By Sgt. William Dee, Antioch Police Patrol Bureau

On Friday, July 8, 2016 at approximately 6:16 p.m., Antioch Police Officers were dispatched to 33 E. 7th St. regarding a fight. While en route, at least one subject began firing shots. Upon arrival, Officer’s observed a vehicle fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed. APD Officers pursued the vehicle into Pittsburg where the vehicle and solo occupant eventually yielded to the Officers. A high risk stop was conducted and driver was detained. When officers contacted the male, they discovered he had been shot.

A search of the vehicle revealed a stolen firearm. Due to his injuries the male was rushed to John Muir Medical Center for treatment. The male’s injuries were determined to be non-life threatening and he was eventually booked into Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez. Officers responded to the scene and located evidence of a shooting with multiple guns as well as blood at the scene.

Two vehicles and one apartment were stuck by gunfire but there were no other reported injuries. Any further information or additional press releases will be provided by the Investigations Bureau at (925) 779-6939. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

By Don Martin, II

After a one week break, racing returns to Antioch Speedway’s fast 3/8 mile clay oval this Saturday night. The $2,500 to win Jerry Hetrick Memorial Race for A Modifieds will headline this program. Also on the card will be the DIRTcar Late Models, Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks.

Throughout the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s, Jerry Hetrick was one of the top local drivers in the old Sportsman division. He did not have the budget of the top teams, yet he managed to be competitive and win races. In the mid 1970s, he even set the track record in qualifying.  He was ranked in the Top 20 in points every year from 1975-1981, with best seasons of 4th (1975), 5th (1981) and 10th (1977). Back in February of this year, Hetrick passed away. He was 72. Several members of the racing community, including legend J.D. Willis, attended his funeral.

One of the racer’s Jerry competed against was promoter John M. Soares. Soares decided to add a $2,500 to win Memorial Race in Jerry’s honor, and the stage is set for this Saturday night. The buzz is that there will be several top drivers hoping to bring home the big prize money. If that is not enough, there is no extra entry fee for the drivers to come out and race. The cost to enter is the normal rate.

Anytime you put the money up, you know that Bobby Hogge IV will come to town. Hogge is known for coming to the big races and leaving with the big bucks. Throughout his decorated career, Bobby has won three track championships at Antioch Speedway and is #3 on the all time win list behind Willis and Scott Busby. Bobby just may be the driver to beat on Saturday.

However, Kellen Chadwick may have something to say about that. Chadwick recently went up to the Pacific Northwest and scored four wins in a one week period to win the Wild West Modified Series championship. Chadwick is a past Antioch Speedway champion, and he has been known to win the big shows too.

When you put the money on the line, you know that some of the big names will come to town. With four championships and roughly 30 feature wins to his credit at Antioch Speedway alone, Troy Foulger is a serious contender for the big victory. Last season, Troy picked up a pair of $2,500 paychecks with two big wins aboard the Bowers Racing Modified at Antioch Speedway.

The fact that Hogge, Chadwick and Foulger will be in town might be enough to get the attention of the fans, but there are other stars anticipated for this race as well. The last time the A Modifieds raced, five time track champion Scott Busby was picking up one of the biggest wins of his career after a battle with NASCAR veteran Kenny Schrader. Nobody has won more A Modified Main Events in Antioch Speedway history than Busby, but the big prize seems to have eluded him at his home track.

Current point leader and 2014 champion, Carl Berendsen II has hopes of picking up his first career feature win in the division. Consistency has given Berendsen the point lead as the division races into the month of July. Another past champion, Aaron Crowell, hopes to have another motor in his car after he blew a motor in Tulare earlier this year. A Crowell appearance means another tough competitor in the battle for the big win.

Two time reigning Petaluma Speedway champion Nick DeCarlo is anticipated for the show as well. Josh Combs has a feature win at Antioch Speedway this year and will be hoping to pick up the big paycheck this week. There should be a good field of drivers, including Raymond Lindeman, Shawn O’Gara, Bobby Montalvo, Jeff Thomas, Trent Wentworth, Mikey Slaney and John McDougall.

The DIRTcar Late Models could see a couple more cars due to Modified drivers possibly fielding two entries. Two drivers who are actually two car teams are Hogge and Foulger, and Hogge does have feature wins in both Modifieds and Late Models this year at Antioch. Foulger came close as he finished second in both the Late Model and Modified Main Events on the night he brought both cars earlier this year. He was a two time feature winner in Late Models last season.

Of course, two big name drivers waiting for others to come through the gates are point leader Richard Papenhausen and reigning champion Jeff Decker. Both drivers have feature wins this season as does West Coast Late Model champion Clay Daly. You never know who might show up to run Late Models, but Top 5 ranked Chester Kniss and David Newquist are anticipated along with last season’s top rookie Danny Malfatti, Paul Guglielmoni, Terry Kuntz, Mike Hynes and Dennis Souza.

The man with more wins than anybody else in Wingless Spec Sprint history is gunning for his second division championship. That would be Jim Perry Jr., who has recorded two feature wins so far this year. Jim was in the hunt for a third win last time out when mechanical problems hit. Perry is being chased in the standings right now by Rick Panfili and Marcus Smith. Smith has driven the Richard Basden owned entry to one feature win this year, while division original Panfili is still looking for his first career win. He has two career best second place finishes this year.

Jimmy Perry III has won many Main Events and is third on the all time win list. Jimmy was a multi time winner last year, but his luck so far this year has been anything but good. There are some hard chargers in the points battle this year as car count has grown just a little bit. Racers to keep an eye on this week include Roy Fisher, Alan Miranda, James East, Brandon Burd, Shannon Newton, rookie Adam Teves and the winner last time, NFL alumnus Jeremy Newberry.

The B Modified division has been led for several weeks by the consistent Al Johnson. Though he leads the standings, Johnson has yet to get a feature win. He has three second place finishes and is using his consistency to withstand the challenge of three time winner Trevor Clymens. Clymens missed a race, but he is slowly chipping away at the Johnson lead.

The busy schedule has affected the car count just a little bit, and Fred Ryland’s decision not to defend his championship has meant chances have increased for new winners. A few weeks ago, K.C. Keller added his name to the list and is one of the Top 5 drivers in the standings. Shane DeVolder has finished as high as second this year and could be a winner as well. You also have to consider double division racer Danny Jones, who is also Top 5 ranked.

Word out of the Pearce Racing Team is that Brian Pearce is getting a new car together for a return to the speedway soon. Drivers to watch for this week include Randy Brown, Chuck Golden, Paul Mulder and Ron Brown.

In The Limited Late Model division, Larry Damitz is the reigning champion and winner of four of the last five championships. However, he isn’t dominating the way he has in the past. In fact, the driver with the most wins right now in the class is two time winner Mark Garner. Garner, point leader Damitz and Kino Oreta are locked in a close battle for the championship. Oreta has yet to join the other two on the winner’s list, but it could happen at any time.

Top 5 ranked Jim Freethy and the division’s all time win leader, Mike Gustafson, are also on the winner’s list, but past champion Lori Brown appears to be closing in on her first win in a while. The steady John Evans is anticipated this week along with Calvin Lewis and John Keith.

An amazing Hobby Stock rookie season continues for Guy Ahlwardt. Last time out, he charged from tenth starting to take the lead from 2010 champion Chris Sorensen for his third win of the season. He has had such a good start that he has a comfortable point lead. Behind him in second is one time feature winner Danny Jones. Jones had some bad luck earlier in the season drop him back just a bit.

Cameron Swank is in the hunt and is also a driver to watch as he goes for his first career feature win. There are a few drivers who have raced for a while at the speedway and have yet to win, and drivers who could get it done soon are Natalie Perry, Michael Cooper and Robert Niven.

The Hobby Stock division is stacked with talent, and car count is approaching 20 on race night. Other drivers you need to keep an eye on include Jason Jennings, last year’s top rookie Jordan Swank, Frank Furtado, Lindsey Buirch, Sorensen and Jessica Jones.

The Jerry Hetrick Memorial $2,500 to win A Modified Main Event headlines the six division show, but there will be some great racing in the DIRTcar Late Models, Wingless Spec Sprints, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Hobby Stocks as well. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

All Star Series – Antioch Speedway

A Modified
Carl Berendsen II 294
Scott Busby    265
Ray Lindeman    231
Trent Wentworth    230
Sean O’Gara    204

DIRTcar Late Model
Richard Papenhausen 210
Jeff Decker     200
Chester Kniss    166
David Newquist    139
Dennis Souza    126

Wingless Spec Sprint
Jim Perry Jr.    256
Rick Panfili    206
Marcus Smith    204
James East    202
Shannon Newton    196

B Modified
Al Johnson    462
Trevor  Clymens    434
Shane DeVolder    408
Danny Jones    370
K.C. Keller    280

Limited Late Model
Larry Damitz    252
Mark Garner    246
Kimo Oreta    240
John Evans    214
Jim Freethy    182

Hobby Stock
Guy Ahlwardt    354
Danny Jones    273
Michael Cooper    258
Cameron Swank    252
Natalie Perry    251

By Sergeant Tom Fuhrmann, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

A painstaking and detailed investigation into the murder of 44-year-old Relis Eastman on Saturday, June 25, 2016, has led to an arrest. After multiple interviews with Relis’ 22-year-old son Scott Eastman of Antioch, Antioch Police Detectives developed the probable cause necessary to obtain an arrest warrant for Scott for the murder of his father, Relis.

On Thursday, July 7, 2016 at approximately 9:00 PM a team of Antioch Police Detectives responded to the Eastman residence in the 1900 block of Biglow Drive, where Scott resides with his family. Detectives took Scott into custody without incident.

Scott was booked into the Contra Costa County Main Detention Facility on murder charges and is being held with no bail. Detectives plan on filing this case with the Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney early next week.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Detective Colley with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6922. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

July is National Park and Recreation Month. To celebrate, the City of Antioch Recreation Department invites you to join the #SUPERJULY challenge and visit your local parks or join a program.

The social media challenge requires you post four pictures of yourself with friends and family in Antioch parks during July on the Recreation Facebook page by August 1st and you will receive prizes. Tell them which park or trail, what you are doing, and when.

To connect to the City of Antioch Recreation Department, click here. To learn more about the National Park and Recreation Month, click here.

Washington, DC — Today, (Thursday, July 7, 2016) Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) issued the following statement on FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the Oversight & Government Reform Committee.

“FBI Director Comey clearly demonstrated that the extensive, 12-month investigation of Secretary Clinton’s emails did not warrant prosecution.

For the Republican presidential nominee, who immediately and outrageously claimed the entire system is rigged, we doubt he is aware that Director Comey was first appointed during the Bush Administration. Today’s hearing assured the country they can, and should, have confidence in public officials, like FBI Director Comey, who put the best interests of America and the U.S. Constitution ahead of partisan politics and self-aggrandizing.

While there is no doubt Director Comey made the only appropriate decision given the facts, the Oversight & Government Reform Committee and Congress need to review lessons learned from Secretaries Powell, Rice and Clinton, and clarify best practices for communications and data security.  Moving forward, the rules should be crystal clear to the Secretary of State and every State Department employee.”

According to a news report on Politico.com, “During an extended exchange with Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Comey affirmed that the FBI’s investigation found information marked classified on her server even after Clinton had said that she had neither sent nor received any items marked classified.

“That is not true,” Comey said. “There were a small number of portion markings on, I think, three of the documents.”

Asked whether Clinton’s testimony that she did not email “any classified material to anyone on my email” and “there is no classified material” was true, Comey responded, “No, there was classified material emailed.”

“Secretary Clinton said she used one device. Was that true?” Gowdy asked, to which Comey answered, “She used multiple devices during the four years of her term as secretary of state.”

Gowdy then asked whether it was true that Clinton, as she said, returned all work-related emails to the State Department.

“No, we found work-related emails, thousands that were not returned,” Comey said.

Attempts to reach DeSaulnier asking for a comment on Comey’s testimony that portions of Secretary Clinton’s previous testimony before his committee were untrue, were unsuccessful.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Antioch Police highlights as published in City Manager Steve Duran’s Weekly Report dated June 30, 2016 and provided by Chief of Police Allan Cantando.

Weekly Calls for Service, Case Reports and Arrest Data Summary:

Time Period: 06/23/2016 00:00:00 – 06/29/16 23:59:59

Number of Calls for Service: 1,738

Number of Case Reports: 223

Number of Arrests: 76

Felony: 31

Misdemeanor: 45

Arrests with DUI charge: 2

The data is based upon unaudited CAD/RMS data at time of report generation.

• ·On 6/28/16 at 10:42 pm, 43 year old Lola Robinson was found by an officer lying on the sidewalk of San Jose Dr. near Delta Fair Blvd. Robinson was extremely intoxicated and unable to care for herself. Robinson was arrested and booked into county jail for public intoxication.
• ·On 6/28/16 at 9:00 pm, officers responded to the area of Vista Grande Dr. and Lone Tree Way on a report of a driver having fallen asleep at the wheel. Officers arrived and contacted 39 year old William Poate who was passed out in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. The vehicle was stopped in middle of the number two west bound lane of Lone Tree Way. The vehicle was in neutral and Poate had his foot on the brake at the time of the contact. Officers were able to safelyput the vehicle in park and wake him up. Poate displayed symptoms of intoxication. He was ultimately arrested and booked into county jail for DUI.
• ·On 6/28/16 at 4:02 pm, officers were dispatched to the 2000 block of Blossom Dr. for a prowler. Officers contacted 26 year old Nathan Watson as he was walking away from a backyard. He was detained by officers on scene. The reporting party advised she saw Watson trying to open her front door and then go in the back yard. When Watson was not able to make entry into the house, he jumped to the next yard to try his luck. He was detained by officers shortly after going in the second yard. Watson was taken into custody for trespassing and was found to be on felony probation for burglary and under the influence of drugs. He was sent to county jail.
• ·On 6/27/16 at 6:59 pm, an officer noticed a stalled vehicle blocking the roadway of southbound Somersville Road just south of the Hwy 4 off ramp. The officer stopped to assist, and when he advised dispatch of the license plate, it was discovered to be a reported lost/stolen plate. Officers contacted the occupants and saw 26 year old Rocky Sims trying to hide something. A search was conducted and methamphetamine was located where Sims was seated. Once he was taken into custody and placed in the patrol car, he began kicking the patrol car door and window. He refused to comply and was ultimately placed in a restraint device. The owner of the vehicle, 30 year old Samantha McEwen, admitted to stealing the plate off another vehicle and placing it on hers. McEwen was cite-released from the scene. Sims was transported to county jail.
• ·On 6/27/16 at 6:01 pm, an officer conducted a pedestrian stop in the 2700 block of Lone Tree Way and contacted 50 year old Kevin Addington. Addington was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and was arrested. He was released on a citation.
• ·On 6/27/16 at 11:41 am, officers were dispatched to Wal-Mart regarding a subject detained for shoplifting, but found to have five warrants. 51 year old Kevin Cooper was in the loss prevention office and arrested for his warrants. He was found to be in possession of a flare gun. Cooper was booked into county jail.
• ·On 6/27/16 at 12:03 am, APD dispatch received a couple of calls regarding 4-5 gunshots heard in the area of G St. behind Celia’s Restaurant. Officers located 4 spent 9mm casings in the roadway on G St. and two bullet holes in the apartment building. One bullet hole was located above the garage and the other was next to an upstairs window belonging to apartment 4. The rounds never entered the apartments and there was no suspect or vehicle information.
• ·On 6/26/16 at 12:51 pm, officers conducted a traffic stop near 97 S. Lake Dr. and contacted 45 year old Harlan Bingham. He was found to have a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and booked into county jail.
• ·On 6/25/16 at 4:47 pm, as officers dealt with a large fire on Burwood Way, they were checking the backyard of a residence in the 900 block of Burwood Way and noticed the windows were boarded up from the inside. Officers later contacted the residents, 24 year old Qiao Cen and 24 year old Qiaohuie Cen. During an interview, they admitted that the house was used for a marijuana grow house. The residents gave verbal and written consent to search the house. During a search approx. 500+ plants at various stages were located along with several pounds of already packaged marijuana. The PG&E meter appeared to have been bypassed as well. The Investigations Bureau was advised and a team came out and took over the scene. Both residents were arrested and booked into county jail.
• ·On 6/25/15 at 12:05 pm, officers contacted 27 year old Shane Stange walking on Lone Tree Way. During the contact, Stange was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia and an open container; both of which were in violation of his probation. Stange was arrested and booked into county jail.
• ·On 6/24/16 at 8:19 pm, officers were dispatched to a shots fired call in the 500 block of W. 19th Street. According to the caller, one male was shooting at another male who got out of a white Lexus which was still at the location. Officers began to arrive and located several spent shell casings, but no witnesses to the actual shooting. A male subject was seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed and was detained driving a similar vehicle. He was aware of the shooting and knew who the intended victim was but had little more information. The only suspect info was a blue Toyota Prius driven by the responsible. By the end of the night, no victims had been located.
• ·On 6/24/16 at 8:07 pm, the victim entered the Quik Stop on West Tregallas Rd. and purchased some items. When he exited he observed a male subject sitting on a car and another male sitting inside. He decided to make a comment to the effect of “you shouldn’t do that here” referring to selling drugs. Both the males and two additional females began beating him. Eventually they stopped and he fled the scene. He later reported that he was missing cash. He had no idea who took his money in the struggle and could not identify the subjects. He suffered minor cuts and abrasions to his face and arms. There are limited investigative leads.
• ·On 6/24/16 at 8:19 am, an officer conducted a suspicious vehicle check in front of 85 S. Lake Drive. 35 year old Katrina Johnson was in the vehicle and consented to a search of the truck. A pill bottle with suspected cocaine and prescription pills was found inside Johnson’s purse. Johnson was issued a citation on her signed promise to appear and released at the scene.
• ·On 6/23/16 at 10:54 pm, 41 year old Jaime Nazario was contacted during a pedestrian stop and found to have warrant for his arrest. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into county jail.
• · On 6/23/16 at 7:47 am, an officer conducted a suspicious vehicle check in the parking lot at the foot of G St. and contacted 24 year old Richard Lewis. The officer located two grams of suspected methamphetamine on Lewis during a search of his person. Lewis was issued a citation and released on his signed promise to appear.

By Patrick McCarran, Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie

When your home is for sale, whether you are the owner or the tenant,  it is equally important that you be aware of security and take precautions to keep you and your valuables safe while your property is marketed for lease or for sale. While the property is on the market a variety of people including potential buyers, other Realtors, inspectors, and others will have access to your property. In anticipation you should take steps to make sure that your property is safe for such visits.

What are the threats that you should be aware of? The obvious threats are of course tangible items or personal property such as jewelry, decorative items and of course cash. It is recommended that jewelry, cash, important documents like “pink slips” and other valuables be placed in a safe deposit box while the property is being marketed for lease or sale. If you choose to keep any of your valuables in our property, we recommend that they be kept under lock and key so that no one but you has access to them. We often leave our wallets and loose cash on the dresser or in the closet but during the time the house is on the market it is a good idea to keep those things out of site and in a drawer. Prescription medications are another item that is targeted. Don’t keep those in medicine cabinet. To that end you should take precautions to protect your property so that it will not be damaged, lost, or stolen.

On a side note, most insurance policies a have a limit on the amount of cash that is covered usually around two thousands dollars. It is also important that if you have any rare or out of the ordinary items, such as an autograph picture of Elvis, you obtain a rider to insure full value. It is recommended that you consult your insurance company to be sure that your insurance coverage is adequate during the listing and escrow period for any losses which may occur including, but not limited to, personal injury, property damage and theft. Your policy may not provide the proper coverage if the property is vacant.

Perhaps the most valuable items is your family and you. It is common for potential buyers or renters to open windows and doors to check views and access. These doors and windows are not always re-locked and if they are seldom used by you then it may be overlooked so get in the habit of doing a security check as soon as you get home or before you go to bed.

Your Realtor will do everything possible to make the lease or sale of your property as convenient and safe as possible for you; however they don’t live in the house and cannot be responsible for your property or your insurance coverage. Make sure you take the necessary steps to protect your stuff, yourself and your family. As always if you have any questions feel free to give me a call or email for information. 

Patrick McCarran can be reached at (925) 899-5536, pmccarran@yahoo.com or www.CallPatrick.com. Mason-McDuffie Real Estate is an independently owned and operated franchise of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity.