Contra Costa Herald

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

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Contra Costa Deputy Sheriff arrested in illegal firearms case

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Pinole resident twice honored as department’s Officer of the Year

Matthew Buckley. CCCSheriff

By Jimmy Lee, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

On Thursday, August 25, 2022, detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division arrested Matthew Buckley, a Deputy Sheriff and 15-year veteran of the department. This comes after an investigation into illegal firearms.

As part of the investigation, a search warrant was served at a residence where evidence was seized.

41-year-old Buckley of Pinole, the department’s Officer of the Year for two consecutive years, was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on the following charges:

Felony Grand theft of a firearm (two counts), receiving stolen property (two counts), felony unlicensed transfer of a firearm, felony filing a false report, destroying/concealing evidence, and possession of a controlled substance.

Buckley is being held in lieu of $175,000 bail. He is on paid administrative leave from the Sheriff’s Office.

“When we were first apprised of the allegations, we immediately started an investigation,” said Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston. “No one is above the law and employees of the Sheriff’s Office who violate the law will be held accountable. I am disappointed but this arrest is not a reflection of the many outstanding employees of the Sheriff’s Office.”

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Art at BART: 15 years after its installation, a mural at Richmond Station continues to inspire

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Artists Jos Sances (left) and Daniel Galvez (right) in front of their three-panel mural. Photos: BART

When creating an art installation in a highly trafficked public space, duration matters. While some artworks are intended to celebrate the ephemeral and the fleeting, BART often looks for the permanent and the durable when adding another mural to its portfolio.

Given this constraint, Bay Area artists Daniel Galvez and Jos Sances set out to create a mural that would stand the test of time and speak to its community for years to come. Galvez primarily works with paint. Sances is the “high-tech guy,” said Galvez, his longtime friend and collaborator. It was up to Sances to take Galvez’s original oil painting and create something monumental – and long-lasting.

In 2007, the duo joined forces to create a large-scale mural at Richmond Station. Fifteen years later, the mural’s colors are nearly as vibrant as the day it was installed.

BART recently joined Galvez and Sances at the foot of the mural, which is owned by the City of Richmond, to reflect on its creation and its impact. The two artists, whose works blanket the region (you can spy their joint mural, “Future Roads,” at BART’s 16th St. Station), spoke as candidly as you would expect of two old pals. The pair met in San Francisco in the early 1980s, and they’ve been collaborating on giant works of public art ever since.

“It’s been up for 15 years, and the mural hasn’t been graffitied,” Sances said of the Richmond Station mural, titled “On the Right Track.” Graffiti, after all, is the bane of muralists’ creations.

Galvez thinks he knows why no graffiti artists have dared touch the mural. An artwork that “engages the community, is reflective of its history, honors their culture and their work” has a profound impact on community members.

“People respond to that intimately,” Galvez said, “because it’s about them.”

The mural features three eight-by-twelve-foot panels of durable tile. Each panel spotlights a different aspect of Richmond history, from its original native inhabitants – the Ohlones – to current residents.

Galvez described the mural like “a movie.”

“You can move into one scene from the next,” he said. “People are sucked into it; they follow the story. They want to know more.”

The mural began in the Richmond library, where Galvez and Sances researched local history and major events and figures. With ideas swirling in their minds, the artists then hosted a series of community meetings, in which they met with locals bearing photographs of themselves and family. Some of the photographic imagery was incorporated into the mural (you may even catch the smiling face of Sances’ grandson as a baby. He’s now 16).

To create the strikingly colorful tiles, Sances had to get creative. He decided to tap into new techniques that enabled him to print Galvez’s painting directly onto the tile in a process known as sublimation.

“It’s a heat transfer process,” Sances said. “You make a print on transfer paper, then put that on a raw tile that’s receptive to ink. Then it gets sublimated onto the tile. You peel off the paper, and there’s the image.”

Sublimation is now ubiquitous, but Galvez and Sances continue to find new ways to utilize it. A recent co-mural used the sublimation process to print a painting onto stainless steel.

If you can look past the colorful tiles and lower your gaze a few feet, you’ll notice a series of beige, hand-carved ceramic pieces that depict a railroad, carrying everything from a mariachi band to a bear cub and his mom. The handcrafted tiles spotlight Richmond culture and history, while adding a certain playfulness and tactility for children passing through.

“I like the fact that it was Jos’s idea to introduce the lower ceramic pieces because it’s more children’s height,” Galvez said. “If they’re really curious, they could stand on the bench and look at the mural and feel it.”

The goal of the mural, ultimately, is to engage people. Galvez’s painting philosophy derives from “Los Tres Grandes” – Mexican muralists who painted on a grand scale throughout the twentieth century.

“The point of [Los Tres Grandes’] work was for people to see art daily and enrich their lives and see their history,” Galvez said. “It’s art that’s integrated into people’s lives.”

Painting actual Richmond residents was a major component of integrating the artwork into the fabric of Richmond culture.

“When people see images of themselves done in such a particular way, it’s really elevating,” Sances said. “I think the whole community gets a lift from that.”

Richmond Promise 5K run to raise funds for scholarships Saturday, June 11

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In a tweet on the West Contra Costa Unified School District Twitter feed it reads, “Haven’t heard? @RichmondPromise is throwing a #5k! Join on June 11th for a little family friendly competition and a whole lot of fun. Snag your ticket today at tinyurl.com/RPFunRun. Can’t wait to see you there! @cranewaypavilion @assemblemarketplace”

According to their website, the Richmond Promise works to increase the number of students, particularly low-income students and students who are the first in their family to go to college who:

  1. Are exposed to college resources, role models and experiences throughout K-16
  2. Successfully transition to an accredited university/college directly from high school
  3. Successfully transfer from community college to 4-year university
  4. Complete an Associate Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, or career + technical education

The non-profit organization believes “all students deserve access to higher education and the tools to achieve their dreams.”

The Richmond Promise Scholarship is a $1,500 college scholarship, renewable for up to 4 years. Students may attend a 2-year or 4-year college, and/or pursue a Career Technical Education Certificate at any not-for-profit institution in the United States.

Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers recognized for providing safe patient care

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Antioch, Walnut Creek receive A grades, Richmond receives B

The Leapfrog Group’s biannual safety report gives Kaiser Permanente hospitals top scores for limiting patient injuries, reducing medical errors, and preventing infections 

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Antioch, Calif., May 23, 2022 – The Leapfrog Group recognized Kaiser Permanente’s Antioch Medical Center with a top score of “A” in its biannual Hospital Safety Grades report, which examined and graded nearly 3,000 hospitals throughout the United States.

A total of 16 Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals received “A” grades including: Antioch, Walnut Creek, Fremont, Fresno, Manteca, Modesto, Redwood City, Roseville, San Francisco, San Jose, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, South San Francisco, Vacaville and Vallejo. Additionally, Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Richmond, Oakland, Sacramento, and San Leandro received “B” grades.

“Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do here at the Antioch Medical Center,” said Chris Boyd, senior vice president and area manager of Kaiser Permanente’s Diablo Service Area. “We are honored to be recognized as a leader in patient safety, which is a testament to the steadfast commitment of our physicians, nurses and staff members.”

“What an honor to receive an ‘A’ from the Leapfrog Group,” said Sharon Mowat, physician in chief of the Antioch Medical Center. “This aligns with our mission of preventive care and keeping our patients safe. Our integration allows us to build systems to do the right thing the first time, and it and allows us to catch issues early.”

More about the Leapfrog Safety Grades

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits, released its Hospital Safety Grades after examining publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors and infections at U.S. hospitals. The report includes data collected by national health care organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Scores are calculated based on more than 30 publicly available measures, and hospitals are then assigned A, B, C, D or F grades for their safety records. The grades are released as a free resource to help patients and their families make informed health care decisions.

For more information and a complete list of the hospital safety grades, visit Leapfrog.

 

San Pablo dental assistant arrested, charged with sexual acts on a child under 10

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By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Office of the District Attorney, Contra Costa County

Martinez, Calif. – San Pablo Police have arrested, and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office charged, a dental assistant with four counts of sexual acts with a child under 10-years-old.

The suspect is 22-year-old Bonerge Maldonado-Zaldana from Richmond. He worked at the San Pablo Towne Centre Dental Office where the action with a minor allegedly took place on April 5, 2022. Investigators collected evidence and took statements from the victim’s mother, dental office staff, and the suspect on April 6th and determined there was probable cause to arrest Maldonado-Zaldana on April 8th.

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed charged against the suspect April 8th, who is currently in the Martinez Detention Facility. His arraignment is Monday, April 11, 2022, at 1:30 pm in Martinez.

In addition to working at the San Pablo Towne Centre Dental Office Maldonado-Zaldana was formerly employed with Western Dental in El Cerrito. If anyone has further information relating to this investigation, please call Detective Ricky Vasquez at San Pablo Police Department (510) 215-3286.

Court Docket Number: 02-22-00057

Female Richmond biology teacher charged with molesting 7 boys

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By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Office of the District Attorney, Contra Costa County

Anessa Paige Gower. Photo: Richmond PD

Martinez, Calif. – A former Richmond school teacher is facing multiple charges of child molestation. The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed 29 counts against Anessa Paige Gower on April 8, 2022, in Contra Costa County Superior Court. Gower was a biology teacher at Making Waves Academy in Richmond and allegedly engaged in numerous acts of a sexual nature with minors between 2021-2022.

Richmond Police, with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Gower at Sacramento International Airport on April 6, 2022, as she was returning to California from Hawaii. She is currently in custody in Richmond.

The case involves seven minors, so their identities are being withheld.

Investigators took statements from the victims and witnesses about a number of incidents involving sex acts with minors, inappropriate touching, and sharing sexually graphic photos over online platforms.

The Richmond Police Department posted the following message on their Facebook page Friday evening:

“Today, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office formally charged a Richmond teacher with 29 counts of sex crimes against minors. This was an excellent collaborative effort by multiple agencies, including extensive follow-up by Richmond PD officers and detectives, our allied agencies, and our prosecutors’ office.

We are grateful for our ongoing partnership, working together to prevent further victimization of our community’s most vulnerable population – our children.”

Court Docket Number: 202204080002

Richmond’s Safe Return Project to celebrate 10th anniversary April 23

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It has been ten incredible years since the launch of the Safe Return Project and we are looking forward to the promise of a new decade that brings us closer to mass liberation, racial equity, and a more just world.

To celebrate the positive impact we have had on the lives of thousands of formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, our accomplishments in policy and advocacy, the community we have built for ourselves, and this year’s graduating fellows, we will be hosting our 10-year anniversary celebration on April 23, 2022 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM.

Join us for great music, local food and drink, and the chance to build community as we celebrate the empowerment of our fellows! I can think of no greater cause for celebration than the incredible personal transformations our fellows have developed within Richard Boyd Fellowship program! They really have done an incredible job – this is their day!

Two North Richmond “Swerve Team” gang members found guilty of murders, other violent crimes

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Marrico Williams (left) and Torion Young. Photos by Richmond PD

Third defendant guilty of lesser crime

By Ted Asregadoo, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Distict Attorney

On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, a Contra Costa County jury found defendants 24-year-old Marrico Williams and 23-year-old Torion Young, guilty of multiple charges for their roles in a prolific crime spree committed by members of the North Richmond criminal street gang known as the “Swerve Team.”

Williams was found guilty of two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, three attempted murders, three assaults with a firearm, nine robberies, three burglaries, two carjackings, along with various firearm and injury enhancements.

Young was found guilty of two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, four attempted, one assault with a firearm, one residential burglary, along with various enhancements.

The jury convicted 26-year-old defendant Cardell Waters of conspiracy to possess an illegal firearm — but was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining counts.

In 2016, over a six-month period, members of the Swerve Team committed a string of violent crimes against rival gang members and innocent community members throughout Contra Costa County. The crime spree ended on September 30, 2016, when Williams and fellow Swerve Team gang members were arrested following a high-speed chase through multiple cities, which ended in San Pablo.

Police searched the vehicle driven by Williams and found evidence from cell phones and camera images. Williams, Young, Waters, and five other Swerve Team gang members were indicted in 2017 by a grand jury following a massive federal and state investigation centering on multiple shootings, including three homicides. The trial against the defendants was based on ballistic evidence, cellular records, and forensic evidence, along with the testimony of 185 witnesses.

The sentencing will be heard later this year before the Honorable Judge Charles “Ben” Burch in Martinez. Williams and Young face multiple 25 to life prison sentences. The remaining case against Waters is scheduled for a future court date. A determination has yet to be made as to whether Waters will be retried.

This case was investigated by numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the county including Police Departments in Richmond, Antioch, Brentwood, Pittsburg, Danville, Pinole, San Pablo, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department, along with several out of county agencies. The Contra Costa County FBI Safe Streets Task Force also participated in the wire investigation into the Swerve Team in September of 2016. Deputy District Attorney Chad Mahalich prosecuted this case on behalf of the People.

This extensive jury trial lasted approximately 8 months, beginning in August of 2021, and ended on March 30, 2022.

Case information: People v. B. Williams, M. Williams, T. Brown, J. Hicks Jr., T. Young, R. Fluker, T. Woods, and C. Waters: 5-181436-7.

Two die in wrong way driver three-car crash on I-80 in Crockett Sunday

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By CHP-Contra Costa

Early Sunday morning, March 20, 2022, at about 3:41 AM, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a wrong way driver traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-80 near the Carquinez Bridge. The wrong way vehicle (Honda SUV) continued westbound in the eastbound lanes and collided head on into a vehicle (Tesla Model 3) traveling in the eastbound lanes of I-80, just west of Pomona Street. Both vehicles sustained major damage and came to rest within the eastbound lanes. Moments later, a third vehicle (Toyota Camry) traveling eastbound collided into the damaged vehicles. Due to the collision, the Honda and the Tesla became fully engulfed in flames.

The driver and sole occupant of the Honda and the Tesla sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the Toyota sustained minor injuries. At this time, it is undetermined if drugs and/or alcohol were a factor.  This incident is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed this collision, the wrong way vehicle prior to the collision, or the events leading up to the collision, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez at (925) 646-4980.

During redistricting process BART Director Simon removed from board after moving outside of current district last year

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2011 BART District 7 Map, shaded in yellow, showng area of Simon’s residence (in red circle) near the MacArthur Station, just outside the district. Source: BART.gov. Circle and arrow added by The Herald.

Says she was assured by district staff her new Oakland residence was within District 7; seat now vacant

“advice Director Simon…was provided was from individuals that report directly to the BART Board…not the General Manager’s Office.  It appears bad advice may have been given…The residency issue was reported to my Office last Thursday, March 3, 2022.” – GM Powers

Director Dufty, Board VP Li want to bring back Simon or be appointed by the Board

Lateefah Simon. Source: Akonadi Foundation website

By Allen D. Payton

Following the BART board’s adoption of new redistricting maps on Thursday, March 10, 2022, BART announced it was determined as of Wednesday, the BART District 7 Board of Director seat is vacant. BART staff has confirmed Lateefah Simon has moved outside the boundaries of District 7.  Based on state law, this move disqualifies her from serving as a BART Director of District 7 which includes Hercules, Pinole, Richmond, San Pablo and a portion of El Cerrito in western Contra Costa County, and parts of Alameda and San Francisco counties.

A mother of two daughters and legally blind, Simon moved last year from her home in Richmond to an apartment complex adjacent to the MacArthur BART station.

According to a report by Bay City News, “Simon said in a statement to supporters that she moved from her previous residence last year due to threats her family received as a result of her support for police reform” and that she was assured by district staff that her new residence was within the District 7 boundaries.

Simon was first elected to the BART Board of Directors on November 8, 2016 and was reelected in 2020. She served as President of the BART Board in 2020.

Efforts to reach Simon for comment were unsuccessful Friday.

According to the BART press release issued on Friday, BART will now follow the procedures for filling a board vacancy including a public application process. The BART Board of Directors has 60 days to appoint someone to fill the vacancy. Ultimately, voters will choose a permanent successor. BART staff will post complete details outlining the process, qualifications, and application in the coming days here on our website.

Questions for BART Staff, Directors

An email was sent early Friday afternoon to the BART Communications Department asking, “Why did it take the district’s staff a year to determine that Ms. Simon had moved outside of District 7?  Did she provide her new address to staff at that time? If so, did staff check the boundary lines to ensure Ms. Simon’s new residence was within the boundary of her district? She’s now claiming district staff assured her that her new residence in Oakland…adjacent to the MacArthur Station was inside her district. Is that true? Was this a result of the latest redistricting process and staff discovered they had made a mistake last year?”

In addition, BART staff was asked, “If Ms. Simon wasn’t legally allowed to be on the board as the District 7 member, are all the votes she took since she moved to her new residence voided? Were there any 5-4 votes in which she was in the majority? If so, what were they and might those have to be voided and new votes taken?”

Finally, they were asked to provide a more detailed map for District 7 which was adopted in 2011 that identifies the exact boundary lines between District 7 and District 3.

BART Media Relations Manager James Allison responded, “The extent of the information we are able to provide at this time is contained in this website article,” the information from which is included above.

The same questions were then emailed to the remaining eight members of the Board of Directors.

General Manager Issues Comments on District 7 BART Board Vacancy

However, BART General Manager Bob Powers issued the following statement about the issue early Friday evening:

“Lateefah Simon has been a champion for BART and our riders. The determination that her seat had to be vacated is horribly unfortunate.

I understand there are many questions about how this situation could have occurred.  I have some of the same questions.  While I know that Director Simon was open, honest, and proud about her home at the MacArthur Transit Oriented Development, I am not able to speculate about any advice she was provided by BART’s board-appointed District Secretary.

According to BART’s Legal Department, state law requires BART Board Members to live in the district they represent, and if a Director moves outside of the district, the seat is vacated.

To prevent this situation from occurring in the future I’m committed to working with the District Secretary’s Office to ensure that when a director chooses to relocate, they will know if the new address falls within their existing district boundaries.

If I had the ability to return Lateefah to the BART Board, I would immediately.

As the leader of this organization, I understand that any issues regarding BART’s performance ultimately falls to me.  However, the advice Director Simon indicated she was provided was from individuals that report directly to the BART Board, and not the General Manager’s Office.  It appears bad advice may have been given to Director Simon, and on behalf of the District, I wholeheartedly apologize for that.

The residency issue was reported to my Office last Thursday, March 3, 2022.  Upon being notified, we immediately reported the concern to the General Counsel’s Office and the District Secretary’s Office.  The General Counsel’s Office then confirmed Director Simon’s address and made the determination that the District 7 seat was vacant.

BART needs more voices like Lateefah and I am saddened she is no longer a board member.  I will follow the Board’s direction and assist however needed to fill the District 7 seat.”

BART Director Foley Asks Legal  Counsel to Answer Questions

District 2 Director Mark Foley responded by saying, “I forwarded the questions to BART’s legal counsel and District Secretary’s Office to work together to answer them. Does it invalidate or does it not? We won’t know until an election expert looks it.”

Director Dufty, Board VP Li Ask GM About Returning Simon or Appointing to Board

District 9 Director Bevan Dufty responded by sharing a letter he and District 8 Director and Board Vice President Janice Li sent to GM Powers on Friday writing, “Happy to share this letter on behalf of myself and Director Li.”

In the letter they ask Powers to enlist the help of expert outside legal counsel to determine either Simon’s “legal right to return or her ability to be appointed by the Board of Directors.”

“Dear GM Powers:

We have seen an outpouring of dismay, anger, and disappointment that Director Lateefah Simon was vacated from her seat without an acknowledgement of multiple specific points of failure that led to absolutely believe she was moving into a residence that was within BART District 7.

We recognize that there is a 60-day window for BART’s Board of Directors to appoint a Director for District 7, but we cannot support moving forward a fair and just appointments process unless and until we have pursued all legal remedies and options that would allow the person who was elected by the people of District 7 to continue representing those constituents.

For the sake of transparency and good faith, we believe that expert outside counsel should be enlisted immediately to help BART and the public determine either her legal right to return or her ability to be appointed by the Board of Directors. We also urge BART to develop a plan to determine and address the points of failure.

We unequivocally support Director Simon and we, therefore, support every legal avenue she has to retain her seat and serve her constituents and the entirety of the BART District.”

Dufty was asked via email late Friday night if they sent the letter to Powers before he issued his comments. He responded on Monday afternoon March 14, “I believe our letter was first.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.