News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California
By Lt. Bruce Jower, Walnut Creek Police Department
On November 27th, 2023, at approximately 3:09 PM, Walnut Creek Police patrol officers were dispatched to a suspicious death in the 1900 block of Camino Verde Circle. Walnut Creek Police Detectives responded to the scene and investigated the case as a suspicious death. Detectives have officially classified this case as a homicide and are investigating it as such.
At this time, we are not revealing the identity of the victim. However, the next of kin has been notified. WCPD Detectives are following up on all leads at this time.
If anyone has any information about this case, please contact Detective Nick Olson at olson@walnutcreekpd.com or call the anonymous tip line (925) 943-5865. Case #: 23-37597
Video surveillance photo of suspect in Concord sexual assault on Oct. 7, 2023. Source: Concord PD
By Concord Police Department
On October 7, 2023, at approximately 10:17 AM, the male in the attached photograph sexually assaulted a female in the pedestrian tunnel under Hwy 242 connecting Franquette Avenue and Market Street. The male may frequent the area around Home Depot (2090 Meridian Park Blvd., Concord).
Anyone with information regarding the identity of this male may contact Detective David Boucher with CPD’s Special Victims Unit at 925-603-5876. CPD Case #23-11048. We also have an anonymous tip line at 925-603-5836.
By Brentwood Police Department
Alcohol and stolen gun confiscated during traffic stop on Dec. 10, 2023. Photo: Brentwood PD
Last weekend, on December 10, 2023, a Brentwood officer was patrolling the area of Heidorn Ranch and Kohl’s Drive when he pulled a car over for not having a front license plate and suspended registration. When he contacted the driver, identified as 20-year-old Arrieanna Renel Snell, Jr. of Antioch, he determined she was driving under the influence of alcohol. The officer also noticed an open bottle of tequila behind the passenger’s seat.
Upon contacting the passenger, identified as 23-year-old Jai Royale Williams of Oakland, the officer located a stolen gun in the car.
Snell was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and Williams was placed under arrest for being in possession of the stolen gun. Both were transported to the County Jail for booking.
According to vinelink.com, Snell was cited and released and Williams is out of custody with no charges filed. According to localcrimenews.com, she was also arrested for driving with a license suspended for drunk driving. Earlier this year, Snell was arrested twice for assault upon a peace officer, DUI alcohol/drugs and for DUI alcohol with blood alcohol content above .08 percent.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Retired Pittsburg Police officer Chunliam Nai Saechao. Source: Pittsburg PD
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a Pleasant Hill resident with nine felony counts for attempted murder of peace officers, assault with a firearm, and injuring a spouse following the standoff last Friday and Saturday. (See related articles here and here)
40-year-old Chunliam Nai Saechao is being held without bail in the Martinez Detention Facility.
He will be arraigned on charges stemming from a December 8th incident whereby Mr. Saechao – a retired Pittsburg Police officer who may have suffered a mental health episode – barricaded himself in his home for almost three days after he shot at his wife while she was trying to gain entrance to their residence.
During the protracted standoff with police, Mr. Saechao shot at officers who were in the process of evacuating residents from nearby homes. Bullets also struck a police vehicle during the evacuation, which had two officers inside. The officers inside the vehicle did not sustain any injuries.
The complaint filed with the court today lists two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer [PC 187(a)], one count of injuring a spouse [PC 273.5(a)], and six counts of assault with a firearm on a peace officer or firefighter [PC 245(d)(1)]. The charges also come with enhancements for discharging or using a firearm in the offenses.
By Pleasant Hill Police Department
On Friday, December 8, 2023 at approximately 11:45 PM, the Central County SWAT team, and crisis negotiators responded to the 200 block of Cleopatra Drive. The husband from the previous incident, Chunliam Nai Saechao (40 years old), was determined to be a danger to the public and a felony warrant was obtained for his arrest. During the day, information was gathered from social media and other investigative means, which led to this decision.
A shelter in place was issued for the Sherman Oaks neighborhood.
Saturday morning at around 7:52 am Chunliam Saechao exited his residence and surrendered to the FBI SWAT Team without further incident. The FBI SWAT team was summoned early this morning to relieve Central County SWAT who intended to return to the scene at 2:00 pm, if necessary. Mr. Saechao will be booked on several felonies to include assault with a deadly weapon and attempted homicide on a police officer.
According to a CBS News Bay Area report, Saechao communicated with police through social media. “During the standoff, he posted videos to social media wearing a bulletproof vest and holding an assault rifle. One message posted online said, ‘Anyone try to break into my home is going to be killed and I will have no remorse because I did a good thing to rid evil.’”
We acknowledge this prolonged and serious event caused great disruption and stoked fear within the Sherman Acres neighborhood and the surrounding community. De-escalation tactics, including disengagement, are routinely utilized in hope for peaceful resolutions, such as this one. Even after disengaging with the suspect during the early morning hours of December 8, the community’s safety and security was consistently monitored and constantly assessed. Police officers remained ready in the area, and we continued to monitor Mr. Saechao’s social media activity. We are relieved that the tactics employed led to a peaceful resolution, avoiding any bodily injuries or fatalities to members of law enforcement or the surrounding community.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, Saechao is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on no bail.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Police activity in the Sherman Acres neighborhood of Pleasant Hill, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. Photo: PHPD
By Lt. Jason Kleven, Pleasant Hill Department
On December 7, 2023 at around 7:05 PM, Pleasant Hill Police Officers responded to a residence on Cleopatra Drive for a welfare check on an adult female who reported to family that she had been locked out of their residence by her husband. Upon arrival, Officers located the female who had minor injuries to her lower body. Officers determined the female had tried to gain entry to the residence, through the barricaded side garage door, and her husband fired a single shot from a shotgun towards the door, striking his wife. The female was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries where she was treated and later released. The husband remained inside the residence, alone.
Officers secured the scene and called crisis negotiators and the Central County SWAT team to the scene. Over several hours, numerous attempts to contact the husband, via telephone and loudspeaker, were made, but he was unresponsive to these attempts. The husband continuously posted to social media during the incident. The posts suggested he may be suicidal.
Crisis negotiators tried for several hours to communicate with the husband with no success. The circumstances surrounding this event indicated the husband was not an immediate threat to the general public. The SWAT team disengaged from the scene and the husband was left alone inside the residence.
According to a tweet by Henry Lee of KTVU, the man is a retired police officer.
On Friday, Dec. 8, Pleasant Hill Police announced they had returned to the neighborhood by tweeting, “5:30 pm Monument Blvd at I680 both directions and Marcia Dr is closed to all thru traffic. Please use alternate routes. Shelter in place issued for the Sherman Acres neighborhood due to police activity.”
Learn more from KTVU’s report here.
This is an ongoing investigation by the Pleasant Hill Police Department.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office’s report on the August 25, 2022, use of force death of 58-year-old Frank Correa in Oakley is now publicly available. (See related articles here and here)
District Attorney Diana Becton emphasized: “The Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident (LEIFI) reports my office releases to the public reflect my administration’s commitment to government transparency. The public should have the opportunity to independently review our investigations into the use of force and understand how my team and I analyze the details to arrive at our legal conclusions.”
Each LEIFI report summarizes the results of the District Attorney’s independent criminal investigation, including a summary of an autopsy, the outcome of a coroner’s inquest, a legal analysis of the facts, and a determination of criminal liability.
In the incident on August 25th, 2022, involving Frank Correa, it was reported that Mr. Correa — armed with a semiautomatic firearm — threatened to kill his girlfriend at his residence. His girlfriend managed to escape to safety and the police were contacted shortly thereafter about the incident. After Oakley Police officers responded to the scene and endeavored to de-escalate the situation for over two hours, Correa proceeded to discharge his firearm seven times at responding Oakley Police Department officers. To counter an imminent threat of death/great bodily injury, Oakley Police Department Sergeant Jeff Solomon authorized Officer Brett Jackson to use lethal force against Mr. Correa to protect themselves and others in the neighborhood from death or bodily harm.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s legal analysis of the totality of the circumstances determined the officer’s use of deadly force on August 25th was justified and lawful. Therefore, no further action will be taken in this case.
To read the complete LEIFI report on Frank Correa, click here.
Source: WCPD video screenshot
By Lt. Bruce Jower, Walnut Creek Police Department
On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at approximately 7:36 PM, Walnut Creek Police Dispatch received a 911 call of a robbery on the 1500 block of Bonanza Street. Walnut Creek police officers responded to the scene and located two victims. The victims said they were approached by three male suspects wearing all black clothing and masks. One of the suspects was armed with a dark-colored handgun. The suspects stole the victim’s wallet, pistol-whipped and stole the bag of the other victim, and fled the scene in a white Lexus. The victim who was assaulted sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
Walnut Creek Police Detectives, in coordination with the Oakland Police Department, located the white Lexus in Oakland. Walnut Creek Police Detectives arrested two suspects, Elias Alcorn and Daymonee Johnson, and recovered stolen property from this robbery. Both were booked at the Martinez Detention Facility for the following charges with a bail of $250,000:
The Walnut Creek Police Investigations Bureau continues to pursue investigative leads related to this incident. We encourage anyone with information regarding this robbery to contact the Walnut Creek Police Department at 925-943-5844 or utilize our Anonymous Tip Line at 925-943-5865.
Case #: 23-38521
By Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard
On October 21, 2023, a shooting occurred at a house party in the 400 block of Shannon Way in Oakley. Tragically, a 16-year-old male died as a result of this shooting and three others (17-year-old female, 16-year-old male and 15-year-old male) sustained gunshot wounds. This case has been a top priority of the detectives of the Oakley Police Department. (See related articles here and here)
On October 25, 2023, we arrested a person in connection with these crimes (an Antioch teen who was later released) The arrest drew us closer to the facts of what happened during and after the shooting. Our detectives were provided with information from people who were previously disinclined to talk to us, and new evidence was revealed to us. (See related articles here and here)
On Thursday, November 30, 2023, at approximately 6:00 PM, the Oakley Police Department, in partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested Sean Anthony Karp (18, Oakley) for homicide. The arrest occurred I the 900 block of 2nd Street in Brentwood. According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department, he is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on $3.5 million bail.
Our detectives have had many positive interactions with the District Attorney’s Office during the lifespan of this investigation and on occasion we have had face-to-face meetings to discuss details and updates.
I first want to acknowledge the family of the young man who lost his life in this horrible crime. I know nothing can replace what they have lost and there is a great sense of profoundness in their loss. I, along with all the members of the Oakley Police Department extend our condolences to the family.
I have said this before about this case, but it bears repeating: this does not belong in Oakley, this does not belong anywhere. Seeing how this did occur in Oakley, however, I deeply appreciate the leadership, diligence, work ethic, teamwork, and innovation I have seen out of my Investigations Unit from the onset of this case. I also appreciate the partnership we formed with the United States Marshals Service, the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff and other law enforcement agencies as we left nothing to chance in our pursuit of the person who was responsible for the killing of one person and the maiming of three others.
I have been briefed several times on this case and all available evidence and information supports the arrest that was made.
Stay safe Oakley.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.