Antioch, Bay Point men arrested for beating Bay Point man to death, assault on another Thursday

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

On Thursday, July 18, 2019, at about 9:09 PM, Muir Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a suspicious circumstance in the area of Riverside Drive and Mariners Cove in Bay Point. The caller stated that there was a man who appeared to be beaten in the street.

Deputies arrived and found an unresponsive man in front of a home on the 200 block of Riverside Drive. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. He is identified as 38-year-old Johnny Burns of Bay Point.

At about 9:21 PM, Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon on the 2700 block of Willow Pass Road in Bay Point. The victim was later treated and released from a local hospital.

The suspect vehicle and suspect descriptions were broadcast to law enforcement agencies in the area. The Concord Police Department later located the vehicle. Deputies responded to that location and took custody of 20-year-old Abel Garcia of Antioch. An arrest warrant was issued for the second suspect, Erick Ruiz. The 24-year-old Bay Point resident was arrested Friday, July 19, 2019.

Garcia was later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF) on the following charges: assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery, conspiracy and participating in acriminal street gang. Garcia is being held in lieu of $140,000 bail. Ruiz was also booked into the MDF for assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery and conspiracy. He is being held in lieu of $160,000 bail.

Detectives are still investigating both incidents to determine if they are linked.

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

 


2 Comments to “Antioch, Bay Point men arrested for beating Bay Point man to death, assault on another Thursday”

  1. Michael Kitterman says:

    So they were not actually arrested for the murder like the headline says.

    • Publisher says:

      Mr. Kitterman,
      The headline does not use the term murder, nor does the press release from the Sheriff’s Office. But, the two men were arrested for beating a man who ended up dying as a result.
      How is that not being arrested for beating a man to death? The original headline provided by the Sheriff’s Office used the term “homicide”. Until the circumstances surrounding the incident are known, they can’t yet be charged for murder.

      We will wait to see what the District Attorney’s Office determines and report on that when they do. If you have more information of what occurred, please call the numbers provided in the last paragraph of the press release.

      Thank you for reading the Herald and taking the time to comment.
      Allen Payton, Publisher

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