By Antioch Police Department

After 25 years of distinguished law enforcement service, Captain Trevor Schnitzius retired on August 4, 2023.

Trevor grew up and attended school in the City of Vallejo where he threw shot put and discus for his high school track team. After high school, he attended Diablo Valley College, where he earned an Associate’s degree before transferring to CSU Sacramento. There, he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

Trevor was hired by the City of Antioch in 1998, shortly after graduating from Sacramento State, as a police trainee and attended the Police Academy at Los Medanos College. While many of Trevor’s family members chose to serve as firefighters, he found police work to be more interesting and exciting and chose Antioch.

During his service with APD, he has worked patrol, as a Detective, as a Field Training Officer, as a member of our Honor Guard, a defensive tactics instructor and as a member of our social media team. Trevor has served as our VIPS Coordinator as well as being heavily involved with our Cadet program for over 18 years (his oldest son also served as a Police Cadet and is now a Community Service Officer). Trevor is also involved in his community and has also coached water polo and wrestling.

We wish Trevor plenty of time with his family in retirement and we will deeply miss someone who has been such a big part of this department for so long.

Report of possible drive-by during celebration of life for Antioch teen shot, killed in attempted Brentwood robbery last month

By Pittsburg Police Department

At approximately 2:15 PM, Pittsburg Police officers responded to Highlands Ranch Park after receiving multiple 911 calls regarding a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located evidence of a shooting as well as a 24-year-old male that had sustained a gunshot wound to the arm. First aid was rendered, and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

A resident reported the shooting occurred during the celebration of life for the 17-year-old Antioch resident who was shot and killed while attempting to rob an Antioch resident in Brentwood on July 14, 2023. But those details have not yet been confirmed by police. (See related article)

Officers interviewed multiple witnesses on scene and are currently collecting and reviewing surveillance video from the area in order to identify those involved. The Pittsburg Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance and asks anyone with additional information to contact dispatch at (925) 646-2441. No further information is available at this time.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Man threatens to kill his family, drives car into house, arrested at Bay Point BART Station

Suspect is being held on $300K bail, has history of arrests

By Allen D. Payton

A one alarm fire started in the garage of a home in the 1700 block of Mt. Hamilton Drive in Antioch Tuesday night, August 8, 203. The investigation determined it to be the result of arson

“We received the call at 10:40 p.m.” According to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief & PIO Tracie Dutter stated.

On Wednesday, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) announced the arrest of 44-year-old Adil Abbas Aljanaby (born 9/23/78) for arson and threatening the life and safety of his family after a domestic dispute with his wife.

The responding firefighters worked quickly and were able to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the garage. After a thorough investigation, the fire was found to have originated in the garage. With the assistance of accelerant detection K-9 Baxter, Con Fire investigators determined the area of origin was inside a vehicle in the garage.

Upon further investigation, Con Fire Investigators learned approximately one hour prior to the fire, Aljanaby threatened to drive through the house, set the house on fire, and kill his family.

On Wednesday, Aug. 9, investigators located a witness who saw the dispute unfold. The witness identified Aljanaby as driving into the garage door, then entering the garage. A fire was seen inside as he left.

At 10 p.m. Aljanaby was detained at the Bay Point Bart Station by Con Fire investigators. They observed damage to the front of Aljanaby’s vehicle consistent with the damage to the garage door. Aljanaby was arrested and charged with arson to an inhabited structure or property.

Aljanaby was transported to the Martinez Detention Facility. The Antioch Police Department has additional ongoing investigations and will be submitting further cases with additional charges.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the 6’5″, 220 lb. Aljanaby is being held on $300,000 bail. According to localcrimenews.com, he has a history of arrests dating to 2019 by Antioch PD, BART PD and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office for DUI, disobeying a domestic relations order, and just last month for resisting arrest and contempt of court.

Will connect Deer Valley and Heidorn Ranch Roads to Highway 4

On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, a gathering of dignitaries and City of Brentwood staff marked the Sand Creek Road Extension Groundbreaking Ceremony. The long-anticipated extension is a significant milestone in enhancing Eastern Contra Costa County’s transportation infrastructure. While the City had hoped to extend an invitation to the public for the event, due to the project’s location, active construction, and concern for the safety of all participants, it was imperative to limit the total number of attendees.

With an estimated cost of $8.7M, this extension will expand Sand Creek Road at State Route 4 westward, connecting Sand Creek Road to Heidorn Ranch Road. This initiative projects to alleviate traffic congestion on adjacent streets, including Lone Tree Way, Balfour Road and Deer Valley Road. Furthermore, this extension will provide Brentwood residents and emergency personnel, an accelerated and safer route to Kaiser Permanente in Antioch. 

It will “provide Brentwood residents with a direct connection to Kaiser hospital and the Innovation Center that includes the recently approved Costco to be located off of Lone Tree Plaza Drive,” Mayor Joel Bryant added.

The project will also include the bridge over the actual Sand Creek. It “was delayed a little bit. The contract was awarded back in April,” Interim Brentwood City Engineer Allen Baquilar shared.

“As we move forward with this project, we must acknowledge the efforts from past City Council and staff, who have diligently paved the way. This road extension will serve as a conduit to a healthier future, providing safety and accessibility for residents traveling to our neighboring city,” emphasized City Manager Tim Ogden. 

“With enthusiasm, we observe the commencement of this project. We recognize the community’s understanding and patience exhibited while we addressed challenges and setbacks that emerged during the project’s progression,” Assistant City Manager Darin Gale shared in a press release. “The project’s contractors, Goodfellow Sequoia Joint Venture, have demonstrated their capability to manage the project despite unexpected delays. As the work continues, we are confident in their ability to bring this project to completion, slated for late May 2024.”

“We’re excited to see this project underway and look forward to see it opened, soon,” Ogden added.

Funding source for the road project are from City of Brentwood Development Impact Fees and the Eastern Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Authority all provided by new housing and commercial development in the city and East County.

In an email on Thursday, August 10, Contra Costa County District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis shared the following about the road extension:

“As East County continues to grow, our transportation and infrastructure needs are growing as well. One of the biggest local road improvements is the new Sand Creek Road extension in Brentwood.

The City of Brentwood’s staff and elected officials have been hard at work for years planning the extension, which will lead west from Highway 4 toward Dear Valley Road and connect with other extensions that are already completed.

I had the unique opportunity to speed up the project in February as Chair of the East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Authority (ECCRFFA), when I, along with the four mayors of Brentwood, Antioch, Oakley and Pittsburg, voted unanimously to prioritize funding this shovel-ready extension. I’m proud of our elected officials for working together as a region and putting taxpayer dollars toward a project that will have immediate impacts for public safety and economic development.”

Official Project Description: The project scope includes extension of Sand Creek Road from westerly of the existing terminus at State Route 4 to Heidorn Ranch Road approximately 2,300 linear feet. The improvements include constructing the central 56 feet of roadway (2 – 20-foot roadway and a 16-foot median), streetlights, wet and dry utilities, full-width bridge (4-lane arterial) across Sand Creek, and related work linking State Route 4 to Heidorn Ranch Road.

To learn more about the Sand Creek Road Extension Project, please visit Sand Creek Road Extension and see video of the groundbreaking ceremony on the City of Brentwood’s Facebook page.  

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

“you do not have a right to admonish people publicly and where they cannot respond.” – Joy Motts

Editor’s Note: At the Antioch City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, comments were made by Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker during the City Council Committee Reports and Communications portion and by Mayor Lamar Thorpe during his Mayor’s Comments, responding to public criticism, and by a resident, directed toward another public speaker. In response, former Antioch Councilwoman Joy Motts, a Rivertown resident and president of Celebrate Antioch Foundation sent the following email to the five council members Tuesday night. It was shared with the Herald, Wednesday afternoon. (For context, see the 1:35:10, 2:16:15 and 2:48:45 marks of the council meeting video)

Mayor and Council,

It was clear tonight, that some on Council are not aware that City Council meetings are held in public not for your benefit, but because these meetings are the business of the people. Whether you like what the people of your city have to say or not, they have every right to communicate to you, their feelings. And to admonish them publicly for expressing their views is to undermine their 1st Amendment rights and discourage residents to participate in our government.

And to say that prior Councils were not blamed or admonished by residents for Antioch’s current problems at that time is absurd. From the minute I was on Council I felt like everything that went wrong, the last 50 years was my fault. And the community let me know and all of us know. It was hard and it’s not easy to take but as a representative of all the residents of Antioch, it is your job.

And what is even worse is you have taught some that support you to bully and embarrass those that don’t agree with them. Andrew Becker should be admonished. He is a bully, how dare anyone disagree with him. He has no right to disparage residents that come to speak their mind at the people’s meetings! You have allowed that. This is not good or fair governance. You have become so accustomed to this behavior that I do not even think you realize it or maybe you like it this way.

You speak of unity, but you are actively discouraging this community to participate unless they agree with you. This never happened when I was on Council or prior councils. Lamar, we sat there and took it, and respected people’s rights. You have the ability to communicate your feelings on your personal pages, or Op Ed’s, or websites but you do not have a right to admonish people publicly and where they cannot respond.

I do not know why anyone who disagrees with a policy, or has a grave concern, or has an idea other than yours would attend a council meeting. And from what I have seen tonight no one will. There were people that came that wanted to speak tonight… but they left. Who would want to suffer the consequences of speaking up? A tragedy for Antioch.

Joy Motts

Antioch

Following sideshow at marina, early Sunday morning crash injured two people, one woman critically

Held on $191,000 bail; four previous arrests, three by Antioch PD

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

A 21-year-old Antioch man has been charged with a four-count complaint for reckless driving and a hit and run that injured two in the early morning hours of August 6th following a sideshow in Antioch. (See related article)

Chase Allen Cancilla (born 4/17/02) faces two felony counts of reckless driving on a highway that caused injuries and enhancements of inflicting great bodily harm to others. Additionally, Cancilla faces a felony hit and run charge that resulted in the serious injury of another, and a misdemeanor for operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license.

Antioch Police received reports of a sideshow taking place at the Marina Plaza around 2:50 am on August 6th. Authorities say a vehicle that Cancilla was driving left the Marina Plaza at a high rate of speed on L Street — and shortly thereafter crashed into another vehicle at West 9th and G Streets. The collision injured two people, one of whom was seriously injured. Cancilla fled on foot after the crash, but an officer was able to apprehend him. (See KTVU FOX2 news report)

He was arrested and booked into the West County Detention Facility and was arraigned today in court with a bail amount set at $191,000.

Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton said, “Sideshows present many risks to community safety, endangering those who are involved and the public at large. The District Attorney’s Office will continue to be vigilant in prosecuting offenses stemming from sideshows under California law.”

According to localcrimenews.com, the 6’2”, 250 lb. Cancilla has been arrested four times previously dating back to 2021, three times by Antioch PD, once by Alameda County Sheriff’s Office including for DUI, driving without a license and failure to appear. According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office as of Wednesday, August 9, he was still in custody.

Case No. 04-23-01348 | The People of the State of California v. Cancilla, Chase Allen

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Rebel Without a Cause at El Campanil Theatre 2 pm, Cruise 5-9pm

Sponsored by Celebrate Antioch Foundation and Rivertown Merchants

Join us August 19, 2023 for two great events in one! El Campanil Theatre is showing the classic film: “Rebel Without a Cause” restored in 4K at 2pm,

Afterwards there will be an Old School Cruise in Antioch’s Historic Downtown, Rivertown from 5pm to 9pm!

Many stores and restaurants will be open during this event so, feel free to browse in Rivertown! Please keep this evening fun and safe, no speeding and obey all traffic laws. Suggested cruise route, from W. 2nd Street, Left on L Street then left on W. 4th Street, then left on G Street back to W. 2nd Street.

Show tickets Available at El Campanil Website