Video screenshot shows police have a home on Clearbrook Road taped off following the fatal shooting of a toddler Tuesday evening, April 8, 2025. Source: Antioch resident who chose to remain anonymous
By Antioch Police Department
This evening, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at approximately 6:00 p.m., the Antioch Police Department dispatch center received a call reporting that a three-year-old had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a home on Clearbrook Road.
Tragically, the child did not survive. At this time, the incident appears to be an accidental shooting.
This is a heartbreaking event, and our thoughts are with the family and all those affected during this incredibly difficult time.
Additional details will be shared as they become available. We ask for the community’s patience and continued respect for the family’s privacy as the investigation continues.
Antioch’s “Hey Look, Daddy! statue after restoration in 2022 (Source: City of Antioch), plaque and as of April 8, 2025, after theft and removal. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Depicted them watering City’s Official Flower; part of public art program
Former mayor, councilwomen who approved it in 1994 upset
The art piece was approved by the city council in 1994 at a cost of $150,000 and it was first vandalized in 2021. According to the City, “Toward the end of September 2021, Frostad Atelier Foundry in Sacramento was tasked with restoring this landmark statue due to vandalism (severing) of the dad’s hand and a watering pail. The restoration took approximately seven…months.”
“The patina, a green or brown film on the sculpture’s surface produced by oxidation over a long period, has also been restored as part of the process. Additionally, the installation of new primrose flowers has also been completed!”
The street view of the statue in 2022 following restoration (Left – Source: City of Antioch) and location after theft and removal on April 8, 2025. (Right) Photo by Allen D. Payton
A post on the City of Antioch’s Facebook page on Monday, April 7, 2025, reads: We’re saddened to share that one of Antioch’s cherished public art pieces — the “Hey Daddy, Look!” sculpture located on Lone Tree Way near James Donlon Blvd.— has been vandalized.
“Originally restored in 2022 at a cost of over $38,000, the bronze statue has stood as a symbol of joy and connection in our community. Sadly, on March 12, the City was notified that the statue of the little girl was stolen. Out of concern for further vandalism, City staff have since removed the remaining ‘dad’ statue for safekeeping.
“The Antioch Police Department has been notified, and a report has been filed. If you have any information or saw anything suspicious in the area, please contact Antioch PD at (925) 778-2441.
We know many residents loved and appreciated this piece of art. Please know that we’re actively looking into options for what comes next.
Let’s continue to look out for one another and our public spaces.”
Former Mayor, Councilwomen Upset with Vandalism
When reached for comment former Mayor Joel Keller, and Councilwomen Cathryn Freitas, Liz Rimbault and Mary Rocha, who voted to approve the statue, shared their frustration with the theft.
“I was an advocate for having public art be part of every subdivision and I was disappointed when I read that people had stolen a piece of public art that residents had paid for,” Freitas stated. “Nothing’s a free lunch. It’s just a shame.”
“They took the little girl to melt her down as bronze,” Rimbault posited. “That’s like when they were vandalizing the Cannery Lady Statue in Rivertown by stealing the plaques which were made of bronze. So, we replaced them with marble. One of them was cutup into several pieces and sold to a recycler but later recovered by the police. It’s now at the Historical Society Museum with the Cannery Lady display.”
“That was when Helen Meagher and Faye Curtis were heading up that effort,” she shared. “It was an entire art program that went up Lone Tree Way and came back down Hillcrest Avenue.”
“They included several mosaics on the wall on Hillcrest which used to get vandalized and were removed,” Rimbault continued. “Also, the silver sculpture (entitled, ‘Delta Moon’) at the (southeast) corner of Hillcrest and Lone Tree, the old man in the wagon pulled by a horse (entitled, ‘I Knew It Was Coming’ at Hillcrest and Laurel Road, which depicts him pointing at all the new people moving to town), the horses on the hill at Wild Horse Road (and Hillcrest, entitled, ‘The Spirit Rider of the Seasons’) the bears (on Hillcrest at Terrace View Avenue entitled, ‘Mother and Cub’) and the fountain (at the corner of Hillcrest and Deer Valley Road entitled either, ‘Elements’ or ‘Two Rivers’). Although, I don’t think that one was part of that art program.”
The City’s Art in Public Places program also included the blue lighted water drop, entitled simply, “Drop” at the entrance to Prewett Family Park where the Antioch Water Park is located, and the sculpture at the corner of Dallas Ranch Road and Rockspring Way possibly entitled either, “Delta Breeze” or “Delta Winds”.
“It’s just the state of the world, currently. Everybody’s hurting, thieves are running amok, we don’t have the police department at full strength and people are getting away with anything,” Rimbault added.
“It’s just too bad as it was an important part of Antioch’s past and future,” Keller stated. “Why people have to steal things it’s too bad. It’s part of what makes a city special, especially that particular statue. It was an uplifting statue and whoever stole it took that away from the public.”
Later, when reached for comment, Rocha said about the statue of the girl being stolen, “Oh, no. She was the cutest thing in it. She represented the future.”
“I’m sad. I go by there all the time,” she added.
See more of Antioch’s Public Art on the City’s website, here.
The Antioch Rotary Club will hold its 9th Annual BunnyHop 5K fundraiser on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at the Corteva (formerly Dow) Wetlands in Antioch. Proceeds will go directly toward scholarships and sports programs at AUSD high schools. The race will happen rain or shine!
All Finishers will receive a BunnyHop 5K Medal. First Place Overall in Men’s and Women’s divisions will receive a plaque, and a Gift Card. Age Group Medals will go to the Top 3 in each of these Age Groups: 9 and under, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, & 70 and up.
Registration is $40 plus, fees. The fee for our Annual Kids’ Kwik Dash is still $0. To register visit 9th Antioch Rotary Club Bunny Hop 5K and click the Sign Up button.
Instructions
Race start time is 9:00 a.m. Please park in the Antioch Marina lot at 5 Marina Plaza at the foot of L Street. The Bunny Hop Start Line is about 3/4-mile from the parking lot – please plan on a 20–30-minute nature walk. Plan on arriving at the Antioch Marina by 8:00 a.m. – there will be plenty of parking and porta potties.
For participatnts from the Antioch Unified School District – please arrive at the Antioch Marina by 7:30 a.m. to pick up your Race Bibs and GoodyBags – There will be a special line for AUSD-sponsored runners.
Antioch Bicycle Garden Conceptual Streetscape Plan to be located at Prewett Family Park on Lone Tree Way. Source: City of Antioch
Will also consider spending $225K more for Amtrak Station Upgrades, purchasing 2 armored rescue police vehicles, support for County’s African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub to locate in Antioch
Will first hold Budget Study Session on Public Works, Parks & Rec Departments
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the Antioch City Council will finalize the design of the Bicycle Garden at Prewett Family Park, discuss spending $225,000 more for the Amtrak Station Upgrades and purchasing two armored rescue police vehicles at a cost of up to $531,800. They will also consider supporting the County’s proposed African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub to be located in Antioch.
Antioch Bicycle Garden Streetscape Elements – Agility. Source: City of Antioch
Before their regular meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m., the council will hold a Closed Session at 4:00 p.m. for another discussion on the Public Employee Performance Evaluation of City Manager Bessie Scott. That will be followed by a Budget Study Session on the Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments at 5:00 p.m.
The Budget Session and regular meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 200 H Street, in historic, downtown Rivertown. It can be viewed via livestream on the City’s website or on Comcast local access cable Channel 24 of AT&T U-verse Channel 99.
Cheer teams from Antioch Charter Middle School (left), Dallas Ranch Cheer (center) and Park Middle School (right) won at the JAMZ NorCal Challenge Cup Competition on March 29th. Photos courtesy of Jazmine Vega Zanders
By Jazmine Vega Zanders, MSW
Three Antioch middle school-aged cheerleading squads went to JAMZ NorCal Challenge Cup Competition on Saturday, March 29th and all competed in the same division. All teams did a great job representing Antioch at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, CA.
The Dallas Ranch Cheer team members display their 2025 JAMZ NorCal Challenge Cup Competition championship banner, ribbons and rings.
Dallas Ranch Cheer powered by Vega Stars Elite took first place and went home with Champion Rings. Park Middle took second place, and Antioch Charter took 3rd.
A reverse mortgage can be a helpful tool for your retirement plan. There are generally two options. Options one is to refinance your existing home and receive a monthly payment to supplement your income. Option two is less well known and is to purchase another home with a reverse mortgage loan. In this scenario you either use equity from the sale of your home such as in a downsizing option or moving to a more affordable area. If you have the funds, you can also use those as a down payment, usually half the value.
You may not have planned on having a loan on your home in your senior years but it may be a good option for you if you can get pass the misinformation. There is a great deal of misleading “facts” about reverse mortgages and a large population that believe what they hear. I will address some of the misinformation.
The government will NOT Own your property. The government involvement is limited to insuring your loan with the actual lender much the same a traditional purchase loan.
You can absolutely sell your property if your situation changes. Just like any other loan you can sell the property pay off the loan, take your equity, and move on.
Nobody will take your property form your or your heirs.If there is equity in the property then your heirs can sell and take the equity or refinance the home to pay off the balance and keep the home. There are some timelines associated with the process but in my experience HUD is reasonable.
If the value drops they cannot come after you for the difference. A reverse mortgage is a non-recourse loan. This means that house is the only collateral and the lender or HUD cannot come after you or your heirs.
Your spouse will not have to move even if they are younger. A law was passed in 2014 that protects a non-borrowing spouse so they can stay in the home until they choose to move.
There are ways however instances in which you could be forced to sell. These include, if you do not occupy the property as your primary residence for 12 months, if you fail to maintain the property, if you do not pay necessary expenses such as property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, etc.
Itcan be confusing, but part of the application process is a mandatory counseling session with an approved non-partisan counselor. Their job is to answer any questions and get you more information. The fees can be higher than traditional mortgages and HELOCs. But often the benefits outweigh the costs. There are no loan payments, no stringent qualifications, and no required income level to qualify.
It is a fact that you are using your equity and therefore less money will be left to your heirs but that’s your choice to make and it may improve the quality of your golden years.
Be informed and know your options.
Patrick McCarran is a local Realtor and Broker DRE# 01325072. He can be contacted by phone or text at (925) 899-5536, pmccarran@yahoo.com or www.CallPatrick.com. An independently owned and operated office. In association with Realty One Group Elite DRE# 0193160. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Without a new buyer, the sun is setting on Mac’s Old House. Flyer and photo source: Mac’s Old House
Restaurant and property put up for sale
By Allen D. Payton
A 69-year-old Antioch institution and icon, Mac’s Old House, will close in June as owner and president Gary Noe and general manager and head chef Rick Cook have decided to throw in the dish towel and chef’s hat.
Locally famous for their dine-in, family-style prime rib and pasta dinners, as well as their very affordable cocktails, “The story of Mac’s stretches back to 1925 when Floyd ‘Mac’ McKinney built this house with his father. In 1956 he began to operate a bar out of a converted part of the home. He operated it for 17 years before selling it and retiring,” according to a report by onlyinyourstate.com. “The restaurant changed hands a few times after Mac, but today’s owner bought it in 1983.”
Noe and Cook, who have operated it on E. 18th Street, announced the closure in a post on Facebook Friday evening:
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of Mac’s Old House on Sunday, June 22, 2025.
We know this may come as a shock, but after 42 incredible years it’s time to hang up our hats. In 1983, Gary and Rick came together with a vision to create the Mac’s you know and love today. Gary purchased this old house with the dream of bringing Bertolas style to Antioch, and Rick, who spent over a decade at Bertolas in Oakland, joined him. We were welcomed with open arms and were a success from day one.
We have weathered recessions, a pandemic, and ever-changing times, and through it all, we have been fortunate to serve this community. We could not have done it without our loyal customers and our dedicated staff. This little house has served well over three million meals, and we are grateful for each and every one of you.
Photo: Mac’s Old House
As difficult as this decision is, all good things must come to an end. Rick and Gary have dedicated more than half their lives to Mac’s—along with many of our staff. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who has been part of our Mac’s family over the years. Their hard work and loyalty is what makes Mac’s Old House so special.
We hope this gives you time to visit and enjoy Mac’s a few more times before we say our farewell. Your stories and memories mean the world to us, and we look forward to celebrating with the community that helped make Mac’s an iconic and loved institution.
There is still hope for the future—Mac’s Old House and the property are for sale, meaning it’s possible that Mac’s could live on with new ownership and management. For inquiries, please contact Tatiana Guzman, Chromata Real Estate at 925-783-2480 or tatiana@chromataRE.com.
Thank you all for being the most important part of our story.
With gratitude,
The Mac’s Old House Family”
Prime Rib dinner. Photo: Mac’s Old House
Their menu also includes Extra Cut Prime Rib, Ribeye Steak, fresh Salmon and Red Snapper, Calamari Steak, Grilled Chicken Breast and Ground Round. Mac’s dine-in meals include hot baked bread, Minestrone soup, salad, pasta and fresh sauteed vegetables. See all of their menu at www.macsoldhouse.com and go get some while you still can!
