Photo courtesy of APD.

From the APD Facebook page

We are proud to announce the promotions of the following members of the Antioch Police Department. From left to right: Corporal Steve McElroy, Sergeant Matthew Harger, (Chief Tammany Brooks), Sergeant Mike Mortimer, and Corporal Rob Green. Congratulations to you all!!

Alabama running back Najee Harris hurdles a Vanderbilt player in the Crimson Tide’s 59-0 victory over the Commodores on Sept. 23, 2017. Photo courtesy of rolltide.com

By Luke Johnson

Najee Harris will become the first Antioch High School alum to play in a national championship game in college football.

Najee Harris. By rolltide.com

The true freshman running back and No. 4 Alabama upset No. 1 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, 24-6. The Crimson Tide now faces No. 3 Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta tonight at 5:17 p.m. (Pacific)

“If [Alabama] wins, it will be big, but I also think it will push him even more to get it again next year,” Harris’ personal trainer and close friend Marcus Malu said. “I think Antioch, as a city and a school, that we need to build on that, [and] make sure that we don’t have a one-hit wonder, and turnout some more kids.”

Harris has rushed for 306 yards, 5.6 yards per carry and three touchdowns this season, on top of six receptions for 45 yards. His longest reception came last week for 22 yards — a game in which he had no carries.

Alabama’s ground game has been led by juniors Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough — who are potential prospects for this year’s NFL Draft. Damien Harris is projected to be picked in the second or third round while Scarbrough is expected to be selected between the third and fifth rounds, according to Senior Draft Analyst Charlie Campbell of Walter Football.

Najee Harris has been Alabama’s third option at running back with only 55 carries this season. However, Malu feels his limited action may be a good thing. Harris holds every rushing record at Antioch High School — including carries with 838. He played the majority of his senior year (291 carries) with a knee injury that he hid from the public, for which he underwent surgery last January.

Malu believes this was a productive year for Harris to allow his banged-up body to recover while getting acclimated to the highest level of competition in college football. Although Malu still hopes Harris is utilized and has an excellent performance during tonight’s contest.

“He understands that it’s a process,” Malu said. “If he gets in I’m sure they’ll give him a few touches. If he doesn’t, he understands that this is the business.”

With a lot of local anticipation for this upcoming game between two teams in the Southeastern Conference, Malu said that people come up to him at least three to four times per day to ask about Harris.

“They say, ‘Hey, is the kid gon’ play? Is the kid gon’ get some touches?’ And I’m like, ‘Man, you know, you should be emailing [coach] Nick Saban,’” Malu said while chuckling.

The game will air on ESPN. For more information about the NCAA National Championship football game click here.

ANTIOCH, CA  – To meet the needs of East County businesses that want to grow and succeed, as well as to help grow the local economy, the owners of six local advertising, marketing, branding, website design, graphic design, as well as entertainment and event production companies have joined together to form the Del Rey Advertising & Marketing Agency.

Known as The DReAM Agency, the Antioch-based company offers those same services, plus public relations for both businesses and government agencies. They can handle any type of advertising and marketing from print, online, direct-mail, and outdoor, to TV and radio advertising, plus videography, photography, as well as event production and management.

The DReAM Team includes Markus Machado of Oakley-based Fidelis Advertising with over 27 years in branding and design, who serves in the capacity of Creative Director and Strategist for the new agency. Former Antioch Mayor Pro Tem and Councilman Allen Payton, publisher of the Antioch Herald newspaper, the AntiochHerald.com and ContraCostaHerald.com news websites, is the president of the company and handles business development. He has over 15 years of experience in newspaper publishing and advertising, over 25 years as a business owner, as well as over 40 years in sales. He previously owned A.D. Payton & Associates advertising agency in Antioch from 2001-2005, and was also the founding publisher of the Antioch Press, Pittsburg Press, Bay Point Press and Delta Post until he sold them to the Brentwood Press in 2005.

Clifton Mbanugo, owner of Antioch-based Clifton Creative Web is the DReAM Team’s Webmaster and Social Media Director, with over 20 years of experience and has personallly built over 2,000 websites for clients. Johnny Staton, owner of Staton Productions in Brentwood recently joined the team as Director of Events. He and his team have handled music and other entertainment for clients such as the Golden State Warriors, Virgin America and Oracle, as well as event production for the City of Brentwood, to name a few.

Rounding out the team are Senior Graphic Design Specialist Walter David Monterroza, owner of Kingdom Graphix in Antioch with over seven years of experience in design, photography and videography, and Graphic Designer Karri Reiser, owner of Antioch-based Little Owl Design since 2015.

Del Rey means “of the king” in Spanish, and the new agency works to treat clients like royalty.

“We can help them reach their market with their message in the right media, and also help them measure it to ensure maximum use of their money,” Payton said, mentioning what he refers to as the Five M’s of advertising and marketing. “We are committed to helping our local businesses and economy grow and to become more successful. We also shop local, further helping the local economy by using the services of local businesses, such as stores, printers and sign companies in Antioch and East County, to support the work for our clients.”

But, the agency wants to help local businesses reach beyond the East County marketplace.

“We can help businesses develop selling tools and opportunity chasing, to generate extra top of mind awareness, not only locally but on a grander national, and then international scale,” Machado said.

For more information or to set up a no-obligation appointment to assess the marketing needs of your business contact The DReAm Team today via email at info@dreamagency.us or call Allen Payton at (925) 457-5324 or Markus Machado at (925) 497-2686.

Gas station clerk murdered during armed robbery

Armed robbery and murder suspect Zepp Crouchet, shot and killed by Antioch Police July 3, 2017. Herald file photo

By Daniel Borsuk

A 12-member Contra Costa County inquest jury unanimously found an Antioch police officer’s shooting of an armed robber and murderer of a Valero gas station clerk last July as an appropriate shooting on Thursday.  (See related articles, here and here)

After listening to nearly two hours of testimony jurors found that 42-year-old Zepp McKinley Crouchet of El Cerrito had died at the hands of another person, other than by accident. “That means it was a totally appropriate shooting,” said Matthew Guichard, a Walnut Creek attorney serving as the inquest hearing presiding officer.

During deliberations, jurors had four options to consider in the proceeding.  Those options included finding the cause of death by natural causes, by suicide or self-destruction, by accident, or by the hand of another person.

During the inquest called by Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston to investigate law enforcement-related homicide cases, the jury found that 16-year Antioch Police Department veteran Kris Kent was justified when he discharged his firearm after witnessing a fight in progress inside the Valero gas station at the 1800 block of Hillcrest Avenue at 7:30 p.m. on July 3 between the gas station clerk Mohamad Jawad Ataie, 57, of Antioch and the robbery suspect Crouchet. See Sheriff’s Office Press Release,  here: 180104 Inquest finding Crouchet

Gas station clerk Mohammad “Jawad” Ataie, the victim of Crouchet’s armed robbery and murder. Herald file photo

Crouchet had a crime record dating back to 2004 when he was charged on three counts of robbery, one count of burglary and being with a felon in possession of a weapon.  In 2006, Crouchet took a plea deal and was sentenced to six years in prison with two years credit for time served.

More than $30,000 in donations have been collected on behalf of the family of Mohamad Jawad Ataie to help pay for funeral expenses and other expenses since his murder.

Once Officer Kent stepped inside the gas station, no more than 30 seconds had elapsed when the officer fired his service weapon twice, striking Crouchet both times, he testified.  The wounded Crouchet was able to run out of the gas station and fled across Hillcrest Avenue into the backyard of a nearby daycare center.

Crouchet was not found until July 4 dead in his Cadillac about a mile away from the Valero gas station at A Street and W. 20th Street.

During the inquest, officer Kent stated he had fired his gun twice, but Dr. Ikechi Ogan, a well- known forensic pathologist, testified that he had found three bullet wounds in the victim’s body.

“The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.  I found three gun shot wounds,” said Dr. Ogan.  “There was no evidence of close range fire.”

“There were other extenuating causes for the victim’s death,” Dr. Ogan said.  The doctor found 18 milligrams of alcohol and 38 milligrams of methamphetamines in Crouchet’s body.

The wounded gas station clerk Atawie was rushed to John Muir Hospital in Concord where he later died of his gunshot wounds from Crouchet’s Tech 9 firearm during their scuffle behind the cash register.

Screenshot of the Antioch BART Station animation. From BART.gov

New fare information available now

By Allen Payton

According to the BART website’s East County Extension page, parking permits for the new Antioch Station which is planned to open in May along with the Pittsburg Center Station, will be available for purchase beginning January 16. According to BART Director Joel Keller there will be 1,000 parking spaces and about 124 reserved spaces available. However, he said the reserved permits don’t get you a specific spot, just one of the reserved parking spots in the lot.

1/5/18 UPDATE: On Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 11 AM, BART will open up the waitlist for passengers that would like to sign up to reserve a monthly permit, which guarantees a parking space until 10am each weekday. There will be a limited number of these permits available and they will be available on a first-come/first-served basis. The cost for the monthly permit will be $105 per month. You will only be charged for the permit if you are offered one and not until the extension officially opens. You may sign up to join when the waitlist at www.Select-a-Spot.com any time after January 16, 2018 at 11am. This website is also available through a link on the www.BART.gov/Parking webpage.

Monthly reserved permits will only be available at the Antioch Station. The Pittsburg Center Station will not offer any reserved parking permits, due to a limited number of parking spaces at the station.

There will be other parking options available as well:

Daily Fee Parking

Both stations will offer daily unreserved parking for a fee of $3. This parking is first-come/first-served in any marked “Fee” lot. Look at signs to the entrance to each section of the lot to determine if it is a “Fee” or “Permit” area. After 10am, any unused Permit spaces are open to all parkers for the Daily Fee.

Permit Parking

The Antioch Station will offer “Permit” parking. Customers with permits will be allowed to park in the designated areas of the parking lot. Permit spaces are available until 10am each weekday morning. After 10am all unused Permit spaces are available to anyone for the Daily Fee. All permits will be available on the www.Select-a-Spot.com website. There also will be a link to that website on www.BART.gov/Parking

Types of Permits:

• Single Day reserved permits will cost $6 a day.
• Airport/Long-Term Permits will cost $7 a day.
• Monthly reserved parking permits will cost $105

New Fares

The BART Board adopted the parking fees and fares at the December 7, 2017 board meeting.

BART is applying its existing distance-based fare structure to calculate fares for the new service.  For the 9.1-mile trip between Pittsburg Bay/Bay Point and Antioch Station, the Clipper fare will be $2.00 (starting Jan 1, 2018 there will be a $.50 surcharge on all paper ticket trips).  All BART discount programs will be applied to these fares.

The table below shows 2018 BART to Antioch sample fares using the adult Clipper card, a fare paid for with a paper ticket will be an additional 50 cents.To view the animation of the Antioch BART Station, click here. To view the animation of the Pittsburg Center BART Station, click here.