West County | Contra Costa Herald

Wanted suspect leads Sheriff’s Deputies on pursuit on I-80 in West County, Friday night

January 18, 2017 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Sheriff seeks public’s helping in locating suspect

Eddie Nute

On Friday, January 13, 2017, at approximately 9:40 PM, Deputy Sheriffs in North Richmond attempted to stop a red Acura that was believed to be driven by 22-year-old Eddie Nute of Citrus Heights, who has a $1 million dollar arrest warrant for auto burglary and conspiracy with a gang enhancement.

The vehicle failed to yield and led Deputies on a pursuit, which headed westbound on Highway 80. While fleeing, the suspect collided with a minivan and did not stop. As the suspect approached the Bay Bridge, he struck a Mercedes, which lost control. A Deputy attempted to stop, however he collided into the back of the Mercedes. The pursuit was terminated.

The drivers of the two vehicles were transported to local hospitals as a precaution. The Deputy was not injured.

While on scene Deputies were notified that there was a nearby vehicle disabled in the median. It was later determined it was the wanted vehicle. The driver fled and is still outstanding.

Nute is described as African American, 5’, 7” tall, 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Nute is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message or email: tips@so.cccounty.us.

West County families “Shop with a Cop” for Christmas

December 21, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Deserving children from the west Contra Costa County area were paired up with Deputy Sheriffs who took them out for some holiday fun and on a shopping spree for them and their families.

It was all part of the annual Shop with a Cop, which is a national program established to build positive relationships between law enforcement officers and the children of the community. It is also our way of recognizing deserving children.

Thank you to the YMCA in Rodeo and the many community partners that helped make this event a success.

To view the video of this year’s Shop with a Cop, click here.

Second and third suspects in November El Sobrante homicide in custody

December 21, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Daniel Ortega

The remaining homicide suspects wanted in connection with the murder of William Sims on November 12 in El Sobrante are in custody, the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff announced.

On Friday afternoon, December 16, 2016 at about 3:30 PM, Homicide Detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff arrested 31-year-old Daniel Ortega of Novato. There was a warrant for his arrest for murder and robbery. He was later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility. Ortega is being held without bail.

On Saturday, December 10th, Office of the Sheriff Homicide Detectives were informed that suspect Ray Simons was in custody at the Monterey County jail in Salinas. He was apparently being held on a domestic-related charge and gave a false name when he was booked. A check of his fingerprints revealed his true identity. 32-year-old Simons of Hercules was transported to the Martinez Detention Facility and is being held without bail on charges that include murder, robbery, shooting at a person from a vehicle and intimidating a witness.

Ray Simons

Earlier, Detectives arrested 31-year-old Daniel Porter-Kelly of Richmond. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on November 16, 2016 on murder and robbery charges. The D.A.’s Office has formally charged him with robbery and murder, with a hate crime enhancement. He is being held without bail.

On November 12, 2016, at about 2:11 AM, a Sheriff’s Office Sergeant discovered William Sims lying in the roadway in the area of Appian Way and Garden Lane in El Sobrante. Sims had been beaten and shot and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Sims was 28-years-old and was from Richmond, where he was a musician and worked in retail. He had no gang ties and no criminal history. Detectives believe Sims was at the Capri Club on the 4100 block of Appian Way, where he was robbed and murdered.

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

Rep. DeSaulnier to meet one-on-one with constituents in Kensington, Saturday, Dec. 17

December 14, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) will continue his standing practice of meeting one-on-one with constituents during Mobile District Office Hours on Saturday, December 17th from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Kensington Community Center. Since being elected to Congress, DeSaulnier has hosted 30 Mobile District Office Hours and town hall meetings throughout Contra Costa County.

As our nation experiences an unprecedented transition, Congressman DeSaulnier is looking forward to meeting one-on-one with constituents and hearing first-hand about issues that impact their lives, families, and our community. Mark will be on site to share thoughts and answer questions and to assist with issues related to Social Security, Medicare, the Veteran’s Administration, or other federal agencies.

What: Congressman DeSaulnier’s Mobile District Office Hours

When: Saturday, December 17th from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Where: Kensington Community Center, 59 Arlington Avenue, Kensington

Details: First come, first served. No appointment necessary. This event is open to all residents of California’s 11th Congressional District.

For more information or to confirm you are a resident of the 11th Congressional District, please email CA11.RSVP@mail.house.gov or call (925) 933-2660.

Learn more about the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge corridor construction at two Dec. meetings

December 1, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Location and highlights of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge access improvements. Credit: Peter Beeler

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Caltrans, the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) invite the public to a pair of open houses in Richmond on Thursday, Dec. 8 and in San Rafael on Friday, Dec. 9 to learn more about the Interstate 580 Access Improvement Projects now beginning construction in the heavily traveled Richmond-San Rafael Bridge corridor.

Thursday, December 8, 2016	Friday, December 9, 2016
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.	6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Richmond City Hall, 450 Civic Center Plaza	San Rafael City Hall, 1400 Fifth Avenue

Third Lanes

To reduce congestion on eastbound Interstate 580, MTC and its partners are working to convert the right shoulder to a third freeway lane from the Sir Francis Drake Blvd. on-ramp in Marin County to the Richmond Parkway/Point Richmond exit in Contra Costa County. Project elements include reconfiguring the Main Street on-ramp from San Quentin Village with a retaining wall to improve the traffic merge with the new lane; replacing pavement on the bridge approaches to accommodate heavier traffic loads; and relocating a retaining wall in Richmond to achieve safe sight distances for vehicles traveling in the new right lane. The third eastbound traffic lane is scheduled to open in the fall of 2017.

Artist’s rendering of the planned bicycle/pedestrian path on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Courtesy of MTC.

Bicycle/Pedestrian Path

To provide a bicycle/pedestrian link between Marin and Contra Costa counties, the agencies will establish a path on the north side of Interstate 580, with concrete barriers to separate bikes and pedestrians from westbound freeway traffic. These include a moveable barrier on the upper deck of the bridge that will allow Caltrans to conduct maintenance work during short closures of the path. Construction work on the moveable barrier project is expected to begin in the spring of 2017, with completion slated for the spring of 2018.

Lane & Ramp Closures

Lane and ramp closures necessary for construction activity will take place mostly in late night and early morning hours, but some closures may extend until 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Each Open House will be an informational meeting at which members of the public can review project plans, talk with project team members and provide input.

MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Caltrans owns, operates and maintains the state highway system, including seven Bay Area toll bridges. TAM is the congestion management agency and the transportation sales tax authority for Marin County. CCTA is the congestion management agency and the transportation sales tax authority for Contra Costa County.

See the video on the bridge improvements project, below.

For more information on the project click, here.

Suspects identified in El Sobrante murder on Nov. 12, one in custody

November 30, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Suspect Daniel Porter-Kelly IN CUSTODY

Detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff have identified three suspects in a homicide that occurred in El Sobrante on November 12, 2016.

On Saturday, November 12, 2016, at about 2:11 AM, a Sheriff’s Office Sergeant discovered William Sims lying in the roadway in the area of Appian Way and Garden Lane in El Sobrante. Sims had been beaten and shot and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Sims was 28-years-old and was from Richmond, where he was a musician and worked in retail. He had no gang ties and no criminal history.

Detectives believe Sims was at the Capri Club on the 4100 block of Appian Way, where he was robbed and murdered. Three suspects have been identified and one has been arrested.

Suspect Ray Simons

31-year-old Daniel Porter-Kelly of Richmond is in custody. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on November 16, 2016 on murder and robbery charges. The D.A.’s Office has since formally charged him with robbery and murder, with a hate crime enhancement. He is being held without bail. Porter-Kelly’s photo is attached.

Detectives are looking for two outstanding suspects: 32-year-old Ray Simons of Hercules and 31-year-old Daniel Ortega of Novato or Richmond. Both have Ramey warrants for robbery and murder for their arrest.

Additionally, detectives have also arrested 54-year-old Renee Brown of Novato, the mother of outstanding suspect Daniel Ortega. She was booked into jail on an accessory charge for interfering in the investigation. She is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Suspect Daniel Ortega

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this incident or the whereabouts of Ortega and Simons is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff at (925) 646-2441. They are considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. Their photos are attached.

For tips, call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message or email: tips@so.cccounty.us.

Contra Costa College dedicates new Veterans Resource Center, Thursday

November 11, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

photo courtesy of CCCC District

Contra Costa College (CCC) held a ceremonial ribbon cutting to commemorate the grand opening of their new Veteran Resource Center (VRC) located in the Student and Administration Building. Over 100 people attended the event including community leaders, elected officials, veteran’s organizations, and District and college employees. The Sentinels of Freedom, a national non-profit organization assisting veteran’s transition back to civilian life, collaborated with CCC and its veterans club to create a space on campus for veterans to receive support, study and network with other veterans.

“It was important for CCC to create the VRC for a couple of reasons,” said dean of Enrollment Services Dennis Franco. “First, to have a private, centralized location that veterans could congregate in. Second, to provide a space that veterans could receive counseling, benefit assistance, and also assistance from outside agencies like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Concord Vet Center, and more.”

Veterans now have a home on campus where they can study, network, and support each other. Veterans will also have access to Admissions and Records staff to guide them through the enrollment process and a certifying official to assist them in using their veteran benefits.

“The joining of two communities, the Veterans and the campus of Contra Costa College, working together, the mission at hand, is to support Active Duty, National Guard, Reservist, spouses, dependents and the veterans, to being successful in obtaining higher education,” said CCC veterans club president Leon Watkins.

Today’s ribbon cutting ceremony completes the goal of establishing veteran centers at all three campuses in the Contra Costa Community District.

Contra Costa College is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District and currently serves almost 11,000 students (unduplicated head county) annually. Since 1948, CCC has provided exemplary educational services to hundreds of thousands of residents from the greater West County area, and is proud of its diverse student body and commitment to individual student success. Excellent programs such as the Center for Science Excellence, The Advocate newspaper, the green Automotive Services program, Middle College High School, the Nursing program, and the Culinary Arts program are known through the state and the nation. A model of excellence, Contra Costa College prides itself on being one of the finest community colleges in the country.

The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) is one of the largest multi- college community college districts in California. The CCCCD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. The District is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez. For more information visit www.4cd.edu .

Sheriff’s Office opens Bayo Vista Community Policing Substation in Rodeo

November 4, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Kids and Sheriff’s Deputies, with McGruff the Crime Dog help celebrate the grand opening of the new sub-station in Rodeo on Wednesday, October 26, 2016. Photo courtesy of CCCSheriff.

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff recently received a two-year “Strengthening Law Enforcement and Community Relations Grant” to fund collaborative law enforcement-community partnerships that aim to improve or establish relationships with communities we serve.

With the funds, the Office of the Sheriff, in partnership with the YMCA, Housing Authority of Contra Costa County, and other community partners, will develop a program that will effectively engage residents at the Bayo Vista Housing Development in the community of Rodeo. This program will enhance safety, well being, health, education and public trust. Available resources and partnerships will be used to develop a plan that unifies services to meet the needs of the Bayo Vista community. A special focus will be on youths.

The grand opening of the substation took place on October 26, 2016. Please click this link to see a KRON 4 story on the opening.

Former Supervisor files complaint against Avila Farias for using public time for private purposes, she says she’s a contract employee

November 2, 2016 By Publisher 1 Comment

By Allen Payton

Former Supervisor Tom Powers chose a trick rather than a treat for candidate for District 5 Supervisor, AnaMarie Avila Farias, on Halloween. In an email on Monday, October 31st, Powers provided a copy of a letter regarding a “Timecard Fraud Complaint Sent to District Attorney’s Office – Misuse of Taxpayer Funds to Be Investigated” against the Martinez Councilwoman. da-complaint-re-avila-farias-10-31-16

His email message read:

“Today I personally delivered the attached letter to District Attorney Mark Peterson’s office (at 3:18 pm PST) requesting an official investigation in to Anamarie Avila Farias’s official use of her time and resources at her Section 8 government job at the Contra Costa Housing Authority.

It has been brought to all of our taxpayers’ attention that on numerous times her officially signed government timecard indicates she has been at work, being paid by taxpayers to be at work, but Ms. Farias has actually been elsewhere conducting her own personal business. In fact, one of the weeks she officially signs her timecard saying she is at work, her Facebook Posts (since deleted) actually indicate she is out of the country in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Using government time or resources for personal purposes is unlawful and, on behalf of County taxpayers, I am asking the District Attorney’s Office to conduct a full investigation of Ms. Farias’ potential misuse of taxpayers funds.”

In addition, Powers provided additional documentation to support his complaint.

When asked for a comment on the complaint, Avila-Farias responded with the following statement:

“When the political machine is threatened, they strike out like a cornered snake. This filing with the District Attorney is an attempt at an October surprise, trying to entice this law enforcement agency to back up their bogus claims.

Tom Powers, a longtime Contra Costa County power broker who is actively defending the incumbent Supervisor Federal Glover because he fears the loss of control if the Board of Supervisors is governed by the people and for the people.

False and misleading attacks like this have no place in our county’s campaigns.

I am an Independent Contract Employee. My job demands a non-traditional, flexible schedule. My hours are my own to determine. End of story.

My commitment, integrity and dedication to my job and hours worked to provide housing options for Contra Costa families has never been questioned by my employer.

This is a non-story generated by the sleazy political machine in this county desperate to protect their longtime champion – Supervisor Federal Glover. They want to talk about anything other than Federal Glover’s vote to increase his own pay 33%, lack of engagement in the District and his consistent support for insider deals for Contra Costa County contractors.”

The election is next Tuesday, November 8th.

Congressman DeSaulnier Awarded High Marks from the League of Conservation Voters

October 29, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Washington, DC – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) received a 97% score from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) on its 2015 National Environmental Scorecard. The high score reflects his record of fighting for important issues, including energy, global warming, public health, public lands and wildlife conservation, and supporting environmental programs during his first session of Congress.

“Preserving our planet’s natural resources for generations to come has been one of my priorities since serving on the California Air Resources Board in the 1990s. It is an honor to be recognized by the League of Conservation Voters for my environmental work, and I will continue to work with the LCV to promote policies that address climate change and protect public health while strengthening our economy,” said Congressman DeSaulnier.

“The 2015 Scorecard shows that our cornerstone environmental standards are under attack more than ever before,” said Gene Karpinski, President of the League of Conservation Voters. “Thankfully, Congressman DeSaulnier is helping lead the charge against these extreme attacks. His stellar record during his first year in the U.S. House builds on his strong record at the state-level fighting to protect the air we breathe and confront the climate crisis and we look forward to continue working with him.”

LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard ranks 35 different votes to provide objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered in the 114^th Congress and the corresponding voting records of all members of Congress. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from approximately 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who select the key votes on which members of Congress should be scored.

The full scorecard can be found here.

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier also has earned a lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters of 97%.