Contra Costa Herald

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

Former Richmond pastor sentenced for sexually assaulting child parishioner

By Leave a Comment

Emilio Alberto Esperanza-Pacheco receives 120 years to life, plus life without possibility of parole

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, California – A Contra Costa County judge has sentenced a former Richmond pastor — convicted on multiple counts of child sexual assault — to 120 years to life, plus an additional term of life without the possibility of parole.

As previously reported, on February 4, 2026, a Contra Costa County jury convicted former Richmond pastor Emilio Alberto Esperanza-Pacheco on five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14 and 10 counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child. The jury also found that Esperanza-Pacheco committed a forcible lewd act upon a child during the commission of a first-degree residential burglary. The offenses occurred between June 1, 2023, and October 14, 2023.

At the time of the crimes, Esperanza-Pacheco was employed as a pastor at God’s Lighthouse of Truth Church in Richmond, where the victim and her family were members and had developed a friendship with him. Evidence presented at trial showed that Esperanza-Pacheco exploited his position within the church and his relationship with the family to prevent the victim from disclosing the abuse. The victim ultimately found the courage to tell her parents, leading to Esperanza-Pacheco’s arrest by Richmond Police on October 14, 2023. He remained in custody throughout the duration of the criminal proceedings.

Judge Danielle Douglas’s sentence on Friday, April 24, 2026, was driven by two sets of aggravating circumstances. The first was when Esperanza-Pacheco broke into the victim’s home with the intent to commit sexual assault. Under California law, a forcible sex crime committed against a child under 14 during a first-degree burglary carries a penalty of life without the possibility of parole. The second set involved three additional factors. First, the victim was particularly vulnerable. Second, Esperanza-Pacheco took advantage of his position of trust as a pastor and trusted family friend to gain access to the victim and carry out the abuse. Third, the defendant engaged in violent conduct indicating a serious danger to society.

District Attorney Diana Becton said, “It is our hope that the victim and her family find some measure of peace and closure. The bravery the young victim showed by speaking up has led to an outcome where an abuser who exploited his position of trust will not have the opportunity to harm another child again.”

According to faithstreet.com, “God’s Lighthouse of Truth Church is a Nondenominational church in Richmond, CA featuring contemporary and traditional hymns worship and with children’s ministry and community service.” It is located at 3725 Macdonald Avenue in Richmond. No website or social media account could be found for the church from an internet search.

Case No. 02-23-01604 | The People of the State of California v. Emilio Alberto Esperanza-Pacheco

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

One dead, one injured following shootout in Richmond

By Leave a Comment

Homicide under investigation

By Richmond Police Department

Richmond Police Department Detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at approximately 10:59 a.m. in the 2400 block of Aberdeen Way.

Officers responded to reports of shots being fired and located one person deceased at the scene. A second involved subject self-transported to a local trauma center.

The preliminary investigation indicates the two involved parties exchanged gunfire with each other. At this time, investigators do not believe there are any outstanding suspects, and there is no known ongoing threat to public safety.

Detectives are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Richmond Police Department Investigations at (510) 620-6616.

Contra Costa DA secures county’s first felony conviction under new sex buyer law

By Leave a Comment

37-year-old Cedric Demarcus Kelly of Richmond has history of arrests

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, California — A new California law targeting sex buyers has resulted in Contra Costa County’s first felony conviction under the statute.

37-year-old Cedric Demarcus Kelly of Richmond (born Feb. 17, 1989) pleaded guilty on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, to one count of engaging or agreeing to engage in prostitution with a minor. The case is notable in that it was prosecuted under an amendment to Penal Code 647(b), which became effective on January 1, 2026. The amendment now allows prosecutors to charge the buyer with a felony when the minor was induced to engage in commercial sex through trafficking, or when the buyer is more than three years older than the minor.

In the case of Kelly, the minor, who was 16 years old at the time, engaged in an act of prostitution with Kelly. On February 21, 2026, Richmond Police Department responded to a 911 call from the minor after she reported a conflict with her trafficker. She noted to officers that she had sex for money with Kelly, which led to his arrest. The case was referred to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office on February 25th. After a review of the evidence, the case was filed with the court that same day. Before the case reached the preliminary hearing stage of the legal process, Kelly entered a plea agreement on April 22nd.

Kelly was sentenced by Judge Michael Nieto to 180 days in county jail, two years of formal probation, which includes a search and seizure condition — at any time, without needing a warrant — for evidence of solicitation. The court also issued a nighttime stay away order from the 23rd Street corridor in Richmond, and Kelly must complete an educational course on human trafficking and the exploitation of minors.

“Contra Costa County’s first felony conviction under the amended Penal Code 647(b) statute marks a turning point in how we prosecute those who buy sex from minors,” District Attorney Diana Becton said. “This law recognizes that buyers are not bystanders — they are participants in the exploitation of minors. We are grateful to the Richmond Police Department and the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force for their swift response and thorough work on this case.”

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, 11-inch tall, 175-pound Kelly is Black and is being held in the West County Detention Center.

According to localcrimenews.com, Kelly has been arrested beginning in 2023, three times by Richmond PD and once by El Cerrito PD for crimes including sodomy with a person under 18 years, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, oral copulation with a person under 18 years, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, drug possession including for sale, vandalism: paint and driving without a license.

About the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force

The Task Force is a collaborative and multidisciplinary body that brings together diverse organizations from the local, state and federal levels to combat human trafficking throughout the county. The Richmond Police Department is a founding member of the Task Force and sits on its Core Leadership Team.

If you have information to share about potential sex or labor trafficking taking place in Contra Costa County, please call the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking & Workplace Justice Tip Line at (925) 957-8658 (non-emergency tips only).

Possible murder-suicide in Richmond under investigation

By Leave a Comment

By Richmond Police Department

On April 17, 2026, at approximately 9:57 a.m., officers with the Richmond Police Department responded to the 5600 block of Clinton Avenue for a welfare check. The resident of the home sent an email to a family member indicating they planned to self-harm, and the family member contacted RPD.

Officers made entry into the residence and located two deceased individuals inside.

At this time, the incident is being investigated as a murder and suicide. Investigators believe this was an isolated incident, and there is no threat to public safety.

The investigation remains in its early stages, and detectives are continuing to gather evidence. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Richmond Police Department at (510) 620-6616.

Suspect in 2023 Pleasant Hill homicide found guilty of first-degree murder of Concord man

By Leave a Comment

Andre Aaron Barocio, Jr. was arrested in Mexico in May 2023. Photo source: Pleasant Hill PD

37-year-old Hercules man fled to Mexico, has history of arrests

By Pleasant Hill Police Department

On April 3, 2023, around 1:15 am, Pleasant Hill Police officers responded to the parking lot in front of Farrington’s Bar at 1938 Contra Costa Blvd. for the report of a shooting. Officers found a 37-year-old Oscar Laredo-Arellano, deceased in the parking lot from a gunshot wound to his head and determined he had been shot following an argument. 37-year-old Andre Aaron Barocio, Jr. (born 4/21/1988) of Hercules was identified as the suspect in the shooting.  (See related article)

In May of 2023, PHPD detectives, with the help of federal law enforcement and Mexican state police, located Barocio, Jr. in Mexico. Barocio Jr. was arrested and returned to the United States for trial.

In March 2026, Barocio, Jr.’s murder trial began in Contra Costa County Superior Court. On April 8, 2026, Barocio, Jr. was found guilty of first-degree murder and will be sentenced in June 2026.

In addition, then-32-year-old Angelo Martinez Delacruz of Antioch (born 5/31/90) was identified as a suspect in the shooting. In April 2023 he was arrested in Douglas County, Nevada. Upon extradition, police booked him into the Martinez Detention Facility for assault with a firearm. (See related article)

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, eight-inch tall, 260-pound Barocio, Jr. is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility and his next court appearance is scheduled for June 25, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Martinez Superior Court.

According to localcrimenews.com, he has a history of arrests dating back to 2014 by a variety of agencies in Contra Costa and Alameda counties on multiple violence, gun and drug charges and driving violations.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

More than 2,100 new affordable Bay Area homes thanks to state funded cleanup of contaminated land

By Leave a Comment

Before and after photos of the Nellie Hannon Gateway project in Emeryville. Source: DTSC

Including 43 units in Richmond

For low-income and unhoused residents

By California Department of Toxic Substance Control

EMERYVILLE – More than 2,100 new affordable homes for low-income and unhoused Bay Area residents will be available thanks to state-funded cleanup of contamination on otherwise unusable land across the region.

Bay Area residents in need are beginning to move in. The opening of 90 new homes was celebrated today when state leaders and local officials gathered at the Nellie Hannon Gateway in Emeryville. Thirty-nine of the rental community’s units are reserved for individuals exiting homelessness. The development also includes a food bank on the ground floor. Seventy-six additional affordable homes will open later this spring at the newly constructed Native American Health Center in Oakland. Forty-three homes opened early this month at Legacy Court in Richmond.

The Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) provided funding and oversight of the removal of contamination at these sites.

“Cleaning up contamination is an essential but often invisible part of solving California’s housing crisis. We are transforming places once dominated by pollution into places of endless possibilities. This complex will be more than a place to live. It will be home for dozens of new residents.” – DTSC Director Katherine Butler

Thousands of properties across California sit vacant because of pollution left behind by gas stations, auto repair shops, dry cleaners and industrial facilities. The Nellie Hannon Gateway was once the site of a dry cleaner. The Native American Health Center site was an auto repair shop. Richmond’s Legacy Court site was a gas station and junkyard. Cleanups at these sites are made possible through DTSC’s Equitable Communities Revitalization Grant program. DTSC is the state agency that oversees the investigation and cleanup of contaminated properties in California.

This work has made once unusable land safe for future residents — an often-overlooked opportunity for developers who otherwise see an insurmountable obstacle to building affordable housing in communities with high pollution burdens and economic disadvantages.

DTSC helps local governments, nonprofits and developers clean up and reuse contaminated properties — known as brownfields — for housing, parks, retail and community spaces. Statewide, DTSC is investing more than $130 million for the cleanup and reuse of more than 150 sites across 49 cities, preparing them for new life in communities that have historically faced environmental and economic barriers.

DTSC is part of a statewide effort, led by Governor Gavin Newsom, to address the need for affordable housing and homelessness.

Rendering source: Eden Housing

Richmond’s Legacy Court

According to Eden Housing, Legacy Court, located at 1243, 1300 & 1329 Fred Jackson Way, is a 43-unit new construction family project in Richmond, CA. The proposed development will serve 42 low-income households earning 30-60 percent of the area’s median income (AMI).

The project will set aside thirteen units to support residents who are experiencing homelessness, at risk of experiencing homelessness and residents in need of mental health services. Contra Costa Behavioral Health Services will provide additional support services for these units, including case management, peer support, mental health care, substance use services, and benefits counseling and advocacy.

The development is designed as seven two to three-story buildings that will be situated across three different sites, all of which are located within one block from each other at the intersection of Fred Jackson Way and Sanford Avenue in North Richmond. The project will include a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. One of the units will be set aside for a live-in community manager, helping ensure that the property is well-managed at all times. On-site project amenities for residents will include a community room, community kitchen, laundry rooms, computer lab with high-speed internet, and bike parking. The common area amenities of the development will facilitate the socialization and sense of community that is important to successful developments and will serve as spaces for resident gatherings, community meetings, social events, programming for resident services such as exercise, health and wellness programs, and art, educational, and cultural activities.

Legacy Court is designed as all-electric and will incorporate energy-efficient appliances, and green elements maximized to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

Reversing Decades of Inaction on Homelessness

Governor Newsom is creating a structural and foundational model for America:

✅ Creating shelter and support — Providing funding and programs for local governments, coupled with strong accountability measures to ensure that each local government is doing its share to build housing, and create shelter and support, so that people living in encampments have a safe place to go. This week, through a $77 million investment from California’s cap and invest program, Los Angeles announced the expansion and redevelopment of the largest public housing project in the region, the Jordan Downs Project.

✅ Addressing mental health and its impact on homelessness — Ending a long-standing 7,000 behavioral health bed shortfall in California by rapidly expanding community treatment centers and permanent supportive housing units. In 2024, voters approved Governor Newsom’s Proposition 1 which is transforming California’s behavioral health systems. When fully awarded, funding from Proposition 1 bonds is estimated to create 6,800 residential treatment beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots for behavioral health care.

✅ Creating new pathways for those who need the most help — Updating conservatorship laws for the first time in 50 years to include people who are unable to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care, in addition to food, clothing, or shelter, due to either severe substance use disorder or serious mental health illness. Creating a new CARE court system that creates court-administered plans for up to 24 months for people struggling with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, often with substance use challenges.

✅ Streamlining and prioritizing building of new housing — Governor Newsom made creating more housing a state priority for the first time in history. He has signed into law groundbreaking reforms to break down systemic barriers that have stood in the way of building the housing Californians need, including broad CEQA reforms.

✅ Removing dangerous encampments — Governor Newsom has set a strong expectation for all local governments to address encampments in their communities and help connect people with support. In 2024, Governor Newsom filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court defending communities’ authority to clear encampments. After the Supreme Court affirmed local authority, Governor Newsom issued an executive order directing state entities and urging local governments to clear encampments and connect people with support, using a state-tested model that helps ensure encampments are addressed humanely and people are given adequate notice and support.

In 2025, just a year after he issued an executive order urging local governments to better address encampments, the Governor announced his SAFE Task Force to address encampments in California’s ten largest cities. In just a few months, the task force has addressed encampments in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Sacramento, and Fresno — connecting dozens of people with shelter. Since 2021, Caltrans has removed more than 19,000 encampments on state right-of-way and collected approximately 354,000 cubic yards of litter and debris.

About Department of Toxic Substance Control

DTSC’s Mission is to protect California’s people, communities and environment from toxic substances, to enhance economic vitality by restoring contaminated land, and to compel manufacturers to make safer consumer products. Learn more about the department at About DTSC | Department of Toxic Substances Control.

Eight public works projects in Contra Costa County, BART receive awards

By Leave a Comment

The Bollinger Canyon Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing Project received three awards. Source: ACEC California

Iron Horse Trail Overcrossing in San Ramon named 2026 APWA Project of the Year, two more awards

County Public Works receives three project awards

By Allen D. Payton

Eight public works projects in Contra Costa County and BART received awards from the American Public Works Association (APWA) Northern California Chapter and American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC).

APWA Nor Cal Chapter Awards

The Iron Horse Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing at Bollinger Canyon Road was named the 2026 Project of the Year Winner by the APWA Northern California Chapter. Other winners honored at the 2026 Project Awards Luncheon in Vallejo on March 5th include:

BART for the Next Generation Faire Gates;

Central Contra Costa Sanitary District for the Phase 1 Stream and Aeration Blower Systems Renovations;

City of Antioch for its Brackish Water Desalination Plant (see below);

City of Pleasant Hill for the Contra Costa Blvd. Complete Streets Improvements Projects;

City of Richmond for the Ferry to Bridge to Greenway project;

Contra Costa County Public Works for three projects including the County Administration Building B, Saranap Trash Capture Installation and the Wildcat Canyon Road Slope Failure Repair.

A total of 25 projects were nominated and 15 received an award. All winners will be moving on to the APWA National at Public Works Expo 2026 in Houston, TX in August for consideration.

The APWA Northern California Chapter is a dynamic and engaged community of professionals dedicated to advancing the goals and mission of our association at the local level. The chapter is an integral part of the larger APWA network, representing a vibrant community of professionals in Northern California. We are committed to fostering professional growth, facilitating meaningful connections, and promoting excellence within the industry.

Source: City of San Ramon

Bollinger Canyon Road Overcrossing Project Also Wins League of California Cities Award

The Bollinger Canyon Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing Project also received the 2026 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Award from the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), League of California Cities (Cal Cities), and County Engineers Association of California (CEAC). It is the highest award presented annually at the California League of Cities Public Works Officers Institute Spring Conference.

“Counties and cities across California lead in delivering sustainable and enduring transportation projects,” said Johannes Hoevertsz, President of CEAC and Sonoma County Public Infrastructure Director. “By applying innovative approaches, local governments are strengthening mobility while protecting the long-term performance of their streets and roads.”

Source: CA League of Cities

This year’s overall winner, the City of San Ramon, is recognized for its Iron Horse Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing at Bollinger Canyon Road, a transformative project that enhances safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Overall Winner:
Iron Horse Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing at Bollinger Canyon Road, City of San Ramon

The $29M Iron Horse Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing at Bollinger Canyon Road is a 340-foot, cable-stayed bridge that provides a safe, grade-separated crossing over one of San Ramon’s busiest corridors.  Anchored by 900 feet of MSE wall approaches, it eliminates a previously signaled crossing and completes a link in the 30-mile regional Iron Horse Trail system. The project integrated context-sensitive landscaping with over 7,000 native and drought-tolerant plants and 80 trees along with community gathering spaces enhanced by architectural lighting.

“This project represents years of thoughtful planning and hard work from our Engineering team to improve safety and accessibility across one of the city’s busiest roadways,” a Facebook post on Thursday, March 12th reads. “Congratulations to our Engineering team for their dedication and hard work in bringing this important project to life!”

The overcrossing officially opened to the public on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

During the ACEC California awards ceremony on Feb. 19, 2026. Photo: ACEC California

ACEC California Awards

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority and City of San Ramon received an Honor Award from ACEC California, one of eight in the San Francisco Region, for the Iron Horse Trail Overcrossing at Bollinger Canyon Road. The project was submitted by the Oakland office of COWI North America, Inc., of the ACEC California Bay Bridge Chapter.

According to ACEC California, COWI was contracted by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority for the overcrossing project — a striking new pedestrian and cyclist bridge that provides a safe crossing across the busiest arterial corridor in the city and uninterrupted connectivity along the Iron Horse Trail. The City of San Ramon is the owner.

As Prime Consultant and Engineer of Record, COWI led the design, engineering, and design support during construction for the $21.6 million project. The result is a 340-foot, six-span cable-stayed bridge with 570 feet of retaining wall approaches, a central V-shaped steel pylon, and architecturally integrated lighting and railing systems.

The overcrossing enhances safety and connectivity for tens of thousands of San Ramon residents and trail users along the region’s most popular trail. While the project utilized its full budget, COWI’s innovative design and accelerated construction strategies generated substantial indirect savings by minimizing traffic disruption, shortening construction duration, and reducing environmental and community impacts.

“This bridge is a celebration of safe, sustainable design and community placemaking,” said Matt Baughman, Associate Project Director at COWI. “From concept to completion, COWI’s team worked closely with our client and stakeholders to deliver a truly iconic project.”

Source: City of Antioch

There were two other local ACEC California winners including the City of Antioch which received a Merit Award for its Brackish Water Desalination Plant, submitted for consideration by Carollo Engineers’ Walnut Creek office of the East Bay Chapter. The plant was inaugurated on September 15, 2025. According to the City of Antioch, this facility strengthens Antioch’s water supply by using a combination of existing and new infrastructure to increase reliability and provide greater operational flexibility. This facility is a landmark investment in the City’s future, ensuring a more resilient water supply for the community.

The City of Martinez received a Commendation Award from ACEC California for the Alhambra Avenue Downtown Improvements, submitted by LCC Engineering & Surveying, Inc. of Martinez, also of the ACEC California East Bay Chapter.

According to LCC, the company was hired by the City of Martinez in Winter of 2022 to provide land survey and civil design services for this Complete Street Improvement Project which included one mile of mill and fills, base-failure repairs, crack-sealing and micro-surfacing, re-striping to include Class 2 buffered bike lanes, new ADA compliant curb ramps and crosswalks.  The project was a federally funded project which triggered extensive environmental studies due to the proximity to significant historical buildings.  LCC teamed with HDR for the extensive environmental studies required.  However, LCC performed all of the right of way and utility coordination to obtain the Right of Way Certification for the Project. Construction was completed in spring 2025.

LCC has provided civil engineering and land surveying services to the City of Martinez since the firm was established in 1954.

The ACEC California’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes outstanding achievements in engineering and land surveying projects completed by California firms. Entries are accepted into one of 12 project categories: studies, research and consulting engineering services; building/technology systems; structural systems; surveying and mapping technology; environmental; waste and storm water; water resources; transportation; special projects; small projects; energy; and industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities.

Projects were recognized for demonstrating an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement, and value. Twenty projects earned the prestigious Honor Award distinction, twenty-seven were recognized with Merit Awards, and fifteen Commendation Awards were granted.

“We are proud to recognize these ACEC California firms for delivering an exceptional degree of value and technical excellence to our communities,” said Tyler Munzing, Executive Director of ACEC California. “Quality infrastructure—from dependable drinking water to safe, efficient roadways and structurally sound public spaces—is essential to our state’s success. These award-winning projects showcase how our engineering and land surveying firms are passionately building a more resilient and connected California.”

The awards were announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet at the Disneyland Hotel on February 19, 2026. Themed “Dream Builders: Engineering the Magic of Tomorrow”, the conference highlighted how engineers and land surveyors can influence the future through innovation, imagination and impact. The annual celebration was also a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, which provides scholarship awards to graduate and undergraduate students who are recognized for their notable and outstanding academic achievements.

Learn more about the awards:

2026 Projects of the Year Award – APWA Northern California Chapter

2026 Engineering Excellence Award Winners – American Council of Engineering Companies of California

Richmond based technology companies announce strategic collaboration

By Leave a Comment

EarthGrid’s plasma boring technology will benefit CyberTran’s innovative rail transit system

Richmond, CA – EarthGrid and CyberTran, two Richmond, California-based technology companies, have entered into a collaborative agreement to address critical global infrastructure challenges. The partnership brings together complementary technologies to support the development of next-generation underground “SuperGrid” systems capable of efficiently transporting renewable energy, data, communications, water and freight.

Technology Overview

EarthGrid has developed a patented plasma boring system that uses thermal spallation to disintegrate hard rock, including granite. This zero-contact approach uses only air and electricity, enabling tunneling and trenching at up to 10x the speed and a fraction of the cost of conventional boring methods.

CyberTran provides an ultra-light rail freight and transit system designed to operate within EarthGrid’s tunnels. Originally developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the system has been built and tested and is engineered to move freight and passengers by distributing smaller loads along a guideway at high speeds, increasing efficiency and throughput.

Utility and Transit Applications

Aging utility infrastructure increasingly contributes to reliability failures, safety hazards, and wildfire risk. Existing systems are struggling to meet surging demand driven by renewable energy integration, AI and data center growth, EV charging, and advanced communications networks.

The combined EarthGrid-CyberTran solution offers a scalable underground alternative to deliver power, water, fiber and transit capacity across the United States and beyond.

Economic Development

The collaboration has the potential to support significant economic growth through infrastructure development, manufacturing, real estate investment, and logistics-related employment. The companies are currently engaged in discussions regarding major California-based projects that could benefit from their integrated technologies.

About EarthGrid

EarthGrid is pioneering Solid State Plasma Boring technology to reshape America’s underground infrastructure. The company’s patented plasma tech disintegrates hard rock using thermal spallation with no contact, no chemicals, and no mechanical cutters. EarthGrid has filed 162 patent claims, holds CPCNs (Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity) across 46 states covering 97% of the U.S. population, and has raised $50M to date. EarthGrid is boring through a $2 trillion grid infrastructure market.  (See related article)

About CyberTran

CyberTran International, Inc. is a Richmond, California-based company providing ultra-light rail freight and transit systems designed to reduce environmental impact and improve urban transit efficiency. Originally developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, CyberTran’s technology is engineered to move freight and passengers at high speeds with lower cost and greater operational efficiency than traditional transit systems. (See related article)

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

Supervisor Gioia to be honored at NAACP Richmond Branch annual banquet March 7

By Leave a Comment

By Allen D. Payton

Join the NAACP Richmond, CA Branch for its annual Community Engagement Recognition Banquet at Contra Costa College this Saturday, March 7th. Refreshments at 3:30 p.m., Program at 4:30 p.m.

Contra Costa County District 1 Supervisor John Gioia will be among those  honored during the event.

“I’m honored to be one of the individuals to be recognized for my work in advancing equity and justice,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

The Richmond NAACP has been fighting discrimination and working for equity and justice since 1944. For more information visit NAACP – RICHMOND BRANCH.

DA clears Richmond Police in fatal 2025 shooting of Angel Montaño Magallan

By Leave a Comment

Richmond Police confront Angel Alexander Montaño Magallan holding two knives as he emerges from his apartment before the fatal shooting on Aug. 4, 2025. Video capture source: Richmond PD

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, California – A public report on a 2025 fatal use-of-force incident involving Richmond Police has been released by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.

The report is the final step in a countywide protocol wherein the District Attorney’s Office conducts an independent investigation into an officer-involved fatal incident. Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton said, “The release of this report reflects my office’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the review of officer-involved shootings. We believe the public deserves a clear and thorough account of the facts surrounding these incidents, and that making our findings available to the community is essential to maintaining public trust.”

On August 4, 2025, at approximately 5:02 p.m., Richmond Police Department Dispatch received a 911 call regarding 27-year-old Angel Alexander Montaño Magallan. The caller, Magallan’s brother, reported that Magallan was armed with a knife and threatening to kill him and their mother. He also disclosed that Magallan had a history of mental illness and was living with the family in an apartment in the City of Richmond.

Multiple Richmond Police officers responded to the call and staged nearby to form a response plan. While waiting for additional resources, officers were advised that the family members could not leave the home because Magallan was blocking the front door, creating additional concerns of a possible hostage situation.

Video capture of Magallan emerging from his apartment with two knives in his hands. Source: Richmond PD

Moments later, dispatch advised officers that Magallan armed himself with two knives, prompting officers to move closer to the residence so they could quickly respond to a possible attack. As they approached, Magallan’s mother yelled out from inside the home, which caused officers to believe Magallan may be actively stabbing family members inside the home.

Upon opening the front door of the residence, Officer Nicholas Remick observed Magallan standing over his brother and mother while holding an object in his hand. Magallan immediately advanced toward Officer Remick, who could now see that Magallan was wielding a knife in each hand. Officer Remick repeatedly ordered Magallan to “stop” and retreated from the doorway, but Magallan continued to advance. It was not until Magallan had closed to within 5 to 10 feet — near enough to deliver a fatal knife strike to a retreating officer — that Officer Remick and Officer Stocking discharged their firearms, fatally striking Magallan. Officers then entered the apartment and confirmed that the remaining family members were physically unharmed.

After a review of all available facts surrounding the incident, the District Attorney’s Office finds that the use of deadly force was reasonable under the circumstances. As such, no further action will be taken in this case.

The District Attorney’s Office has sent a copy of the report to the Richmond Police Department, the California Department of Justice, and is available to the public on the Contra Costa District Attorney’s website.

See Richmond PD press release of incident, Critical Incident Video, plus, videos of officer body cam footage and other information, here.