A woman and man are two of five arrested for retail theft of the Antioch Target store and the gun and stolen items confiscated on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photos: Antioch PD
One suspect celebrated his 54th birthday in county jail, 30-year-old female accomplice has history of arrests
By Allen D. Payton
The Antioch Police Department shared on Thursday, June 4, 2026, “We teamed up with the Target Corporation for a proactive enforcement operation at our local Target store on Lone Tree Way. The mission was clear: disrupt organized retail crime, stop ongoing theft, and keep our shopping centers safe through proactive surveillance and rapid intervention.
“Thanks to the seamless teamwork between our officers and Target’s asset protection team, the operation successfully removed a dangerous weapon and multiple offenders from our streets.
“The Results:
2 Felony arrests
3 Misdemeanor arrests
Approx. $1,000 in stolen merchandise recovered
1 Illegally possessed, loaded handgun seized.
“We deeply value our local business owners and workers. We remain committed to working hand in hand with them to prevent crime, protect their livelihoods, and ensure a safe environment for everyone who lives, works, and shops in Antioch.”
Felony Suspect Celebrates Birthday in Jail, Female Accomplice Has History of Arrests
According to Antioch PD CitizenRIMS, arrested on Thursday, June 4, 2026, were 54-year-old Robert Jack Murley on his birthday, and 30-year-old Sarah Lynn Garcia, together, as well as 51-year-old Patrick Joseph McCloud and 27-year-old Giovanna Elizabeth Villanueva Vela. Details of the fifth arrest but not about the suspect were provided.
The five-foot, eight-inch tall, 165-pound Murley is White and was arrested at 1:31 p.m. for five felonies. His charges include conspiracy to commit a crime (F), carrying a concealed weapon on a person (F), possession of a non-registered firearm (F), felon or addict in possession/etc. of a firearm (F), and petty theft with two or more priors – shoplifting (F).
The five-foot, three-inch tall, 115-pound Garcia is White, was also arrested at 1:31 p.m. for two felonies. She was charged with petty theft with two or more priors – shoplifting (F) and conspiracy to commit a crime (F).
Murley’s and Garcia’s Case Number is 26-5110 and the Incident Number is 2606040140.
The six-foot, three-inch tall, 180-pound McCloud is White and was arrested at 12:39 p.m. and/or 7:00 p.m. for misdemeanor shoplifting. He was issued a summons and cited. His Case Number is 26-5125.
The five-foot, two-inch tall, 135-pound Villanueva Vela is Hispanic and was arrested at 4:38 p.m., also for misdemeanor shoplifting. She was also issued a summons and cited. Her Case Number is 26-5117 and the Incident Number is 2606040140.
Also, according to Antioch PD CitizenRIMS the details of the fifth arrest are as follows:
Shoplifting (M) Crime: 459.5(A) PC Crime Type: Larceny/theft Crime Classification: Misdemeanor Address: 5700 Block of Lone Tree Way, Antioch Occurred: 6/4/2026 at 4:40 PM Case Number: 26-5119 Incident Number: 2606040140
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Murley, born 6/4/1972, is Hispanic and being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on no bail.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Garcia, born 3/22/1996, is Hispanic and being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on no bail. She has an out-of-county court date scheduled for June 8th at 1:30 p.m.
According to localcrimenews.com, Garcia is from Antioch and has a history of 11 arrests since 2023, for crimes including vehicle theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property, possession of burglar’s tools, drug possession and on March 24th by Antioch Police for false impersonation of another in his/her private or official capacity for a second time.
According to localcrimenews.com, McCloud lives in Richmond and was arrested Oct. 4, 2025, for possession of a narcotic controlled substance and on March 25, 2026, for warrants or holds only.
Donald Guenther was arrested by Antioch Police on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, for the vandalism at Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Restaurant Bar & Grill on Saturday, May 23rd. Photos by Antioch PD
46-year-old Donald Guenther has history of over 30 arrests
By Antioch Police Department
On May 27, 2026 the Antioch Police Department posted the following: “WTF! We saw your post, recognized your vandal and located him yesterday. He was booked into the Martinez Main Jail on felony vandalism charges.
“Over last weekend an uncouth vandal took aim at the front windows of the WTF restaurant on Hillcrest Avenue with a rock. After seeing the photos of the responsible on video, several officers recognized him. Teams immediately responded to the area and located him several blocks from the crime scene. He was arrested without issue and booked into Jail.
“Thanks for your continued support Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Restaurant Bar & Grill.”
According to the Antioch Police CitizenRIMS the incident occurred on Saturday, May 23rd at 1:06 AM. The suspect was identified by Captain Matt Koch on Thursday, June 4th as 46-year-old Donald Guenther of Antioch.
According to localcrimenews.com, Guenther has a history of over 30 arrests dating back to 2014. He was charged with rape, multiple times with vandalism including for over $5,000 a few times, gun and drug crimes, failure to appear, as well as receiving stolen property and unlawful use of willfully obtained personal identifying information.
Dozier-Libbey Medical High School Class of 2026 graduates toss their caps into the air in celebration Wednesday night, June 3, 2026. Photos by Allen D. Payton
By Allen D. Payton
Antioch’s Dozier-Libbey Medical High School Class of 2026 celebrated their graduation Wednesday evening, June 3, 2026. The 150 graduates were cheered by family and friends inside the Deer Valley High Wolverines Stadium.
The 150 members of the DLMHS Class of 2026 participate in Wednesday night’s Graduation Ceremony.
Following the Presentation of the Colors by the U.S. Navy, the National Anthem was performed by Daniela Edeh and Rachelle Leon. The Pledge of Allegiance was then led by ASB President Bethany Fumar.
Principal Blair Wilkins welcomed everyone and introduced the distinguished guests which included four Antioch Unified School Board Trustees, Antonio Hernandez, Mary Rocha, Olga Cobo Smith and Dee Brown, Superintendent Dr. Darnise Williams and Dr. Camille Johnson, Associate Superintendent for Human Resources.
The grads shared on their caps personal messages and the colleges they plan to attend in the fall.
Area 1 Trustee Hernandez, a member of the first DLMHS graduating class, offered opening remarks to the graduates. “It’s always great to be back with the amazing students of Dozier-Libbey Medical High School.” Speaking of his own college education experience he encouraged the Class, “You can always find new ways to reopen doors that people tell you are closed.”
Valedictorian Natalia Cortez speaks as members of the district leadership look on.
The Student Commencement Speakers were Senior Class President Daniela Edeh, who spoke about change and Valedictorian Natalia Cortez, who encouraged her classmates by saying, “The greater the struggle, the greater the triumph.”
The class Salutatorian was Jose Perez, who did not speak during the ceremony.
Before Wilkins presented the Class of 2026 to Superintendent Williams he said, “You are prepared to face all of life’s adversities because you attended and successfully completed Dozier-Libbey Medical High School’s graduation requirements.”
AUSD Superintendent Dr. Darnise Williams offers her Acceptance of the Class of 2026.
Williams then said, “I certify that each of you has completed the graduation requirements set forth by the Antioch Unified School District. I proudly confer upon each of you the high school diploma with all its rights, honors and responsibilities. Henceforth, you are to be considered high school graduates and alumni of Dozier-Libbey Medical High School. Congratulations.”
Trustees Antonio Hernandez (left) and Olga Cobos Smith hand out the diplomas and take photos with the graduates.
Kevin Landski, a teacher at the school, then announced the graduates’ names as they received their diplomas and took photos with the trustees.
Wilkins then certified the graduating class saying, “I certify Dozier-Libbey Medical High School’s Class of 2026” to loud applause from the graduates and audience.
DLMHS Principal Blair Wilkins issues the Certification of the Class of 2026.
Class President Edeh then led her classmates in the turning of their tassels completing the ceremonies. “Congratulations. We are now graduates,” she said, as several of them tossed their caps into the air in celebration.
Senior Class President Daniela Edeh leads her classmates in the turning of their tassels.
Wilkins and Landski then led the graduates off the field to meet their families and friends for further celebration.
The DLMHS Class of 2026 graduates turn their tassels to complete the ceremony.
Congratulations, Dozier-Libbey Class of 2026. God bless you in your future endeavors!
12 law enforcement agencies participated in the operation on May 21, 2026. Photos: Antioch PD
Multi-agency effort in Antioch, Pittsburg, Oakley
By Antioch Police Department
On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Antioch Police Department hosted a Vehicle Theft Suppression and Enforcement Team (VSET) operation involving the cities of Antioch, Pittsburg and Oakley. The operation brought together 65 officers from 12 law enforcement agencies across Contra Costa County, including the CHP Contra Costa and Contra Costa County Probation Department.
As a result of the coordinated enforcement effort, officers conducted 112 enforcement stops, leading to:
• 6 felony arrests
• Recovery of 4 illegal firearms
• 22 citations issued
• Arrest of three subjects following a pursuit of a vehicle wanted in connection with felony charges
• Recovery of an occupied stolen vehicle and the arrest of its occupant
• Recovery of 5 abandoned stolen vehicles
• 9 vehicles impounded
In addition to enforcement activities, officers partnered with Contra Costa County Probation to conduct probation searches at 11 locations and worked alongside CHP on a business inspection.
This operation highlights the effectiveness of regional collaboration in addressing crime, enhancing public safety, and improving the quality of life throughout our communities. We thank all participating agencies for their commitment and teamwork in making this operation a success.
Dr. Dana Eaton, Peter Karumbi and Vince Robb were elected Tuesday night, and Kristin Connelly was re-elected.
Top two candidates in Congressional, Assembly races set for November runoffs
Update: 144,200 ballots remaining to be processed as of Thursday, June 4th
By Allen D. Payton
Four new leaders were elected, and three leaders were re-elected in Contra Costa County Tuesday night. One countywide ballot measure passed, while two failed and the November run-off candidates were decided for both congressional districts.
Source: Contra Costa County Elections Division
New Leaders
As of the latest June 2026 Primary Election Night Results posted by the Contra Costa Elections Division Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 12:46:24 AM, three new candidates in competitive countywide races led by large margins. Dr. Dana Eaton dominates Dr. Jag Lathan for Superintendent of Schools with 99,939 votes or 73.44% to 36,139 or 26.565 of the vote; for Auditor-Controller, Peter Karumbi is ahead of Deepika Naharas 107,672 votes or 79.23% to 28,223 or 20.77% of the vote; and in the Assessor’s race, Vince Robb is beating both his opponents, Nick Spinner and Kismet Kathrani with 99,681 votes or 67.99% to 33,165 or 22.62% and 13,722 or 9.39% of the vote, respectively. Since Robb received more than 50% of the vote, there will be no top-two runoff in November.
Appointed Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan Mierzwa had no opponent and was elected to the position with 127,277 votes.
Robb “Surprised” “Grateful”
“I went all in just to go for this. I’m surprised at how high the percentage is especially since it was a race with two opponents,” Robb said when reached for comment. “I’m grateful to the voters of the county for placing their trust in me. I’m thankful they looked to my experience and the office overall and see we’re a well-oiled machine. The staff there is great. This is a victory for the staff, there, too. We treat people like they want to be treated. I look forward to serving the people and the businesses in Contra Costa for the next four years.”
Eaton Cautiously Optimistic
“I’m cautiously optimistic. I felt like the results were pretty strong. But I’m waiting for all the votes to be counted,” Eaton said. “We were expecting 250,000 total votes cast. That would be like 35%. My experience in these is takes a couple of Fridays. We feel like we had a great opening night and we hope it holds.”
Karumbi “Grafeful and Humbled”
“I am grateful and humbled by the overwhelming support of the voters of Contra Costa County,” Karumbi stated. “I look forward to serving you with integrity, transparency and steadfast commitment to our community. It is a privilege to serve, and I remain deeply committed to earning your trust every day moving forward.”
Re-Elected Leaders
County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar Kristin Connelly was the only incumbent County official facing an opponent, this year. She is way ahead of challenger Pratima Sonavne with 124,794 votes or 87.02% to 18,611 or 12.98% of the vote.
Efforts to reach Connelly for comment was unsuccessful prior to publication time.
Incumbent County Supervisors John Gioia in District 1 and Ken Carlson in District 4 also ran unopposed and were re-elected to four-year terms on the Board. Gioia received 20,898 votes while Carlson received 30,446, so far.
Ballot Measures – Urban Limit Line Extended, But County Sales Tax, College Bond Fail
For the three countywide ballot measures, Election Night results show only one is passing. Measure A, the Urban Limit Line renewal by more than 2-to-1. The yes votes total 107,061 or 67.91% and the no votes total 50,593 or 32.09% of the vote.
But Measure B, the County’s half-cent sales tax failed with 66,118 yes votes or 41.41% to 95,300 no votes or 58.59% of the vote. Measure G, the College District bond which required 55% to pass also failed, only receiving 74,995 yes votes or 46.78% to 85,329 no votes or 53.22% of the vote.
In the race for the new 9th Congressional district which now includes Antioch, Pittsburg, portions of Oakley and most of San Joaquin County, incumbent Democrat Representative Josh Harder will face Republican John McBride in November. Harder has 40,267 votes or 57.7% to McBride’s 16,997 or 24.4%. The other three Republican candidates were Martin Veprauskas with 5,876 or 8.4%, Khalid Jeffrey Jafri with 5,330 or 7.6% and Parminder “Happy” Singh with 1,313 or 1.9% of the vote.
In the new 10th District, which includes most of Contra Costa County and a small portion of Alameda County, incumbent Democrat Representative Mark DeSaulnier will face Republican Jeff Frese. The congressman has 69,312 votes or 57.3% to Frese’ 18,253 or 15.1%. Two other Republicans, threepeat candidate Katherine Piccinini has 15,409 votes or 12.7% to Dr. Angela Griffiths’ 8,500 or 7.0% of the vote. Three other Democrats trailed with 4,045 votes or 3.3% for Joshua Hamilton, 3,420 or 2.8% for Mitchell Maisler and 2,026 or 1.7% of the vote for Bob Rowland.
In the new 8th District, which includes portions of West County, Democrat incumbent Democrat Representative John Garamendi with 51,388 votes or 53.4% of the vote, will once again face Republican Rudy Recile, with 30,750 votes or 32.0%, in November. Recile beat out two Democrats, Nicolas Carjuzza who has 10% and Aaron Rowden who has 4.7% of the vote.
November Assembly Candidates Set
In the 15th Assembly District (AD), which includes northern and eastern portions of the county, incumbent Democrat Annamarie Avila-Farias had only one opponent in the primary, Arthur Webb, registered No Party Preference referred to as independent. She was leading him by 40,930 votes or 66.5% to 20,616 or 33.5% of the vote.
In the 16th AD, which includes Walnut Creek, Lamorinda and the San Ramon Valley, incumbent Democrat Rebecca Bauer-Kahan will again face Republican Joseph Rubay in November. She’s beating him and independent candidate, Chirag Kathrani, by 48,559 votes or 61.4% to 27,811 or 35.2% and 2,676 or 3.4% of the vote, respectively.
In the 14th AD, which includes most of West County, incumbent Democrat Buffy Wicks will face Republican challenger, Borgar Solnordal in November. She is leading him and Green Party candidate, Mark Rendon, by 43,584 votes or 78.7% to 6,924 or 12.5% and 4,839 or 8.7% of the vote, respectively.
Finally, in the 11th AD, which includes portions of far East County, incumbent Democrat Lori Wilson will face independent candidate Jenny Leilani Callison in November. Wilson is beating her and independent Rochelle Carter by 44,608 votes or 63.4% to 17,572 or 25% and 8,199 or 11.6% of the vote, respectively.
Ballots Still to Be Counted
Ballots postmarked by Tuesday will still be counted if they arrive at the County Elections Division within seven days following the election. The Clerk has 28 days to certify the election, but that can happen much quicker with the low-voter turn-out which is common for non-presidential year primary elections. So far, votes from 23.88% of those registered to vote in the county have been counted. That number is expected to increase but by how much is not yet clear.
UPDATE 1: According to the Associated Press’ California Governor all-primary results report, the 174,683 votes counted represents an estimated 63% of the total vote count in Contra Costa County. That could leave another 102,600 votes remaining to be counted countywide.
UPDATE 2: According to the Contra Costa Elections Division, as of Thursday, June 4, 2026, there are a total of 144,200 estimated ballots remaining to be processed.
Estimated number of unprocessed ballots:
Ballots voted at a voting location – 100
Vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Election Day – 117,000
Vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day – 25,000
Antioch Police response to the scene included SWAT personnel during the standoff Monday morning, June 1, 2026. Photos: (Left) Antioch PD. (Right) Courtesy of ContraCosta.news.
Following standoff
By Lt. Gary Lowther #4032, Antioch Police Field Services Division
On June 1, 2026, at approximately 6:34 AM, Antioch Police officers responded to the 1100 block of W. 9th Street following reports of shots fired in front of a residence.
Upon arrival, officers located a 37-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers immediately provided first aid until personnel from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District arrived on scene. The victim was transported to a local trauma center and is currently reported to be in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.
During the initial investigation, officers identified a suspect and determined he was likely inside a nearby residence. Officers established containment around the location, and members of the Antioch SWAT Team and Crisis Negotiations Team responded to assist. Through coordinated efforts, the suspect, identified as 51-year-old Carl Griggs of Antioch, surrendered peacefully without further incident.
The scene was secured, and the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau has assumed responsibility for the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Antioch Police Department Dispatch Center at (925) 778-2441.
This information was provided by the Field Services Division. Additional information or updates will be released by the Investigations Bureau as they become available.
The Antioch veteran community continues to answer the call of service! Join us on Thursday, June 18th for a powerful day dedicated to supporting our veterans, their families, and our community at a Veterans Information & Resource Fair.
We are honored to announce that DAV National Service Officers from the Oakland DAV National Service Office will be conducting a Veterans Information Seminar and providing FREE VA Claims Service assistance to Veterans and their families.
Services and community partners include:
Department of Veterans Affairs Concord Vet Center Mobile Unit
CCC Homeless Health Care Mobile Services
Team Jesus Outreach Ministry
Antioch Rivertown Veterans Lions Club
Antioch John McMullen VFW Post 6435
DAV Chapter 154 and Veteran advocates
Whether you need assistance with VA claims, health care resources, counseling services, housing support, or simply want to connect with fellow Veterans and organizations serving our community — this event is for you.
We are also inviting all nonprofits, Veteran organizations, and community service providers to participate! If your organization would like to table and highlight your services to Veterans and the community, please contact me directly.
As always, we remain committed to our mission:
“Veterans served their Country and Veterans serve their Communities.”
