By Oakley Police Department

Your Oakley Police Department has been busy lately with several key arrests being made and several investigations either coming to fruition or developing into other things.

“The arrests and investigations that are listed here embody the spirit of the Oakley Police Department and what we have become,” said Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard. “I truly believe we have become a better police department for the community of Oakley by recruiting and hiring the best police officers that have been available on the market and by making internal appointments into key positions that allow us to do more work, make more arrests and file more cases for the people we serve. It is my goal to hold onto the great officers we have recruited and continue this trend of making us better and better with every new hire, every promotion and every internal appointment we make. I salute and truly appreciate all of the men and women who wear the Oakley Police patch. As always, I urge the maximum allowable amount of accountability in these cases so we can start turning back the tide of criminal behaviors.”

Juvenile, Brentwood man arrested for robbery

Adult with history of arrest also charged with child cruelty; Antioch, Brentwood police assist

On March 7, 2023, Oakley Police Officers responded to the ARCO station at 5540 Bridgehead Road for the report of a robbery. The male suspect passed a note which demanded money and then fled on foot. City cameras captured the suspect running into the adjacent Sandy Point Mobile home park. Oakley Detectives Dombrouski, Locke and Soares collaborated together and located additional footage from a mobile home which showed the suspect enter the passenger side of a blue SUV. The SUV had been seen on Wilbur Avenue at Bridgehead Road just prior to the robbery. Detectives developed leads on potential suspects. Brentwood Police detectives and the Oakley Detectives started working together on the case and they were able to link a juvenile suspect to robberies in their respective cities. On March 8, 2023, Brentwood PD placed the juvenile under arrest. Oakley and Brentwood Detectives served search warrants at a residence where they located clothing items believed to be involved in many of the robberies.

The joint investigation led to the identification of the specific blue SUV that was used during the robbery on March 7th. On March 8th the Antioch Police Department located the vehicle and Oakley PD Officers responded to their location. 25-year-old Jorge Lara of Brentwood was identified as the driver, Lara is also on parole for robbery. The vehicle was towed to Oakley PD lot and a search warrant was written, and the vehicle was searched. The search turned up stolen property from the robbery, identifying information, and a note pad matching the shape and color of notes collected from the multiple robberies.

On March 22, 2023, the Oakley Police Department coordinated with the Brentwood Police department to take Lara into custody. Lara was subsequently taken into custody and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on a warrant for PC 211 – Robbery, PC 459 – Burglary, PC 273(A)(a) – Child Cruelty, and PC 182 – Conspiracy.

The joint investigation led Oakley and Brentwood detectives to be able to link the juvenile and Lara to several robberies in East Contra Costa County. The agencies worked with the District Attorney’s Office and several formal charges were filed against Lara, he remains incarcerated with a $1.9 million bail.

According to localcrimenews.com he has a history of arrests dating to Sept. 7, 2016 by Concord Police for conspiracy to commit a crime; by Antioch Police on June 12, 2017 for revocation of probation, resisting arrest, vehicle theft; and on Aug. 15, 2018 by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deputies for lying to a peace officer, conspiracy to commit a crime, assault with firearm, burglary, robbery, addict in possession of firearm, possession of ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm with a previous felony conviction and carrying a concealed firearm. Lara was also arrested by Concord Police last month on Valentine’s Day for grand theft.

Two men arrested for repeated burglaries, drugs

On March 18, 2023 Oakley Police Officers Hernandez, Fielding and M. Jackson were on routine patrol at the business complex, located at 4100 Wilbur Avenue. Our officers were specifically checking the area due to a pattern of repeated thefts and burglaries, and they wanted to bring the trend to a stop. While checking the area our officers found a Blue Chevrolet Pickup and Silver BMW sedan parked at the rollup doors of one of the businesses. Our officers saw two suspects attempting to duck out of sight. Our officers successfully detained 32-year-old Ronald Stephens of Concord and 45-year-old Darren Lawson of Oakley/Concord.  Our officers saw a drill near the tire of a nearby semi-truck and the door to the warehouse had been drilled out in an attempt to make entry. Our officers also located additional burglary tools. Stephens and Lawson both have a history of committing thefts and are believed to be associated with other burglaries in Oakley.

Stephens was arrested and booked for PC459- Burglary, PC182- Conspiracy and PC647(h)- Prowling to commit a crime. Lawson was arrested and booked for PC459- Burglary, PC182- Conspiracy, PC647(h)- Prowling to commit a crime, PC 466- Possession of burglary tools and H&S 11364- Possession of paraphernalia.

According to localcrimenews.com, Stephens has a history of arrests dating back to March 22, 2016 by multiple agencies for drug possession, attempted vehicle theft, burglary, vehicle theft, manufacturing an illegal weapon such as a billy club, vandalism, trespassing, resisting arrest, receiving or concealing stolen property, possession of burglar’s tools, and cargo theft of over $950. Most recently he was arrested by Antioch Police on Jan. 10 for conspiracy to commit a crime, grand theft and receiving or concealing stolen property.

Antioch man arrested with loaded “ghost” gun

On March 20, 2023, Officer M. Jackson observed a silver Nissan vehicle, lacking a license plate, at Live Oak Road and Laurel Road. Officer M. Jackson stopped the vehicle and made contact with the driver who lied about his name. At the time of this contact (1130PM) it was 52 degrees outside, yet the driver was nervously shaking and sweating profusely. Officer Jackson believed the driver was nervous about being contacted by law enforcement and believed the driver had a reason to be evasive about his identity. The driver was detained, and the vehicle was searched.

Oakley Police Officers Hernandez and Fielding arrived to assist Officer Jackson and collectively they continued to investigate the situation. The investigation revealed the true identity of the driver 25-year-old Jahsaun Brown of Antioch and a fully loaded handgun under the driver’s seat. The handgun is described as a semi-automatic 9mm, but with no manufacturer markings or serial number. A firearm lacking this key information is considered a “ghost gun” because it is not trackable in the DOJ system. The handgun also had a full capacity magazine with twelve rounds loaded into it. Further investigation revealed Brown had a warrant for his arrest charging him with carrying a loaded weapon. Even further investigation revealed Brown was the subject of a criminal protective order, which stated he was not allowed to be in possession of any firearms.

Brown was arrested for: PC25400- Carrying a concealed weapon, PC32310- Possession of large capacity magazine, PC25850- possession of loaded weapon, PC29180- possession of un-serialized firearm “ghost gun”, PC 148.9- Providing false identification to an officer and PC 166- Violation of a court order. Brown was booked for these crimes.

Following “illegal narcotics deal gone bad”

Police search for shooter

By Oakley Police Department

On March 15, 2023, at approximately 10:12PM, Oakley police officers responded to the 1000 block of Quail Valley Run for the report of three males fighting inside a vehicle and gunshots being heard. Oakley Officers started towards the area, and they were advised one person fled from the vehicle after the gunshots and the vehicle was driven away too. Oakley Police Officers found the vehicle at the intersection of Laurel Road and Teton Road. As the officers started making contact with the occupants, they learned the vehicle was stolen out of Oakley on March 11, 2023. Officers quickly contacted the occupants and found the driver was a young adult male and he was shot in the upper chest. Officers also contacted a juvenile male in the front passenger seat. Our officers provided medical care to the driver and had paramedics respond.

Our officers began their investigation and they found both the driver and the passenger to be completely uncooperative with them. The driver was transported to a local hospital for advanced care and our detectives were called in. the stolen vehicle was seized as evidence, along with many personal effects of the driver and the passenger. Our investigation led to the recovery of the firearm that was used in this shooting.

Our investigation has so far revealed this incident appears to be an illegal narcotics deal gone bad. We are still actively working on identifying the person who fled on foot, who at this point is only known to be a male wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.

The driver of the stolen vehicle, and the person who was shot, is identified as Nickolas Durham (18, Pittsburg). Durham was released from the local hospital into the custody of the Oakley Police Department, and we have arrested and booked him for:

• Possession of a stolen vehicle

The juvenile passenger in the vehicle was arrested and booked for:

• Possession of a firearm
• Assault with a deadly weapon

“This is the second major incident that occurred on Quail Valley Run in the span of just one day. At this point there is no evidence to suggest the two incidents are related in any way. Even though my detectives are still trying to identify the third party in this incident we have recovered the gun that was used, and we have taken two suspects into custody. I do not believe this incident still represents a threat to public safety due to the recovery of the gun and the arrests,” said Police Chief Paul Beard. “I do however acknowledge the good and hardworking residents of the Quail Valley Run area may be uneasy due to all of the recent activity. I want all of those residents to know I have issued an expectation to my officers to bolster patrols in that area for the next few days. I am also imploring everybody to call us if they see anything suspicious or out of place. The Oakley Police Department will always work hard to ensure the safety of our residents and our business owners. The more we know, or find out about, only helps us to do the best job we can do.”

Mother also arrested as accomplice for Oakley crime

By Oakley Police Department

On February 19, 2023, at approximately 8:35PM, Oakley police officers responded to 4501 Main Street (AMPM – ARCO gas Station) for the report of a black male adult wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, shooting at a vehicle fleeing the location. Oakley Officers arrived on scene, contacted witnesses, and reviewed security footage. Based on the video footage, officers were able to identify a victim in the shooting and made contact. A bullet hole was located in the victim’s vehicle. No injuries were sustained or reported from this incident.

Information was obtained which suggested the incident occurred due to both victim and suspect looking at each other. An altercation took place, and the suspect pulled a firearm. The victim ran to their vehicle and tried to flee the scene. The suspect ran after the victim vehicle while firing several rounds from a handgun. The suspect entered a vehicle with other individuals and left the scene.

Oakley Detectives conducted follow up, reviewed surveillance video, and were able to identify the shooter as Jacari McKinney (18, Oakley). Additionally, Oakley Detectives were able to identify the driver of the suspect vehicle as Marika Brown (45, Oakley), who is also the mother of McKinney.

During the course of this investigation Oakley Detectives contacted Antioch Police Department Detectives to exchange information. Both agencies were able to confirm McKinney as a suspect in cases from both cities. On 03/15/2023, the Antioch Police Department SWAT team conducted a search warrant operation in the City of Oakley. This operation was the result of the joint investigation of both the Antioch Police Department and the Oakley Police Department and Oakley personnel assisted in the operation. As a result of this police action both McKinney and Brown were taken into custody without incident. They were formally booked at the Martinez Detention Facility.

The Oakley Police Department is charging McKinney with:

• Attempted murder- FELONY
• Assault with a deadly weapon, involving firearm- FELONY
• Shooting into an occupied vehicle- FELONY

The Oakley Police Department is charging Brown with:

• Accessory after the fact (of McKinney’s crimes)- FELONY

“The joint cooperation of my Department and the Antioch Police Department epitomizes what should be the spirit of police agencies across America. I can personally attest the investigative units of Oakley PD and Antioch PD worked cooperatively together during this investigation and shared the common goal of removing a dangerous person from free society to hold him accountable and to prevent him from committing additional acts of violence against innocent persons. They have succeeded in this goal. I am grateful the actions of our joint teams of officers have prevented further violence and I appreciate all of their efforts,” said Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard. “It has come to my attention McKinney was on juvenile probation for another firearms related offense and he was being monitored via an ankle monitor for a period of time. Just days before he committed his crimes in Oakley his ankle monitor was lawfully removed. Mr. McKinney has clearly established a pattern of very violent tendencies and I am calling for the maximum level of accountability to be applied against him for the sake of society as whole.”

If you have any information regarding the Oakley shooting on February 19, 2023, or any other incident involving the suspects in this case, please contact the Oakey Police Department (925) 229-2079

In addition, according to Antioch Police PIO Ashley Crandell, McKinney was wanted for another shooting and carjacking, last Saturday, in that city

On March 11, 2023, at 11:24 am, the Antioch Police Department Communications Center received multiple emergency calls reporting a person shot at the Twin Creeks Apartments a 1111 James Donlon Blvd. Responding officers located an adult male victim with at least one gunshot wound, who was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition. Officers learned the victim’s vehicle was carjacked by the suspect immediately after the shooting.

Detective Gragg and the other members of the Antioch Police Department’s Violent Crime Investigation’s Unit worked tirelessly on this case and through investigation learned the suspect was also the suspect in a shooting investigation in Oakley. The Antioch Police Department and Oakley Police Department worked in collaboration to identify the suspect and take him into custody.

On March 15, 2023, at approximately 5:00 am, the Antioch Police Department’s Investigation’s Bureau and SWAT team, with the assistance of the Oakley Police Department served a search and arrest warrant in the 1200 block of Quail Valley Run in Oakley, related to this case.

The suspect, 18-year-old, Oakley resident Jacari McKinney, was taken into custody and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon for our investigation. The members of the Antioch Police Department want to thank the Oakley Police Department for their assistance in this operation. We would also like to thank the residents on Quail Valley Run for their patience and assistance while this warrant was executed.

Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford issued the following statement regarding the joint arrest and SWAT operation with the Oakley Police Department this morning: “We are grateful for the close collaboration we have with our neighboring agencies in East County – including the Oakley Police Department. Oakley detectives immediately began working with ours to identify and solve these senseless crimes in our respective communities, which is a partnership we enjoy that transcends city borders. We came together to affect a swift arrest, which was conducted with the precision and skill of our tactical unit.

I would like to specifically thank the officers and detectives of the Oakley Police Department for their hard work and partnership with our team. To my officers and detectives – thank you for the many hours spent seeking justice for the victims of these horrific incidents. You are truly the best of the best and I am honored to have you on the team.”

Through this investigation, Detective Gragg worked with the Brentwood Police Department, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, and Contra Costa County Probation as well. The members of the Antioch Police Department want to recognize these agencies for their assistance.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Female victim held hostage by suspect

By Brentwood Police Department

On March 12, 2023 at around 9:00 p.m., Brentwood Officers were investigating an unrelated incident in the area of Brentwood Blvd. and Sycamore Ave. when they were approached by an individual reporting a possible hostage situation at the Brentwood Garden Apartments, located in the 160 block of Sycamore Avenue. This individual reported an adult female victim was being held against her will by a known male suspect armed with a handgun.

Several officers responded to the apartment complex and heard gunshots. As officers approached the suspect and victim situated in a breezeway between several apartments, the suspect fired multiple shots in the direction of the officers. Fearing for their lives and the safety of the victim, at least one officer returned fire striking the suspect, a 30-year-old from Long Beach. Both the suspect and victim were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained as a result of the shooting, both are expected to survive. No officers or innocent bystanders were injured during the shooting, however, the suspects errant rounds struck unoccupied vehicles in the parking lot. A loaded firearm and expended shell casings were recovered from the scene.

Preliminary information suggests this was an isolated incident with no threat to public safety and there are no outstanding suspects. When the suspect is medically cleared from the hospital, he will be booked at the Martinez Detention Facility on several felonies, including attempted murder on a peace officer.

Contra Costa County District Attorney investigators are conducting a parallel investigation per county protocol.

Anyone with information related to this shooting, who has not already been interviewed by law enforcement is asked to contact Detective Agostinho at 925-809-7870.

This investigation is ongoing and no additional information is being released at this time.