieli, County Public Health Medical Director. “This case suggests that coronavirus or COVID-19 may be circulating in Contra Costa County.”

The officials further said it’s time to prepare an to be smart about the virus. Schools and businesses should prepare plans and encourage employees and students to stay home if they are sick. Use hand sanitizer, wash your hands for 20 seconds and often. Do not touch your face and use household cleaners to wipe down surfaces. You should also try to keep distance from people who appear to have a cold or the flu. Avoid shaking hands and try to maintain distance.

Officials would not say in which hospital the latest patient is located.

Asked why the public isn’t being informed what hospital the patient is in, like other counties and states are doing, so they can decide whether they want to go to that hospital or another, Will Harper, Acting Communications Director for Contra Costa Public Health responded, “That concern is understandable but that has to be balanced with the patient’s right to privacy. Our department decided it’s best for the patient’s right to privacy not to share the hospital in which they’re located.”

“The public is being protected when a patient is in the hospital in isolation and separated from other patients and the public,” he added.

CCHS issued a letter on Monday from Contra Costa County Health Services Director Anna Roth and Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano stating, “we expect to see more cases, here in Contra Costa County” and “Now is the time for individuals and families, neighborhoods, community organizations, businesses, schools and all sectors to take steps to be prepared.” They provide a list of “ideas to help get prepared and prevent the spread of the disease now” which can be read, here: COVID19-CCHS Letter-03022020

In addition, Roth and Peddycord issued a Health Alert Update on Friday, Feb. 28 providing direction to healthcare providers in the county. Health-Alert-Coronavirus-CCHS-022820

More Details from Contra Costa Health Services

The novel coronavirus is causing an outbreak of pneumonia illness. The outbreak began in December, 2019 in Hubei Province, China, but outbreaks are now occurring in other countries around the world. There have been a number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus reported in California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and public health agencies across the U.S. are monitoring this new disease. Contra Costa Health Services is working closely with its partners and other health systems to track the situation locally.

Most U.S. cases involve international travelers or close contact with someone who has the virus, known as COVID-19. But COVID-19 may now be circulating in Northern California communities including the Bay Area, according to the CDC and CDPH.

Hospitals in the county, including Contra Costa Regional Medical Center & Health Centers, are screening patients with symptoms for potential exposure to COVID-19. Contra Costa Health Services has sent information about coronavirus to local medical providers, emergency medical services providers, and schools.

As this is an unusual situation, information could change rapidly.

Primary Election results in Contra Costa begin shortly after 8:00 p.m. Tuesday

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The first report will be released at 8:00 pm on election night, March 3, and posted to the Elections website www.cocovote.us immediately afterward. The initial posted results will be Vote by Mail ballots that are returned through Monday March 2.

The second report, with results from the polls, will be issued at 9:30 pm with subsequent updates approximately every half hour until all precincts have reported. The final election night report is expected to be issued by 1:00 am.

The first interim report will be posted by 5:00 pm on Friday March 6 and will contain results from Vote by Mail ballots received on and after Election Day. Additional results will be posted each Friday afternoon up to certification which is expected to be March 31.

The availability of updated reports will be communicated via Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #cocovote. Changes to the reporting schedule, if any, will also be communicated on these social media sites.

The Contra Costa Elections Division social media pages are:

https://www.Twitter.com/CoCoElections

https://www.facebook.com/EngageContraCosta/

https://www.facebook.com/ContraCostaElections/

Local election results will also be available throughout election night on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) beginning at 9:00 pm on Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99.

Fatal crash in Hercules takes life of Fremont man Saturday

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By CHP – Contra Costa

Saturday afternoon, Feb. 29, 2020 at about 12:40pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a solo vehicle collision that came off of eastbound I-80 to the Hwy-4 split. (Into the dirt area just east of I-80 and south of Hwy-4) Upon emergency personnel and CHP arrival, the solo male driver (44 year-old-male from Fremont) was unconscious. CPR and lifesaving procedures were attempted on the driver and he was quickly transported to John Muir hospital in Walnut Creek. Unfortunately, he did not survive and died from his injuries. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the male driver.

It remains unclear at this point in our initial investigation as to why the man veered off the roadway but he was driving his 2000 Dodge Dakota truck on I-80 eastbound and approaching the Hwy-4 split and for an unknown reason he veered to the right across all lanes of traffic and off the roadway into the dirt field area, where the truck came to rest. The male driver was unresponsive upon CHP and emergency personal arrival. He died a short time later from his injuries after being transported to the hospital.

This incident is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez at (925) 646-4980. Thank you.