Contra Costa Herald

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

County Sheriff’s Detectives arrest suspect in Thursday Crockett homicide case

By Leave a Comment

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

On Thursday, November 29, 2018, at about 7:14 AM, a motorist reported to Sheriff’s Office Dispatch that there was a person lying on the roadway along Crockett Boulevard between Cummings Skyway and Pomona Avenue. Crockett Fire Department responded to the location and later pronounced the person deceased at the scene. It appeared the person suffered a gunshot wound.

Homicide detectives from the Office of the Sheriff launched an investigation into the killing. They later identified the victim as 30-year-old DeMichael James Gandy-Williams of Vacaville. During their follow-up, detectives contacted investigators at the Fairfield Police Department.

Sheriff’s Office detectives later went to a motel on the 4300 block of Central Place in Fairfield to interview a person about the killing. The person was later determined to be the suspect in the murder of Gandy-Williams. The suspect refused to come out of the motel room. At about 4:40 PM, the detectives requested assistance from the Fairfield Police Department, which sent patrol officers and the SWAT Team to the location. The suspect surrendered peacefully at about 9:26 PM and was arrested by Sheriff’s Office Detectives.

The suspect is identified as 46-year-old Toriano Collier of Vallejo/Napa. He was interviewed and later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on the following charges: murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and probation violation. He is being held without bail.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

President of Richmond-based CyberTran to speak at major infrastructure conference Wednesday

By Leave a Comment

Artist’s rendering of a CyberTran vehicle and station with overhead solar panels generating the power to operate the system.

Dexter Vizinau, President of the Richmond, California-based CyberTran International, will be participating in a panel discussion at the innovative transportation conference, known as Infraday West on Wednesday, Dec. 5 in Los Angeles at the Intercontinental Hotel. Infraday West Agenda 12-5-18

The conference is described as “projects meet money, policy, innovation, risk in a powerful single day event uniting the leaders in the public and private infrastructure sectors in talks around funding, developing and maintaining infrastructure projects in the U.S.”

It is expected to be “a powerful one-day forum uniting over 300 senior infrastructure executives. Local, State and Federal authorities will unite with some of the top financiers, consultants, constructors, engineers and technology innovators to discuss new opportunities and challenges facing the market.”

The panel discussion in which Vizinau will participate, to be held from 3:00-3:45 p.m. is entitled, Delivering Mega-Rail Projects in California and Beyond – Opportunities and Challenges. It will also include the following panelists: Doug Johnson, Transportation Planning Manager, San Francisco Planning Department; Craig Covil, Chief Development Officer, Gavio+Halmar; Kevin Sheridan, Director of Capital Projects, San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission / Altamont Corridor Express; Elizabeth Lun, Interim Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Planning and Project Delivery, Metrolink; and Carl Holmes, Assistant General Manager of Planning, Development & Construction, BART.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our company to let decision-makers and others in the infrastructure industry know of our low-cost, electric, solar-powered transit system being developed, here in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area,” said Vizinau. “We look forward to sharing with them about our disruptive, American-made technology and help influence the direction of the discussion and market.”

The CyberTran system has already been built and tested and is the most advanced of all innovative transit systems being developed in the U.S., that have not yet been deployed. The company won a national contest by the Federal Highway Administration in 2015 and to date, has been granted seven patents during the final phase of system development. CyberTran’s strategic partners include the Lawrence Berkeley and Livermore Labs, U.C. Berkeley and the Partnership for Advanced Transportation & Highways (PATH).

CyberTran will be hosting a booth at the conference. To learn more, either stop by or visit www.cybertran.com. 

Note: The publisher of the Contra Costa Herald has a financial interest in CyberTran International.

Pharmacist charged with robbing local pharmacy in Danville

By Leave a Comment

Pharmacist Jonathan Szkotak.

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Office of the District Attorney, Contra Costa County

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged defendant Jonathan Szkotak with one felony count of second-degree robbery. On April 3, 2018, Szkotak allegedly went to a CVS pharmacy in Danville where he brandished a firearm at the pharmacy staff and demanded specific pills. Szkotak is a registered pharmacist with the California Board of Pharmacy. He works in Alameda County for the Alameda Alliance for Health.

Szkotak allegedly approached the pharmacy counter wearing a blue surgical mask and displayed a firearm. Given that he used a gun during the course of the robbery, our office charged Szkotak with a firearm enhancement.

CVS reported to the Drug Enforcement Agency a loss report of Clonazepam and Buprenorphine. In total, 17 tablets of Clonazepam were missing and 57 tablets of Buprenorphine (three different brands) as a result of the April 3rd robbery. Upon Szkotak’s arrest, the police found a quantity of crushed Buprenorphine in the defendant’s wallet.

Szkotak’s court appearance is January 14, 2019 in Martinez. He is out of custody on a $200,000 bond.

He was charged with the following: Second Degree Robbery –  Enhancement 1, Personal Use of a Firearm

Case information: People v. Jonathan Szkotak, Docket Number 01-187866-9.

Oakley teen charged with making criminal threats, stalking and threatening a school official

By 1 Comment

Arrested in Texas, awaiting extradition back to Contra Costa County

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

On Wednesday, November 28, 2018, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged 19-year-old Tristan Amir Curl, a resident of Oakley, California and a student living in Austin, Texas, with six felony counts of making criminal threats, one felony count of stalking and one felony count of threatening a school official.

The charges are a result of a two-month investigation by the Oakley Police Department, District Attorney’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into a series of threats on social media. In September, several underage females were contacted by an unknown person on social media who was threatening to rape and kill them.

The same subject threatened to shoot students at Freedom High School in Oakley and then threatened to murder the school principal. Investigators subsequently identified Curl as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant for him, which was approved by a Superior Court Judge in Contra Costa County.

On November 20, 2018, Curl was arrested in Austin, Texas where he attends college. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office had a senior inspector in Austin to assist the Oakley Police Department with the arrest and collection of forensic evidence.

Curl remains in the custody of the Travis County, Texas Sheriff’s Department while awaiting extradition back to Contra Costa County. The Austin Police Department and FBI provided substantial assistance with the investigation.

Case information: People v. Curl, Dockett Number 01-187978-2

Investigation into fatal solo vehicle collision in San Pablo after suspect flees from Deputy Sheriff Tuesday morning

By 1 Comment

Screenshot of an ABC7 News report shows the suspect’s vehicle following the collision which resulted in the driver’s death in San Pablo, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018.

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

This morning at about 12:01, a Deputy Sheriff initiated a traffic enforcement stop on a gold-colored Lexus in the area of San Pablo Dam Road and Mifflin Avenue in El Sobrante. The Lexus ran a red light and went through the intersection of San Pablo Dam Road and El Portal Drive at about 50 miles per hour.

The driver did not yield and led the Deputy on a pursuit. The suspect drove in excess of 100 miles per hour on city streets. The pursuit was terminated because of speeds. The Deputy shut off his patrol car’s emergency lights and siren.

Approximately 12 seconds later and after losing sight of the suspect vehicle, the Deputy came across the Lexus overturned in the area of San Pablo Avenue and Road 20 in San Pablo. The vehicle apparently rolled over several times before landing on its roof. The driver was unresponsive. Deputies attempted to render first-aid. The Fire Department and an ambulance also responded. The driver was later pronounced deceased at the scene. He is not being identified at this time.

The officer involved fatal incident protocol was invoked. This incident is being investigated by the District Attorney’s Office, Office of the Sheriff and San Pablo Police Department. It is not immediately known why the suspect fled from the Deputy Sheriff.

Anyone who has any information on this incident is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

See more from a report by ABC7 News.

Contra Costa community colleges will remain closed until Monday, Nov. 26

By Leave a Comment

By Timothy Leong, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa Community College District

The Contra Costa Community College District (District) has decided to close all College and District operations on Tuesday, November 20th and Wednesday, November 21st. due to ongoing poor air quality.  The District Office and Colleges (Contra Costa, Diablo Valley, San Ramon Campus, Los Medanos, and Brentwood Center) will resume regular operations on Monday, November 26th.

While the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is forecasting improved but fluctuating air quality over the next few days, the District has decided to err on the side of health concerns of its students and staff.  The District has been closed since Thursday, November 15, 3:00 p.m., due to very unhealthy air quality in Contra Costa County.

DUI crash on Highway 4 Monday night results in fatality

By Leave a Comment

By CHP-Contra Costa

Monday night at about 9:28pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a three-vehicle collision at Highway 4 eastbound at Willow Pass Road in Concord. Upon CHP and emergency personnel arrival, three vehicles were located at the scene (a Chevrolet Chevelle, a Nissan Sedan, and a Mitsubishi Lancer) and tragically the driver of the Mitsubishi (19-year-old male) was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Chevrolet sustained major injuries and was determined to be under the influence and later arrested. The driver of the Nissan had only minor injuries and did not go to the hospital. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the deceased driver. Please direct inquires to them.

In the initial investigation, it appears that the driver of the Chevrolet (Willie David Hamlin, DOB-12/25/1971, from Antioch) was traveling eastbound on SR-4 at a high rate of speed approaching Willow Pass Road in Concord. He veered his vehicle to the right and crashed into the metal guard rail to the right of the roadway. Then he allowed his vehicle to veer back into the lanes of traffic and collided with the Nissan, but only caused minor damage. He then continued across the lanes towards the #1 lane where he collided in a broadside manner into the Mitsubishi with the 19-year-old driver, subsequently killing him. The 44-year-old driver of the Nissan only sustained minor injuries and was able to walk away. Hamlin suffered major injuries (but not life threatening) and was transported to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek. While there, CHP conducted a DUI investigation and he was subsequently placed under arrest for FELONY DUI and GROSS VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER. Due to Hamlin’s injuries, he remains at the hospital for treatment but upon his release, CHP will take him into custody and book him into the county jail. His release from the hospital at this time is unknown.

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

Unfortunately, this is another reminder of the carnage and impact that DUI driving can cause and to know that impaired driving is 100% preventable, 100% of the time is even more disastrous. Please never drive impaired.

Contra Costa community colleges to remain closed on Monday due to poor air quality

By Leave a Comment

By Timothy Leung, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa Community College District

Due to the ongoing and unpredictable poor air quality we are experiencing throughout Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa Community College District has decided to close all locations  – Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College, Brentwood Center, San Ramon Campus and District Office on Monday, November 19, 2018.

We hope to re-open Tuesday, but will make a final decision by 3:00 PM on Monday.

County Elections office updates results, still 36,000 ballots to be counted

By Leave a Comment

By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Results from the November 6, 2018 General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website as of Friday, Nov. 16 at 2:07 P.M. You can view them here.

A couple of points of interest: voter turnout is now at 62.2 percent for this election. Also, the Contra Costa Elections Division has processed nearly 2.3 million ballot cards to this point.

The Elections Division estimates that there are about 10,000 Vote-By-Mail ballots left to process, along with 25,000 Provisionals and 1,000 Conditional Voter Registrations.

Our next scheduled results update is at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 21st.

San Mateo man arrested as Sheriff’s Office shuts down illegal gaming operation in Pacheco

By 1 Comment

Illegal casino operation in Pacheco shut down. Photos by CCC Sheriff.

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

Detectives from the Special Investigation Unit of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff launched an investigation into an alleged illegal gaming operation on the 5000 block of Pacheco Boulevard after receiving a tip from a citizen regarding a casino at that location.

Through their investigation, Detectives were able to corroborate the information provided by the citizen. Detectives later secured a search warrant for the location, which was served last night. Inside the establishment, they found 37 computer terminals, which offered slot machines, video poker, and other games of chance.

The computers were seized along with some cash. Detectives arrested 48-year-old Vinson Anies of San Mateo. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or call the anonymous tip line at (866) 846-3592. Tips can also be emailed to: tips@so.cccounty.us.