West County | Contra Costa Herald

Annual Sugar Town Festival & Street Fair in Crockett, Sunday, July 17th

July 15, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The Sugartown Festival is sponsored by the Crockett Chamber of Commerce and is celebrating its 8th year. It is held the third Sunday of July, this year July 17th from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

It is a great outdoor music festival and street fair. It is family friendly, has great arts and crafts, food, beer, wine and live entertainment. Stroll through a shady street, enjoying the food and wine, shopping the great arts and craft vendors while enjoying wonderful music, with two stages to choose from.

The Sugartown festival features two stages with well known artists. Seating and dancing spaces are available.

Lagunitas Brewing Company is the choice beer at the Lagunitas beer gardens. Wine and icey cold Margaritas are also sold to quench your thirst.

See the Arts Calendar at AC5.org for more information.

FContact the Crockett Chamber of Commerce at either P.O. Box 191, Crockett, CA 94525 or by calling 510-787-1155.

Arrest made in battery in Rodeo last Saturday, now a homicide

July 7, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

On Saturday, July 2, 2016 at about 7:15 PM, the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff was notified by John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek that one of their patients, who was severely injured, was the victim of a battery that occurred in Rodeo earlier in that day, as well as the previous day.

Detectives from the Investigation Division made contact with the suspect, who was interviewed. 56-year-old Michael Endicott of Hercules was later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on felony battery charges and a probation violation.

The victim, identified as 69-year-old Ronald Kemp of Rodeo, died on Sunday at the hospital. Endicott’s charges now include homicide. He is being held without bail.

Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to call 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.

Wife of Orlando terrorist was born, grew up and got married in Contra Costa County

June 20, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Noor Zahi Salman and Omar Saddiqui Mateen from a Facebook photo.

By Allen Payton

According to an ABC News report on Sunday, June 19, 2016 and an L.A. Times article posted today, Noor Zahi Salman, the widow of Orlando terrorist Omar Saddiqui Mateen, was born in San Pablo, grew up in Rodeo, graduated from high school in Crocket and married Mateen in Hercules in Western Contra Costa County, California.

The ABC News report states:

The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter had learning difficulties when she was in middle school and was enrolled in special education classes, according to her now retired teacher in California.

Susan was Noor Zahi Salman’s teacher at her middle school in Crockett, California. ABC News is not using Susan’s full name or showing her face at her request.

“Noor had difficulty with retention. She had difficulty with conceptualizing, understanding — all challenges to her,” Susan said. “She tried hard. She was very sweet.”

Her family confirmed that Susan was Salman’s special education teacher and that she was enrolled in special education classes.

Susan said Salman was considered a “special day class student” – meaning she had to take all her classes with special education teachers.

The L.A. Times article provided more information about Salman’s background and local ties.

The child of Palestinian immigrants, Salman was born in San Pablo, in the Bay Area, and grew up in Northern California in a hilly neighborhood of tract homes in Rodeo, about 25 miles northeast of San Francisco. She graduated from John Swett High School in 2004.

They were married in Hercules, in Contra Costa County, Calif., on Sept. 29, 2011.

Although Salman accompanied Mateen on at least one trip to the Pulse nightclub before the attack for what is being considered reconnaissance, she has not been charged with any crimes, yet, nor is she currently listed as a suspect.

“With respect to the wife, I can tell you that that is only one of many interviews we have done and will continue to do,” said Ronald Harper, FBI assistant special agent in charge in Orlando, said during a news conference on Wednesday, June 15.

“I am not going to speculate today if any charges have or will be brought in this case,” added Lee Bentley, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.

In spite of her special education classes in middle school, Salman graduated from both high school and college, according to other news reports.

The FBI investigation continues.

DA Peterson, West County Police Chiefs meet to address freeway shootings

June 18, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

On Thursday, Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark A. Peterson and the West Contra Costa County Police Chiefs Association met to discuss strategies to prevent, investigate, and prosecute freeway shootings in the West County area, and also to review the current efforts to address the shootings.

The West Contra Costa County Police Chiefs and their respective City Managers and City Council members believe that approaching this issue in a collaborative manner is essential. Prior to yesterday’s meeting, West County Chiefs met regarding the freeway shootings; all six chiefs agreed that with collaboration comes a better understanding of diverse perspectives and that the coordinated efforts of many can accomplish more than the efforts of one or a few separately.

Attending the meeting were chiefs from the El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, and Kensington police departments, as well as members of the county’s Probation Department, and the Offices of the Sheriff and District Attorney.

Since November 2^nd, 2015, there have been 13 shootings on Interstate 80, and one on Interstate 580, for a total of 14 shootings in the western portion of Contra Costa County. Of the 14 shootings, two resulted in the deaths of the occupants of the vehicles. On several other occasions, no one was injured as the shots struck only the vehicles, or missed the intended vehicle occupants and their cars entirely.

To date, the great majority of these freeway shootings are gang related. Many of the victimsand witnesses in these cases have been uncooperative with investigators. The lack of cooperation coupled with the random nature of the shootings makes solving such crimes extremely problematic. Additionally, since the crimes occur at very high speeds, there are very few, if any, percipient witnesses.

Chief Paul Fontana, commander of the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Golden Gate Division, has convened several recent meetings of law enforcement executives from throughout Contra Costa and Alameda counties regarding the shootings. In the county, an ad-hoc task force of teams of investigators from the CHP and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Contra Costa Safe Streets Task Force respond to all freeway shootings in the county.

The Task Force includes members of the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Richmond Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department, Antioch Police Department, Concord Police Department, El Cerrito Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, District Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms,and Explosives.

In addition, Deputy District Attorney Barry Grove who has over a decade of experience prosecuting murder cases has been assigned to assist on all freeway shooting investigations; he routinely responds to the shooting sites to provide legal advice and investigative guidance.

In addition to the investigative efforts, law enforcement is working with representatives of the Governor’s Office, the California Department of Transportation, and local mayors and other elected officials to explore the use of other technologies to assist in the effort to stop the shootings. These include the installation of high resolution cameras, gunshot detection technology, and other technologies, on the freeways and the entry/exit ramps.

Preventing freeway shootings, and prosecuting those responsible for them, is one of the top priorities for government at all levels in the county.Nearly a quarter million people travel daily on Interstate 80 in Contra Costa County, and we will do everything possible to ensure their safety.

We are seeking the public’s help on this critical public safety matter. Anyone with information concerning the shootings is encouraged to contactthe California Highway Patrol Investigative Services Unit at (510) 622-4609 or 1-800-TELL-CHP, or your local law enforcement agency.

West County Police Chiefs Association

Hercules Chief of Police Bill Goswick (Chairperson, West County Police Chiefs)

El Cerrito Interim Chief of Police Paul Keith

Kensington Chief of Police Kevin Hart

Pinole Chief of Police Neil Gang

San Pablo Chief of Police Lisa Rosales

Richmond Chief of Police Allwyn Brown

Office of the Sheriff Captain Dan Hoffman, Patrol Division Commander

Contra Costa Sheriff’s CASE team seizes .30 caliber machine gun from Crockett home

June 11, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

A machine gun was among the many guns seized from a home in Crockett by the Contra Costa Sheriffs CASE team in a May raid.

Seized .30 caliber machine gun.

Following an investigation, the CASE (Contra Costa County Anti-Violence Support Effort) team last month served a search warrant on a home in Crockett.

Inside the residence, CASE team members located numerous weapons, including an assault rifle and a .30 caliber machine gun. The investigation is ongoing.

The CASE Team is a joint effort by the Office of the Sheriff, California Department of Justice, California Highway Patrol, Pittsburg Police Department and Walnut Creek Police Department. CASE was created in November 2011 as a collaborative effort to reduce violent crimes in Contra Costa, especially those related to illegal firearms.

Glover, Avila Farias in November run-off in race for District 5 Supervisor

June 10, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

By Allen Payton

While the County Elections Office continues to count ballots and provide updates, it’s clear that both Supervisor Federal Glover and Martinez Councilwoman Anamarie Avila Farias have taken the top two spots in the race for District 5 Supervisor, and will be in the November run-off.

County Elections Office staff stated they had 56,000 ballots in the county left to count as of Wednesday, not including 19,000 provisional ballots nor those ballots that were postmarked by Tuesday and received by today.

As of the Thursday afternoon vote count update, Glover holds the top spot with 10,443 votes which is 35.26% of the votes and Avila Farias is in second with 9,197 votes which is 31.05%. Trailing in a distant third is former Martinez Mayor Mike Menesini with 4,339 votes or 14.65%, Hercules Mayor Dan Romero with 3,930 votes or 13.27% and then Conrad Dandridge with 1,604 votes or 5.42%.

Avila Farias received a large boost of support from both the firefighters and the deputy sheriffs in the county, with over $68,000 spent on her behalf.

The Elections Office has 28 days to certify the election and is expected to provide another update, later today and more next week, as the remaining ballots are counted.

Following are the results from the County Elections website as of Thursday, June 9, 4:04 p.m.:

ANAMARIE AVILA FARIAS	9,197	31.05%
CONRAD DANDRIDGE	1,604	5.42%
MICHAEL MENESINI	4,339	14.65%
FEDERAL GLOVER (I)	10,443	35.26%
DAN ROMERO	3,930	13.27%
WRITE-IN	107	0.36%
Total	29,620

Firefighters contribute $35,000 more to support Avila Farias for Supervisor in District 5 race

May 29, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Firefighters, Deputy Sheriffs contribute $80,000 to help her beat Glover

By Allen Payton

The latest campaign finance reports were due on Thursday, May 26th and they show a $35,000 contribution from the International Association of Fire Fighters to the special committee formed to support Martinez Vice Mayor AnaMarie Avila Farias in her campaign for District 5 County Supervisor. She’s running to unseat four-term incumbent Federal Glover. The report covers the time period of May 4-21, 2016.

The firefighters’ contribution brings their total amount of support for Avila Farias’ campaign to $40,000. It is in addition to the $5,000 they previously contributed directly to her campaign committee. It also matches the $35,000 contribution to the Contra Costa County Families for Responsible Leadership Supporting AnaMarie Avila Farias for Supervisor 2016 committee from the Contra Costa DSA (Deputy Sheriff’s Association) Independent Expenditure PAC and their $5,000 contribution directly to her campaign.

As previously reported, the funds paid for $15,000 on research, as well as $12,908.60 for design, printing and postage for a mailer. An additional $25,674.44 reported was spent on two more mailers. All the costs for the mailers were paid to a company in Washington, D.C.

Please see a complete copy of the special committee’s report, below.

Committee supporting Avila Farias 460 0504-052116

Sheriff identifies victim as Richmond teenager in last Friday’s North Richmond shooting death

May 26, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim of the shooting death in North Richmond, last Friday, as 19-year-old Adan Gomez of Richmond. The cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds.

On Friday, May 20, 2016 at about 7:46 PM, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to area of 5th Street and Grove Avenue in North Richmond for a report of shots-fired.

Upon arrival Deputies located a shooting victim on the sidewalk. Deputies administered first aid until paramedics arrived. Gomez was taken to Kaiser Medical Center in Richmond and then airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where he was later pronounced deceased.

Dispatch later received a call of a second shooting victim at Kaiser in Richmond. Deputies contacted the 23-year-old man, who was treated and released from the hospital.

The investigation into this homicide is ongoing.

North Richmond man identified as victim of homicide on Sunday, May 15

May 26, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The victim in the homicide in North Richmond on Sunday, May 15th has been identified by the Contra Costa County Sheriff as 26-year-old Antoine Robinson of North Richmond. The cause of death is gunshot wound.

On Sunday, May 15, 2016 at about 1:45 AM, Sheriff’s Office dispatch received reports of shots fired in the area of Market Avenue and Fred Jackson Way in North Richmond.

The Sheriff’s Office was later advised that there was a shooting victim at Kaiser Medical Center in Richmond. Robinson was apparently shot at the location where the shooting was reported in North Richmond. He died at the hospital.

Deputies later found a shooting scene at the location. The investigation is ongoing.

Richmond man identified as victim in May 12th murder in Rodeo

May 26, 2016 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The Contra Costa County Sheriff identified the victim in a shooting death in Rodeo as 29-year-old Willie Mulder, Jr. of Richmond. The cause of death is a gunshot wound.

At about 12:09 PM on Thursday, May 12, 2016, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to numerous calls of “shots fired” in the area of Mariposa and Napa Avenues in the unincorporated area of Rodeo.

Upon arrival Deputies found the area clear of people, but numerous shell casings in the roadway. Local hospitals were notified to be on the lookout for possible gunshot victims.

The Sheriff’s Office was later notified by Kaiser Medical Center in Richmond that it had just received a gunshot victim, who was later pronounced deceased. The 29-year-old male victim is not being identified at this time.

Homicide Detectives and Crime Lab personnel responded to the scene. The investigation is ongoing.