Contra Costa Herald

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

Richmond teen arrested for July murder of one, shooting of two other teens in Antioch

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Suspect arrested: Angel Leoncio Bautista. Photo by APD

By Sergeant John Fortner, Antioch Police Department, Investigations Bureau, Violent Crimes Unit

During the course of this investigation, evidence was obtained that led to the identification of one of the suspects involved in the shooting homicide of the victim, and the injury of two others.

On Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018 at approximately 12:00 pm, detectives from the Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau, with the assistance of Richmond Police Department officers, arrested Angel Leoncio Bautista (19 years old) at his residence in the City of Richmond. Bautista was peacefully taken into custody and later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

On July 30, 2018 at 1:17 a.m., Antioch Police dispatch received several calls reporting multiple gunshots at a business complex located in the 2700 block of Hillcrest Avenue. (See related article)

When officers arrived at the complex, they located two males down on the ground in the parking lot. One male victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The second male (16 years-old) was located a short distance away and he was also suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began first aid as fire department paramedics were called to the scene. The surviving victim was stabilized and transported to a local area hospital where he was taken into surgery.

While officers were still at the scene, they were advised that a shooting victim arrived at a local emergency room for treatment. Officers responded to the hospital and determined that this was an additional victim who was related to the shooting in the parking lot. No additional victims have come forward or have been identified at this time.

At this time, evidence suggests that the victims were involved in a confrontation with another group of unknown subjects in the parking lot when gunshots were fired.

The area was designated a crime scene and cordoned off. The Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau was notified and responded to the scene. This incident is currently under investigation, and evidence is being collected.

The investigation into this incident remains ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925)778-2441 or Detective Colley at (925)779-6922. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

San Pablo man arrested for possession of child pornography

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Francisco Perez. Photo by CCCSheriff

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

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff recently received a tip regarding a person who was allegedly in possession of child pornography. Detectives started an investigation and later obtained search warrants for the suspect’s home and computers/electronic devices.

On November 20, 2018, Detectives arrested 34-year-old Francisco Perez of San Pablo. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on one count of possession of child pornography. Perez has since been released pending further investigation.

Perez was previously employed by a food service company that provided food to San Domenico School in San Anselmo. At that time, he used the false name of Mario Arguetta. There is no evidence to suggest any student has been a victim.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to call the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office or the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division can be reached at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (415) 479-2311.

Two juvenile suspects arrested in Friday’s North Richmond homicide

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Victim identified as 60-year-old Castro Valley man

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

Homicide detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff have arrested two male juvenile suspects in connection with a killing that took place in North Richmond on Friday, November 30, 2018.

On that day at about 6:25 PM, Bay Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to the intersection of 4th Street and Silver Avenue in North Richmond for a report of a person that had just been shot. Deputies arrived on scene and found a man in his vehicle near a home on the 300 block of Silver Avenue. He suffered from a gunshot wound. The Fire Department, an ambulance and the crime lab responded to the location. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. The victim is identified as 60-year-old Raymond Vasquez of Castro Valley.

Detectives say Vasquez apparently went to North Richmond for a drug transaction. An altercation occurred with the suspects and one of them shot Vasquez. The juveniles fled the scene. During the investigation, Detectives identified the juvenile suspects who were both arrested this afternoon in Richmond. They were booked into Juvenile Hall on charges that include murder, robbery, conspiracy and participating in a gang. The suspects are not being identified; they are 15 and 17 years old.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See more from a report by ABC7 News.

Rep. DeSaulnier to host Town Hall Meeting in Richmond Oct. 23

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Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) will host a town hall meeting at Lovonya DeJean Middle School in Richmond on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.

This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 74th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress in January 2015. During the town hall, Congressman DeSaulnier will provide a legislative update on what is happening in Washington, take questions from constituents, and discuss the services his office can provide.

Richmond Town Hall
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Lovonya DeJean Middle School
Multipurpose Room
3400 Macdonald Avenue
Richmond, CA 94805
Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.

This event is open to the public, press, and photographers.
Please RSVP by visiting https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or calling 925-933-2660. To request ADA accommodations, translation services, or for more information, contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s office in either Richmond or Walnut Creek.

County Sheriff seeks help finding missing elderly Rodeo woman

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Photos of Ruth Blanchard and the vehicle she was driving when last seen. Lic Plate # 7MCU465 From CoCoSheriff

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

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff is currently searching for 76-year-old Ruth Blanchard of Rodeo.

Blanchard left her residence on the 800 block of Sandy Cove Drive yesterday, October 15, 2018, at about 12:30 PM to run an er-rand and did not return home.

Her family reported her missing to the Office of the Sheriff at about 8:00 PM. Deputies immediately searched for Blanchard but were not able to locate her. Her vehicle was last seen in the area of Highway 4 and Sycamore Avenue.

The search for Blanchard is ongoing. Local law enforcement agencies have been notified, she has been entered into the state missing persons’ database and a Silver Alert has been put out. She is at-risk because of health issues.

She is described as: black female, 5’ 7”, approximately 185 pounds, brown eyes, greying short hair. She was last wearing a red shirt, black pants, and a headwrap with a rhinestone.

The vehicle she was driving is a black 2014 Toyota Sienna (minivan) with California license plates—7MCU465.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Blanchard is asked to immediately call the Office of the Sheriff at (925) 646-2441.

Following chase, suspect killed in collision in San Pablo while fleeing from Deputy Sheriffs

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Discarded gun at Rodeo Post Office

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

On Thursday, August 23, 2018, at about 11:41 PM, Bay Station Deputy Sheriffs in Rodeo noticed two individuals exit a vehicle and discard an unknown item in a suspicious manner at the Rodeo Post Office at 499 Parker Avenue.

The Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic enforcement stop of the vehicle. The vehicle did not yield and led Deputies on a pursuit southbound on San Pablo Avenue.

The suspect vehicle went through the red signal light at San Pablo Avenue and Richmond Parkway where it collided with the side of a truck. The passenger was able to exit the vehicle on his own. The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene. They are not being identified at this time.

The item discarded by the two at the Post Office was later found to be a firearm.

The officer-involved fatal incident protocol was invoked. This incident is being investigated by the Richmond Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Contra Costa DA’s Office, and the Office of the Sheriff.

The CHP has issued a traffic alert for the closure of the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Richmond Parkway because of the investigation.

Report: Four Contra Costa cities make list of 100 most dangerous in California

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Richmond ranks 6th overall, 5th for murders; Antioch ranks 20th overall, 21st for murders; Pittsburg ranks 59th overall, 13th for murders; Concord ranks 82nd overall, 87th for murders

By Michael McKneely.

California is a large and diverse state. The landscape, social climate, and opportunities in one city may be entirely different than in another. Significant differences also exist in violent crime rates. Certain cities are more dangerous than others due to a variety of factors, such as economic opportunity, education, alcohol and drug use, availability of social and family services, gang activity, and much more.

In the most dangerous cities, you are more likely to become a victim of a violent crime. You also may be more likely to face accusations of committing an offense.

According to the FBI, since 2016, out of the 461 individual municipalities in California, four cities in Contra Costa County made the list of the 100 most dangerous cities within the state with a population of at least 50,000 residents. Richmond ranks 6th overall and 5th for murders at 18.9 per 100,000 residents; Antioch ranks 20th and 21st for murders; Pittsburg ranks 59th overall and 13th for murders; and Concord ranks 82nd overall and 87th for murders.

Richmond, a city of only 110,868 people, had a violent crime volume of 919.1 per 100,000 people. This number is made up of 18.9 homicides, 64.9 rapes, 328.2 robberies, and 506.9 aggravated assaults per 100,000 individuals.

Antioch had a violent crime volume of 678 per 100,000 people, as a result of eight homicides, 49.1 rapes, 261.4 robberies, and 359.5 aggravated assaults per 100,000 residents.

Pittsburg had 9.9 homicides per 100,000 people in 2016 – a higher rate than many other cities of a similar size. The city had 59.4 rapes, 164.2 robberies, and 159.9 aggravated assaults per 100,000 individuals. The overall violent crime volume was 393.4 per 100,000 residents.

Concord reported 0.8 homicides, 23.9 rapes, 122.4 robberies, and 197.1 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people. This amounted to a violent crime volume of 344.1 offenses per 100,000 individuals.

Part I crime statists for the four cities in Contra Costa County on the list.

Crime Statistics: Volume vs. Rate

One of the ways the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports on crime around the country is to provide the crime volume for certain locations. This is neither the specific number of offenses that occurred in a specific period of time nor the crime rate. Instead, crime volume is a simplified indicator of how frequently a crime occurs.

In regard to murder and non-negligent manslaughter (homicide), robbery, rape, and aggravated assault, the crime volume indicates the number of known victims. For example, Los Angeles had a volume of 58.5 rapes per 100,000 inhabitants. This means there were 58.5 known victims of rape for every 100,000 people.

The crime rate would be the number of reported crimes standardized by population. To determine the crime rate, you divide a city’s population by 100,000 to obtain X. You then divide the number of offenses by X. This gives you the city’s crime rate per 100,000 residents for a specific offense. For example, Los Angeles had a population of 4,007,905. Divide the population by 100,000, and X equals 40.079. Divide the volume of homicides in Los Angeles, 293, by 40.079, and the homicide rate is 7.31 per 100,000 residents.

It is also notable that if a city has less than 100,000 residents, the numbers still reflect a rate of incidents per 100,000 individuals. This has been calculated to maintain consistency and allow for comparison of overall crime rates. All of the cities on this list have at least 50,000 residents. This allows for more uniform comparison of crime rates.

Most Dangerous Cities in California and Contra Costa County

The following California cities considered in this study are the most dangerous when comparing total crime rate per 100,000 residents:

  1. Oakland, 2. Stockton; 3. San Bernardino, 4. Compton, 5. Modesto, 6. Richmond, 7. Vallejo, 8. Santa Cruz, 9. Redding, 10. Madera, 11. Huntington Park, 12. Inglewood, 13. Hawthorne, 14. Hemet, 15. Los Angeles, 16. Sacramento, 17. San Francisco, 18. South Gate, 19. Lancaster, 20. Antioch, 59. Pittsburg, 82. Concord.

To view the crime map in Richmond, visit https://www.crimemapping.com/map/agency/310. To see crime maps, statistics and calls for service for Antioch, visit http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/Police/crime-maps/. Details on Pittsburg crime statistics can be seen here, http://www.ci.pittsburg.ca.us/index.aspx?page=746. To visit the Concord Police Department webpage click here, http://www.cityofconcord.org/page.asp?pid=1026. To see more details for each city on the list, visit www.fresnocriminalattorney.com/most-dangerous-cities-california.

McKneely is a criminal defense lawyer in Fresno, California.

El Sobrante homicide update – two suspects, Richmond man and El Sobrante woman in custody

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Judy Barkas. Photo from her Facebook page. No photo of Anthony Gaines could be located online.

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

Homicide Detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division have arrested two suspects in connection with an El Sobrante homicide Wednesday night. (See related article).

The two suspects are identified as 22-year-old Anthony Gaines of Richmond and 57-year old Judy Barkas of El Sobrante. Both have been booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on murder and conspiracy charges. They are each being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

Last night at approximately 10:46 PM, Bay Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to the 4800 block of San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante, for a report of a person shot.

Deputies arrived on scene and located a shooting victim lying in a driveway. Deputies started CPR on the victim and requested the fire department and an ambulance to respond to the scene. The 22-year-old male victim was later pronounced deceased at the scene. His identity is being withheld pending the notification of next of kin. The autopsy this morning found the cause of death to be a gunshot wound.

The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are still trying to establish the exact motive in the case, but know the individuals are acquainted with each other and appear to have an ongoing dispute.

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