Suspect in the shooting death of an Antioch teen at the West Oakland BART Station on Jan. 9, 2016. Photos by BART.

Suspect believed to have strong ties to Antioch area, goes by first name Matty,  father’s first name believed to be Vic or Victor

The BART Police Department is releasing new information about the killing of 19-year-old Carlos Funez-Romero, who was fatally shot aboard a BART train stopped at the West Oakland Station on January 9, 2016.  The department is also announcing the reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect is being increased from $10,000 to $25,000. (See related KRON4 news report)

Detectives with the BART Police Department have been following up on multiple leads as well as working closely with partner law enforcement agencies to identify and locate the suspect.  Investigators now believe the suspect has strong ties to the Antioch area and goes by the first name of Matty.  Detectives also believe the name of the suspect’s father is Vic or Victor.

“We are encouraged by the recent progress we’ve been able to make and are fully committed to bringing this suspect to justice,” said BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas. “Homicides very rarely happen on our system, but when they do we will find those responsible as proven by the arrests made in connection with all three homicides we had last year.” 

The investigation into the killing of Funez-Romero has remained active for three years.  Chief Rojas in June boosted the effort to find the suspect by assigning an investigator to the case full time.  That’s on top of other BPD resources that have been dedicated to solving this case.

The suspect is a black male who is 6’0” to 6’4” tall.  At the time of the murder he had a bald-shaved/or close-cut hair style, slim build, and was wearing a green hooded jacket with beige, construction-style boots.

Before the killing of Mr. Funez-Romero, there had not been a homicide on the BART system since February of 2013.

Anyone with information on this case is strongly urged to immediately call the BART Police Department at 510-464-7040 or the anonymous tip line at 510-464-7011.

Hopes other financial institutions will follow suit during government shutdown

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier

Washington, DC – Today, Thursday, January 10, 2019, on the eve of over 800,000 federal workers missing their regularly scheduled paychecks due to the government shutdown, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) sent a letter to the Consumer Bankers Association, the Credit Union National Association, and the Mortgage Bankers Association recognizing credit unions for offering interest-free loans to federal workers. The letter also highlights DeSaulnier’s hope that other financial institutions will follow suit.

“Several credit unions across the country have begun offering interest-free loans to impacted federal workers. I applaud these organizations for prioritizing customer well-being and am certain that this will be of great assistance to countless workers and families,” wrote DeSaulnier.

If the government shutdown continues into tomorrow, January 11^th, over 800,000 federal workers will miss their scheduled paychecks, and the impact will be felt across the country. Eighty-five percent of the federal workforce resides outside of the District of Columbia. For instance, in California over 37,000 federal workers and their families will miss a paycheck.

“There are opportunities to prevent potentially catastrophic consequences for millions of Americans through cooperation and compassion. I will continue to work in Congress to re-open the government and ensure public employees and contractors are paid, and I appreciate those companies that are stepping up to help during this difficult time,” DeSaulnier continued.

Full text of the letters can be found here.

Contra Costa residents with unwanted prescription medicines can safely dispose of them at 27 CVS Pharmacy locations in the county thanks to new, secure drop boxes added through the county’s Safe Drug Disposal Ordinance.

The ordinance, passed in 2016, requires pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to provide collection services for unused drugs, to protect the environment and prevent accidental poisonings or intentional misuse of drugs such as prescription opioids.

“Safe storage and disposal of medications is one of the easiest and most important ways that each of us can help turn our county’s opioid abuse epidemic around,” said April Rovero, founder of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse and Chair of the Contra Costa County MEDS Coalition.

The drop-box service is free, secure and confidential. The medications can be disposed of at the sites even if they weren’t purchased at CVS. Most medications are accepted in their original containers or in sealed bags. Drugs and packaging placed in drop boxes will be safely destroyed. In addition to CVS Pharmacy locations, 10 Kaiser facilities in Contra Costa also have the drop boxes.

“This new medication disposal program will help save both lives and our environment by making appropriate disposal as easy as stopping by a nearby CVS Pharmacy or Kaiser Permanente,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis.

“We are pleased to work with the County to help provide access to safe medication disposal sites in Contra Costa County as part of our company’s commitment to helping prevent and address prescription opioid abuse and misuse,” said Tom Davis, R.Ph., Vice President, Professional Services, CVS Pharmacy.

Visit cchealth.org/safe-drug-disposal for more information about the ordinance and a link to a searchable database of Contra Costa locations with drop boxes.

Arne Simonsen at a League of California Cities event.

Antioch City Clerk Arne Simonsen has been reappointed to the League’s Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations (GTLR) Policy Committee. This committee has the lead responsibility for recommending to the League board of directors’ policy positions on state issues involving transparency, technology (open data), healthcare, elections and political reform, pension and workers compensation reform as well as other labor related issues. The reappointments were announced by League President Jan Arbuckle, council member, Grass Valley.

He was also reappointed to the League’s Housing, Community and Economic Development (HCED Policy Committee. This committee has the lead responsibility for recommending to the League board of directors policy positions on state issues involving general plans and zoning, housing, rent control, Subdivision Map Act, residential care facilities, other land use regulation, development fees including school fee adequacy, annexation and incorporation policy, development agreements, building standards including seismic safety standards, economic development policy including redevelopment and enterprise zones, military base closure and reuse, mobile home regulation and sign regulation.

As a committee member, Simonsen will play a key role in shaping the League’s policy positions on issues facing California cities and advocating for cities at the State Capitol.

This is Simonsen’s 11th year serving on the HCED Policy Committee and third year serving on the GTLR Policy Committee. He previously served eight years on the Revenue & Taxation Policy Committee, chairing it in 2006; four years on the Administrative Services Policy Committee; and four years on the Employee Relations Policy Committee.

“I am proud to have Arne Simonsen join the League’s Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations Policy Committee and, Housing, Community and Economic Development Policy Committee on behalf of his residents,” said League President Jan Arbuckle, council member, Grass Valley. “We will work together as a team, comprised of local frontline leaders from across the state, to ensure that the local perspective guides the outcome of state policy decisions.”

The leadership of the 2019 GTLR committee consists of Chair Richard Constantine, Mayor Pro Tem, Morgan Hill, and Vice Chair Jess Talamantes, Council Member, Burbank; and the leadership of the 2019 HCED committee consists of Chair Stacey Mattina, Council Member, Lakeport, and Vice Chair Blanca Pacheco, Council Member, Downey.

For more information on the League’s policy committees, visit: www.cacities.org/polcomm.

It is a Whiskers Wonderland of dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters and even a very friendly pet rat at Antioch Animal Services.

In order to encourage adoptions and assist with the costs of adding a new pet to the family, Antioch Friends of Animal Services, a local 501c3 non-profit committed to serving Antioch exclusively, will be sponsoring the adoption fees of all cats, dogs and furry critters for one week.

Starting Saturday, January 12th through January 19th, people can adopt a pet at no charge, which represents a savings of $76 for cats and $96 for dogs — fees the shelter normally charges to cover

the cost of spaying, neutering and vaccinating animals before they go home with their new owner.

The normal fee for small animals, including: rats, guinea pigs and hamsters is $7 and $16 for bunnies.
The sponsored fees do not include licensing fees. Adoptive families who are residents of Antioch must purchase a dog license, which costs $20 annually at the time of adoption. 

The shelter is located at 300 L St (adjacent to Antioch Police Department). Hours of Operation are T, W, TH & SAT 10am to 5pm and FRI 10am to 2pm. Available animals can be viewed online at: antioch.petfinder.com.

The Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition will be working with local agencies to raise awareness about human trafficking in Contra Costa County throughout the month of January. The FBI has identified California as one of the nation’s top destination states for trafficked persons.

Contra Costa County is a natural corridor for human trafficking activities with its linkage to major metropolitan areas like Oakland and San Francisco via public transportation (BART) and its accessibility to Los Angeles and Sacramento via major highways such as 680, 80 and 5 (via Hwy 4). Though human trafficking is illegal, victims often do not know where to turn for help and community members may not know where to report suspicious situations.

This January, the Coalition, in partnership with Contra Costa County’s District Attorney’s Office, will run an awareness campaign with a focus on labor trafficking. Specifically, the campaign will target trafficking in the restaurant, hotel and cleaning service industries. Ads will run on County Connection, Tri-Delta Transit and WestCAT buses throughout the month.

As part of the County’s awareness-raising efforts, the Coalition announced several events throughout the month including a Community Awareness Day in Antioch on Wednesday, January 9, the Board of Supervisors Awareness Proclamation on Tuesday, January 22 and a documentary screening and discussion on Monday, January 28. For a complete list of events and details, visit www.contracostacoalition.org/calendar.

Contra Costa County’s Human Trafficking Coalition is a partnership working to raise awareness, build capacity, and increase access to services for victims of human trafficking. As a collaboration of agencies, their goals include; conducting public awareness activities; providing training, technical assistance and a forum to share best practices; establishing policies and protocols; and creating a coordinated system of care. The Coalition is a project of The Alliance of Abuse. For more information on The Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition visit www.contracostacoalition.org. Recently the Alliance to End Abuse, in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, were awarded a Human Trafficking Task Force grant. For more information on the newly forming task force please visit http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1681.

Screenshot from ESPN2 of Najee Harris, #22 Alabama, stretching for the goal line during the 2nd Quarter of the National Championship game against Clemson Monday night, Jan. 7, 2019.

Najee Harris. Courtesy of rolltide.com

By Luke Johnson

“When he gets the ball, watch out,” said Shaun Alexander, former All-Pro running back.

Alexander was referring to Alabama running back Najee Harris when they bumped into each other at media day Saturday.

However, Harris did not get the ball too often come gametime.

Alabama lost to Clemson, 44-16, in the CFP National Championship at Levi’s Stadium.

In his Bay Area homecoming, Harris rushed for 59 yards via nine carries Monday evening.

“I just have a feeling that I didn’t do a very good job,” said Nick Saban, Crimson Tide head coach, in the postgame press conference. “I always feel that way. Even sometimes when we win, I think there are things that we could have done better or that I could have done better.”

Screenshot of Najee Harris falling just one yard short of the goal line. Alabama scored a touchdown on their next play.

With Alabama facing a large deficit in the second half, its offense ran mostly passing plays. Harris last touched the ball with 8:19 remaining in the third quarter. His 6.6 yards per carry led all rushers.

The Antioch-hometown running back had not played in the Bay Area since December 2016 – his final game in high school.

Harris was vital in Alabama’s comeback victory during last year’s national championship. His 64 rushing yards in the fourth quarter helped the Crimson Tide overcome a 13-point deficit.

He finished second on his team for rushing yards this season with 783. Senior Damien Harris had the most with 876.

Since Najee Harris won’t be eligible to enter the NFL draft until 2020, he could be the featured back for Alabama next season.