Deeply discounted; by leaving the car at home, Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants fans can relax, save cash and enjoy the game!

By David Lipari, San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority

Antioch residents will be able to take a deeply discounted special event train to the “Battle of the Bay” baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants on Sunday, August 7th.

Amtrak San Joaquins tickets to the Oakland Coliseum (OAC) will include an automatically applied 50% discount. Travelers can also apply additional discounts, including the Disabled Rider Discount, Veteran & Active Military Discounts, Student Discount, and others available on the Amtrak San Joaquins promotions page.

Amtrak San Joaquins has modified its route and schedule for the Sunday, August 7th Battle of the Bay game between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants, scheduled to begin at 1:07 pm. Train 711 has been modified to travel all the way to the Oakland Coliseum, past its usual stop at Jack London Square and is scheduled to arrive at 10:39 am. After the game, Amtrak Train 718 will depart directly from the Oakland Coliseum at 5:25 pm.

“Amtrak San Joaquins riders utilize our service for a variety of transportation purposes. One of these purposes is to travel to fun, family-oriented events such as the Battle of the Bay,” said David Lipari, San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority marketing manager. “With the price of gas so high, people are looking for opportunities to travel, save cash, and still have a fun and memorable experience. We are happy to be able to provide that with our Battle of the Bay special train.”

For an additional fee of only $10, travelers aboard the 711 train can purchase the Battle of the Bay food bundle, which includes a hotdog and 12oz. beer of any choice, available for pickup in the Café Car.

Special Event Train will serve the following counties:

Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings and Kern

Date: Sunday, August 7, 2022

Schedule:

For passengers interested in monitoring capacity levels for trains and buses, travelers can utilize Amtrak’s capacity indicator system. This online tool allows customers to see in real-time the percentage of seats sold for each trip option. This gives customers the opportunity to book a train that is less crowded if they choose or cancel the reservation if needed.

All discounts can be accessed at amtraksanjoaquins.com/promotions/. Passengers are encouraged to purchase tickets prior to boarding at stations, online at AmtrakSanJoaquins.com, on the Amtrak app, or at a station kiosk.

About the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) Since July 2015, SJJPA has been responsible for the management and administration of Amtrak San Joaquins. SJJPA is governed by Board Members representing each of the ten (10) Member Agencies along the 365-mile San Joaquins Corridor. For more information on SJJPA see www.sjjpa.com.

Amtrak San Joaquins is Amtrak’s 6th busiest route with 18 train stations throughout the Central Valley and Bay Area, providing a safe, comfortable and reliable way to travel throughout California. Amtrak San Joaquins is currently running six daily round-trips. In addition to the train service, Amtrak San Joaquins Thruway buses provide connecting service to 135 destinations in California and Nevada including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Napa Valley, Las Vegas and Reno.

Con Fire ends flooding the Marsh peat fire in Pittsburg on Saturday, July 23, 2022. Photos: Con Fire

“Nearly 20,000 gallons per minute”

By Allen D. Payton

After burning and filling the air over Antioch and Pittsburg with smoke for almost two months the Marsh peat fire in Pittsburg appears to be extinguished. (See related article)

In a post on their Facebook page on Saturday, July 23, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) reported that they have “ended flooding today that has, for 7 days, with help from CC Water Dist. & the property owner, put some 200 M gallons of water on the Marsh peat fire in Pittsburg. No apparent hotspots or smoke remain, though we continue to monitor for flareups.”

On Friday, they reported that the “Marsh peat fire flooding is proving extremely effective with only small areas continuing to put off some limited smoke today. Flooding continues at nearly 20,000 gallons per minute. Con Fire is hopeful of complete extinguishment in coming days.”

Also charged by DA for armed robbery, conspiracy

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Members of the Tre-4 street gang are being prosecuted by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office on murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy charges. Jalin Washington of San Francisco, Don Juan Defore Watson, Jr. of Antioch, and Amir Anderson-Roof (city unknown) all face charges for a series of crimes that include the killing of 20-year-old Basel Jilani of Lafayette on March 23, 2022. (See related articles here and here)

In that incident, the victim Jilani was chased by Washington and Watson after they spotted him driving a high-end Mercedes on the freeway in Concord. Jilani tried to elude his pursuers but crashed his vehicle on Taylor Boulevard near the border between Pleasant Hill and Lafayette. He was shot, killed, and robbed of his Rolex watch.

Washington, Watson, and Anderson-Roof are also at the center of several crimes in Bay Area in 2022 that include automobile thefts and armed robbery.

The People of the State of California v. Jalin Washington, Case Number: 01-22-01088

The People of the State of California v. Don Juan Defore Watson, Jr., Case Number: 01-22-01086

The People of the State of California v. Amir Anderson-Roof, Case Number: 01-22-01087

Older suspect arrested in 2021 and last month on multiple gun, drug charges

By Jimmy Lee, PIO, Office of the Contra Costa Sheriff

On Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at about 10:45 AM, Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs served arrest warrants at a home on the 4800 block of Vinewood Way in Antioch. They arrested, without incident, 19-year-old Don-Juan Defore Watson of Antioch/San Francisco and 20-year-old Jalin Washington of San Francisco.

The two are suspects in the March 23, 2022, killing of 20-year-old Basel Jilani in the unincorporated area of Taylor Road and Gloria Terrace. (See related article)

Homicide detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division have worked continuously on the case identifying the two, who are also suspects in robberies in the Bay Area.

Watson was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF) on the following charges: murder, two counts of robbery, and conspiracy. He is being held without bail.

Washington was booked into MDF on the following charges: murder, two counts of robbery, conspiracy, burglary, felon in possession of a firearm, and allowing someone to discharge a firearm from his vehicle. He is being held without bail.

According to localcrimenews.com, he was previously arrested in March 2021 by San Francisco County Sheriff’s Department for being armed with a firearm during a felony, resisting / obstructing / delaying a Peace Officer, conspiracy to commit a crime, burglary, possession of burglar’s tools, receiving or concealing stolen property, carrying a loaded firearm on person or In a vehicle while in a public place, and carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle.

Washington was arrested again last month by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department for possession of a narcotic controlled substance, possession of 28.5 grams or less of marijuana,
discharging a firearm in a negligent manner, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, concealed firearm – unregistered gun with ammunition, and
carrying a loaded concealed weapon.

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

Deadline to participate as panelist is July 31

Have you heard of the Neighborhood Restorative Partnership program that the Contra Costa DA’s Office has?

The Neighborhood Restorative Partnership is a community-based pre-filing program initiated by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office in partnership with local Police Departments.  This program has been designed to redirect low level misdemeanor offenses from entering the criminal justice system by working as a community to come up with solutions that address the harm caused by these offenses and by focusing on restoring all who have been impacted.

The goal of the Neighborhood Restorative Partnership is to address low-level misdemeanors or infractions, such as vandalism, assault/battery, alcohol control violations, and other quality of life crimes by partnering with our local law enforcement agencies and with community volunteers.

Residents of Contra Costa County, who wish to volunteer in this program, will be trained to serve as panelists and develop community-based solutions to redress the harm caused by these low-level offenses.  Pursuant to Penal Code §14150 – 14156, the District Attorney’s Office empowers panelists with the authority and responsibility to adjudicate certain infraction/misdemeanor offenses, and it empowers facilitators with the authority to facilitate the restorative justice process.

We’re opening an East County version of the program next month, and we’re looking for Community Safety Panelists to participate in the program,” said Ted Asregadoo, CCDA’s Office PIO. “The application deadline is on July 31st.”

If you are interested in becoming a panelist in the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office Neighborhood Restorative Partnership program, please complete the application below and submit it to:

Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Attn: Janet Era, Neighborhood Restorative Partnership

900 Ward Street, 2nd Floor, Martinez, CA 94553

DA-NRP@contracostada.org

Click on this link to download the Application.

Click on this link to download the NRP Flyer.

Sign up today if you are looking for some good music and a great total body workout. To register click here.

Presented by City of Antioch Recreation Department

Antioch’s Fall/Winter Recreation Guide is now available!!

Registration starts Monday, July 25th.

Register early – spots go quickly!

Please visit antiochca.gov/register or call 925-776-3050 for more information.

Police seek shooter(s)

By Lieutenant John Fortner, Investigations Bureau, Antioch Police Department

On Thursday, July 21, 2022, at approximately 12:59 AM, Antioch police officers responded to the report of gunshots fired in the 300 block of Lawton Street. It was also reported that two people were struck.

Numerous officers responded to the scene. When officers arrived, they located two male victims in the driveway of a residence suffering from gunshot wounds. One male victim fell onto the driveway, and the second was a short distance away. Evidence at the scene indicated the incident occurred outdoors in a drive-by style shooting. Officers immediately began administering first aid and called for emergency fire department and AMR paramedics.

Unfortunately, one victim, a 34-year-old male, succumbed to his injuries at the scene, and he was pronounced deceased. The second victim, a 45-year-old male, was transported to a local area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is currently in stable condition. The suspect vehicle fled the scene and has not been contacted.

Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau, consisting of Crime Scene Investigators and detectives with the Violent Crimes and Special Operations Units, responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Currently, detectives are interviewing witnesses and working to identify any suspects or persons-of-interest. The investigation is still active, and evidence is being collected and evaluated.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925)778-2441, or Detective Whitaker at 925-779-6890. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.