For shooting, killing 24-year-old mother of his child following 2022 mistrial

During second trial suspect stabs his own attorney, threatened to murder jurors

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

Martinez, California – A jury in Martinez found a 28-year-old Oakland resident guilty of murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, possessing an assault weapon, and shooting at a motor vehicle in Antioch on June 27th, 2020.

Ramello Darryl Randle (born 7/13/95) was initially charged in 2020 by the District Attorney’s Office for these offenses. However, Judge Charles Burch declared a mistrial in 2022 due to Randle’s disruptive outbursts in court. The case was refiled by the District Attorney’s Office and heard by Judge John W. Kennedy.

Despite a melee on March 19th that Randle started in the courtroom – which resulted in injuring Randle’s attorney and assault towards the prosecutor – the trial concluded on March 21st. After deliberations, a jury reached guilty verdicts on all counts of fatally shooting 24-year-old Jonaye Lahkel Bridges and injuring her friend. According to prosecutors, Randle meticulously planned the attack by placing a tracking device on Bridges’ car, tracing her movements to a convenience store in Antioch. Subsequently, he approached the vehicle and unleashed a barrage of bullets from a pistol equipped with an extended magazine.

Deputy District Attorney Kevin Bell said, “Jonaye Bridges was the young mother of two children, including the two-month-old son that she shared with Mr. Randle – and he took her life in a senseless and heinous crime. He did so, in part, with the misguided belief in technology as a shield for his actions. But that technology only led to his downfall.”

As previously reported, Randle and Bridges were in a dating relationship. She and an intentionally unnamed 27-year-old male were in a vehicle together in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven, located at 2301 Buchanan Road in Antioch. Randle saw the two victims together in the vehicle. Randle approached the vehicle on foot and fired multiple rounds into the vehicle with a semi-automatic pistol. Bridges suffered several gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The unnamed male suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and later released.

During the second trial, Randle stabbed his attorney with a pen and now faces additional charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and battery. He also threatened to murder the jurors if they convicted him.

According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, the five-foot, nine-inch, 185-pound green-eyed, non-Hispanic Randle, who is listed as Black by Vinelink, is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility.

He will be sentenced on April 19th in Department 8 in Martinez at 8:30 am.

Case No: 04-200034-7 | The People of the State of California v. Randle, Ramello Darryl

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

“No other areas were suggested for them in Antioch or elsewhere.” – Acting City Manager Kwame Reed

Homeless advocates not happy they weren’t notified to be there to help the residents

“…they have just displaced these souls with absolutely no solution as to where they should go” – Nichole Gardner

By Allen D. Payton

On Tuesday morning, March 19, 2024, City of Antioch staff cleared out 70 vehicles and “approximately 100” people from the eastern end of Wilbur Avenue near Hwy 160, between the power plant and vineyards.

A post on the City’s Facebook page reads, “Teaming up to revitalize our community.

Today, numerous City departments partnered to clean up Wilbur Avenue. With a coordinated effort that included our Code Enforcement team, Police Department, Public Works, Public Safety & Community Resources Department, the Angelo Quinto Crisis Response Team (AQCRT), Parking Enforcement, and Antioch Animal Services the Wilbur Avenue area has been abated. In total, 70 vehicles were cleared, and support services were offered to people and pets at the location. Together, we can make a difference!

We would also like to thank our Contra Costa County partners for their support leading up to today.”

Questions were emailed Tuesday after work hours to Public Safety and Community Resources Department Tasha Johnson and Unhoused Resident Coordinator Jazmin Ridley. They were asked how many individuals were living there and how many of them were school-aged children.

They were also asked if another location in Antioch or elsewhere has been offered for the motorhomes and campers. Finally, they were asked what “support services were offered to people and pets at the location” as written in the post. But neither responded. On Wednesday, the questions were then sent again to them and Acting City Manager Kwame Reed.

On Friday, March 22, Reed responded there were “approximately 100” people moved from the Wilbur Avenue encampment. But he shared that information on the number of school-aged children “was not tracked.”

Reed also said, “No other areas were suggested for them in Antioch or elsewhere.” Yet, “over the past 2-3 weeks, staff in association with the Care Team and County’s CORE (Coordinated Outreach Referral, Engagement) Team, visited the location to provide assistance.” 

The Antioch Care Team (ACT) was formed in 2021 “to reduce non‐warrant arrests that result during a 911 response; reduce the number of individuals transported to the emergency department for non-life threatening medical-related issues that could instead be addressed in a prehospital care setting; and reduce the number of behavioral health and lower acuity medical calls traditionally responded to by Police and Fire.”

It’s now referred to as the AQCRT.

Advocates Not Happy They Weren’t Informed

In addition, local volunteer homeless advocates, Andrew Becker and Nichole Gardner were asked if they were aware of the cleanup before it occurred and for their comments on the City’s efforts.

Gardner responded, “No. It was unfortunate too because our team would have gladly helped with making sure that the folks that were there knew that the city was clearing out the area (if they did not receive a proper notice) and would have been there to support by supplying bags and helping them pack up their belongings. We could have also provided food, drinks and supplies as it takes a physical toll on folks having to move everything they had on short notice.”

“We know that these sweeps that the city does causes emotional and physical trauma to people in encampments who are dealing with mental illness and hoarding disorders,” she continued. “We have seen individuals break down in tears because they are so emotionally attached to their items.”

“One of the lieutenants at APD used to call us to let us know when there would be a big sweep such as this, we were surprised that he did not reach out after knowing such a large sweep was going to take place,” Gardner shared. “I was told that APD was there which I was confused about because we have the Mental Health Crisis Response team (purple people) for a reason. There was no crime being committed so therefore I don’t know why we are wasting police resources on clearing out encampments, especially when we are lacking so many officers. “

“I am not naïve to think that this area did not need a good cleaning,” she stated. “Some people in encampments tend to suffer from hoarding disorders and hoard things that others consider garbage, but I am disappointed that when these clean ups take place, they not only don’t have a place for people to go for shelter but no safe parking lot for these RV’s. What is more upsetting is that they show up with tow trucks to tow away the only place that they call home and leave them to be in the elements without shelter.”

“It was sickening seeing the City Facebook page about how they cleared the area. The city bragged about cleaning up the area to appease the community members while forgetting that they have just displaced these souls with absolutely no solution as to where they should go,” the local homeless advocate said. “We need a safe parking lot for these RV’s with staff to be sure that they are maintained and people are not bringing in anything that does not fit in their RV.”

“If the city spent more time focusing on being proactive by putting money into mental health, affordable housing, shelters, and safe parking with porta potties and dumpsters and stop spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year into cleaning up encampments all over the city we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Gardner added.

Becker responded, “I was not aware of the abatement that took place, no notice was given by the City to advocates, locally. We had multiple conversations with the City, previously regarding abatements. We had been told we would be notified as well as CORE.”

“When I arrived at the site at 12:30 pm, 90% of the individuals and their property had been removed,” he continued. “CORE was not on site, only APD and neighboring law enforcement agencies. Beyond the update the City posted online, I have no knowledge of what resources were made available. I also do not know whether individuals’ items were stored or disposed of. There were no alternative temporary encampment locations made available to the residents to my knowledge.”

Later, in response to the information provided by Reed, Becker asked, “Does that assistance mean placement? How many of those people were placed?”

“There were limited services. They said Animal Services was out there. But I had to wrangle two chickens, myself and took them to Animal Services,” he added.

$150K of items stolen in organized retail theft

21-year-old has history of arrests, as does one other suspect from Hayward

By Tracy Police Department

On Thursday, March 21, 2024, at approximately 2:25 p.m., the Tracy Police Department Communications Center received reports of a robbery in progress at Don Roberto Jewelers located inside the West Valley Mall. During the robbery, eight (8) subjects, wearing face masks, entered the store and used hammers to smash the glass displays, proceeding to take approximately $150,000 in jewelry before fleeing the area.

As the subjects associated with the robbery were seen fleeing the area, witnesses reported observing a stolen white BMW SUV occupied by four (4) of the subjects was involved in a solo crash near the east entrance of the mall near Corral Hollow Road, while the other four (4) subjects were able to get away. As the four subjects involved in the crash fled on foot,

Due to the four subjects involved in the crash fleeing on foot, Stockton Police Department Air Support, the California Highway Patrol, and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist in an area search. During their search, the four subjects, identified as Eric James Anderson (21 years old of Antioch, CA), Trevion Williams (21 years old of Bay Point, CA), Jayden Deonte Barnes (19 years old of Richmond) and Jamary Barnes (23 years old of Hayward, CA) were located within the perimeter set by Tracy PD and assisting agencies.

Investigators assigned to the General Investigations Unit (GIU) responded to the scene to continue the investigation.

All four subjects were arrested for PC 490.4 – Organized Retail Theft, PC 182 – Conspiracy to commit a crime, and PC 211 – Robbery by force or fear, and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail.

According to localcrimenews.com, the 6-foot, 7-inch, 140-pound Anderson, who is Black, has been arrested multiple times since June 2021 by Alameda County, Kern County and San Joaquin County Sheriffs’ Departments, Oakland PD and as recently as Feb. 29, 2024 by Fresno PD including for multiple gun crimes, vehicle robbery, burglary, receiving stolen property, vehicle theft and evasion with wanton disregard for safety.

According to localcrimenews.com, the six-foot, four-inch, 160-pound Barnes, who is Black, also has a history of arrests dating back to Sept. 2019 by multiple agencies for crimes including street terrorism, possession of a machine gun, grand theft, gang conspiracy, drug possession and first degree residential robbery.

At this time, the investigation is ongoing. If you have any information, contact Detective Kenneth Steele at Kenneth.Steele@TracyPD.com or (209) 831-6660, or Detective Lissette Ortiz at Lissette.Ortiz@TracyPD.com or (209) 831-6569. To make an anonymous tip, contact Tracy Crime Stoppers by calling (209) 831-4847 or by texting “TIPTPD” and your message to CRIMES (274637).

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Sgt. Rob Green, Antioch Police Department Field Services Bureau

At about 5:39pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, a 20-year-old male was riding a dirt bike southbound on “L” Street at a high rate of speed, running a stop sign at the intersection of “L” Street and W 4th Street. The dirt bike collided into a white van that had entered the intersection, injuring the 52-year-old male driver. Officers were on scene within seconds and found both the dirt bike rider and the van driver unresponsive. Life saving measures were performed on both injured parties by Antioch PD officers. Unfortunately, the motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The driver of the van was transported to a local area hospital where he is still in critical condition.

Antioch Police Department Accident Investigators responded to the scene and took over the investigation, which is still in the preliminary stages. The names of both drivers are not being released at this time pending notification to next-of-kin.

UPDATE: The driver of the van has been identified as 52-year-old Guillermo Cervantes who works at the nearby Guadalajara Taqueria with his wife Liz.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441 or Traffic Collision Investigator Egan at jegan@antiochca.gov. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

To be honored at annual Chamber Gala March 22

Antioch, CA – Among the Antioch Chamber of Commerce’s annual award winners, Soroptimist International of Antioch was named 2023 Non-Profit of the Year. 

Soroptimist International is dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.  Soroptimist International of Antioch does much more by actively supporting the Senior Center by participating in various charitable activities. They also assist Antioch High by generously donating supplies needed for different projects. Additionally, the club has played a crucial role in providing clothing and food for homeless children at the elementary school.

Furthermore, the teddy bears provided by the club continue to bring comfort to children in crisis situations at the police department. The organization continues to provide support in various ways to help improve the lives of all residents. Their efforts play a crucial role in enhancing the well-being and quality of life for community members. Through their dedication and commitment, they strive to make a positive impact and foster a stronger, more resilient community.

Each of the winners, including the Citizens, Businesses and Youth of the Year will be honored at the Chamber’s annual Gala on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center. Tickets are $80 each or $640 for a reserved table of 8 and can be purchased on the Chamber’s website at www.antiochchamber.com.