Antioch Police Officers investigate the crash of a BMW on Deer Valley Road Friday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2026. Photos courtesy of a resident who chose to remain anonymous.
“He ended up driving north bound into the oncoming south bound traffic. Luckily, he walked out of it.” – Sgt. Rob Green
By Allen D. Payton
A solo car collision in Antioch Friday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2026, was caused by what appeared to be the medical emergency of a 25-year-old male from Brentwood, according to Antioch Police Sgt. Rob Green.
According to Con Fire Captain George Laing, “The call came in at 12:10 pm at Deer Valley Road near Mammoth Way” down the street from the Kaiser Permanent Antioch Medical Center.
“I can confirm that we had a response of two trucks, an engine, a medic unit, a battalion chief, a medical supervisor and a medical helicopter,” Laing shared. “There was one person who was transported to John Muir Walnut Creek but by ground.”
Asked if there were any passengers in the car Green said, “Just a driver.”
“Luckily, he walked out of it, and Con Fire took him for only the medical emergency he was suffering from,” he added.
The young man was driving a four-door BMW which was severely damaged in the crash.
“He ended up driving north bound into the oncoming south bound traffic,” Green shared. “He hit trees on both sides of the car, and the passenger side of the car was sheared off. The way the car hit the trees, the ‘A’ pillars, which hold up the roof, were sheared off and we had to pull the roof up off of his head. Fortunately, the driver’s side door was already gone so it was easier to extract him from the vehicle. The fire department had to cut off parts of the dashboard to get him out of there.”
Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license
By Antioch Police Department
On Saturday, February 7, 2026, the Antioch Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) Checkpoint from 5pm to 11pm at an undisclosed location.
DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.
“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Sergeant Rob Green said. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety.”
The Antioch Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.
Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.
If new funding not identified such as if Nov. 2026 ballot measure sales tax increase doesn’t pass
East Contra Costa, North Concord, Orinda Stations could be shuttered
By BART
At the annual BART Board Workshop on Thursday, February 12, BART staff will present Directors with detailed plans for an alternative service framework if a November 2026 ballot measure fails and no other operating revenue source is identified. 10 stations could be closed by January 2027 and three segments by July 2027.
During the workshop, staff will outline the risks and tradeoffs for service and non-service reductions. Because rail has high fixed costs and low marginal savings, it is impossible to close the projected FY27 $376M deficit with service cuts and fare increases alone.
BART staff evaluated multiple aspects of service including routes, stations, headways, peak, evening, and weekend service and hours of operation. The proposed framework outlines, for the very first time, specific details including which stations would need to be closed due to a lack of operating funds and the recommended phased approach to triggering further cuts. The plan retains as many riders as possible, while still cutting service to realize savings. System support services would need to be reduced by 40% as cost savings from cutting service would be largely offset by the resulting lost fare revenue.
Source: BART
Phase 1 – North Concord, Orinda, Pittsburg Center Stations Would Close
The stations on the list for potential Phase 1 closure in January 2027 include the 10 lowest ridership stations: North Concord, Orinda, Pittsburg Center, Oakland International Airport, West Dublin/Pleasanton, Castro Valley, San Bruno, South Hayward, South San Francisco and Warm Springs/South Fremont.
In addition, the proposed Phase 1 proposal includes Service Frequencies of a 63% reduction in train hours; Reduced base schedule: 3-line base schedule each with 2 trains/hour and 240% more transfers (Percentage of trips requiring a transfer increases from 7% to 22%); Test retaining peak service: Peak Green/Red/Yellow trains operate in peak hours/direction only; and No evening service: the lines would Close at 9 PM (7 days) and Open at 8 AM (Saturday and Sunday).
Source: BART
Phase 2 – Yellow Line Service Would End at Concord Station, Pittsburg/Bay Point & Antioch Stations Would Close
The Phase 2 – July 2027: Segment Closure Scenario, Contingent on Phase 1 implementation, would result in a 70% reduction in train hours and 25% reduction in system miles; Segment closures would stop service on most system segments opened after 1976: Yellow line service would end at Concord, shuttering the Pittsburg/Bay Point and Antioch Stations; Orange line service would end at Bay Fair,; Blue line service would be discontinued shuttering the West Dublin/Pleasanton Station; Most stations south of Daly City would be closed except for direct service to SFO would continue for revenue retention; Service continues to Milpitas and Berryessa due to terms of BART/VTA agreements.
Board Vote at Feb. 26 Meeting
There will not be a Board vote at the workshop on February 12. After receiving feedback from Directors at the workshop, staff plans to return to the Board on Thursday, February 26, with a resolution to adopt a finalized alternative service framework that would be implemented if new funding is not secured.
You can participate in the workshop. You may join in person (2150 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94612) or via Zoom videoconferencing (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89025424156).
Written comments may be addressed to the BART Board in advance via email to Board.Meeting@BART.gov, using “public comment” as the subject line, before 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 11th.
For sex trafficking, pimping, pandering and firearms offenses
21 agencies participate in 7-day “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild”in conjunction with January’s National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Martinez, California – The Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force wrapped a major statewide effort to contact survivors of human trafficking, apprehend their exploiters, and file charges against the exploiters’ offenses.
In conjunction with National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January, the Task Force collaborated with 21 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and five victim services provider partners for Operation Reclaim and Rebuild. The operation, active from January 25th through January 31st, 2026, conducted five separate anti-human trafficking operations throughout Contra Costa County. Their efforts produced 11 arrests of suspected exploiters for sex trafficking, pimping, pandering, and firearms offenses. Several other contacts resulted in new investigative leads and corroborating evidence in human trafficking cases.
“Operation Reclaim and Rebuild demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting vulnerable members of our community and holding exploiters accountable,” District Attorney Diana Becton said. “The arrests made during this week-long operation send a clear message: human trafficking will not be tolerated in Contra Costa County.”
Twenty survivors of human trafficking were identified, all of whom had the opportunity to speak with a specialized human trafficking victim advocate and were offered services. Through collaborative efforts across multiple jurisdictions, three youth survivors were recovered in these operations, and investigations against their suspected traffickers are rapidly advancing.
The three suspects arrested are 53-year-old Malcom Ali Scott of Patterson (born 7/30/1972), 40-year-old Damiano Andres Wilson of San Carlos (born 8/20/1985) and 38-year-old Keith Earnest Haywood of Antioch (born 1/1/1988). (See Haywood’s charging document)
Scott and Wilson were arraigned Wednesday in Contra Costa Superior Court in Martinez, and Haywood is scheduled to be arraigned today, Thursday, February 5th at 1:30 pm in Martinez. The offenses center on human trafficking of a minor for a sex act, pandering of a minor, lewd acts upon a child, and various allegations related to possession of a firearm by a felon.
“Our priority is supporting survivors, ensuring they receive the help they need, and bringing their exploiters to justice,” said Task Force Director Katrina Natale.
Participating agencies included, in alphabetical order: Brentwood Police Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Church World Services, City of Pittsburg Code Enforcement Division, Community Violence Solutions, Concord Police Department, Contra Costa County Children and Family Services, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, Contra Costa County Major Crimes Task Force, Contra Costa County Probation Department, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Hercules Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, Pinole Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department, Richmond Police Department, San Pablo Police Department, Victim Witness Assistance Program (CCCDA) and Walnut Creek Police Department.
The Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Forceis co-led by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and Community Violence Solutions, a community-based 24-hour service provider for survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking. Founded in 2018, the Task Force aims to eradicate all forms of human trafficking in Contra Costa County through collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts to identify and support victims of human trafficking, to hold traffickers accountable through effective prosecution, and to educate on and prevent human trafficking.
Suspect Details
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the six-foot, one-inch tall, 295-pound Scott is Black and is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on $950,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 17 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 2 of Bay Superior Court in Richmond.
The five-foot, seven-inch tall, 155-pound Wilson is Black, and being held in the West County Detention Facility on $700,000 bail.
The six-foot, three-inch tall, 230-pound Haywood is Black and is also being held in the West County Detention Facility on the lower bail amount of $75,000.
According to recentlybooked.com, Wilson was arrested by Stockton Police on Jan. 29, 2025, for battery on a spouse, ex-spouse, date, etc. and false impersonation of another: special circumstances.
Information on the other eight suspects arrested was requested.
5:00 PM 2/5/26 UPDATE: However, Asregadoo responded, “We can’t release the suspects who were arrested until law enforcement brings cases over for review and a charging decision is made.”
Anyone with information on suspected human trafficking (sex or labor) or related crimes is encouraged to make a report to your local law enforcement agency or the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Tip Line (925) 957-8658. Those in need of supportive services are encouraged to contact Community Violence Solutions’ 24-hour hotline 1 (800) 670-7273.
Case No. 02-26-00290 | The People of the State of California v. Malcom Ali Scott
Case No. 04-26-00572 | The People of the State of California v. Damiano Andres Wilson
Case No. 01-26-00385 | The People of the State of California v. Keith Earnest Haywood
Will offer multiple services at former Community Outreach Center
“We’ve been working day and night to transform the place. The new sign just went up today” – Pastor Damon Owens
By Allen D. Payton
Genesis Church of Antioch leaders, Pastor Damon and his wife Shantell Owens invite you and your family to the Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening of the Genesis Family Life Center on February 7th from 12 Noon to 3:00 pm.
“We are fully persuaded that the Genesis Family Life Center located at 525 East 18th Street in Antioch will be a place of hope and transformation where lives will be changed for the better,” they said.
The center’s slogan, Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly… is from the Bible verse Micah 6:8 which reads, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
The Owens’ shared the following “list of culturally relevant wrap around services” available at the Center:
Grocery Share Program
After School Programs for At-Risk Youth
Senior Day Programs
Trauma Informed Care
Business Incubator for Entrepreneurs
Pop-Up Commercial Kitchen
Community Youth Development
Workforce Development
Prison Re-Entry
Transitional Housing
The new Genesis Family Life Center sign was erected on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, just in time for Saturday’s Grand Opening. All photos courtesy of Damon Owens
The building was purchased from Golden Hills Community Church, which operated their Community Outreach Center there, until last year, for $800,000, according to Golden Hills’ Executive Pastor Matt LaValliere. The two churches are part of the same 170-year-old Baptist denomination known as Converge, for which Pastor Damon is a member of the Board of Overseers of the PacWest division.
The loan docs were signed by Pastor Damon and Shantell Owens on Nov. 24, 2025.
The transition from the COC to the GFLC was quick as, according to Pastor Damon, they signed the loan docs on November 24th.
“Genesis qualified for the loan and closed escrow. God did it,” he exclaimed.
Volunteers from the church then began work the day after Thanksgiving to prepare the Center for opening.
“We’ve been working day and night to transform the place,” Owens shared. “We wanted to bring an open Silicon Valley-type feel for organizations to use the space to provide the wrap-around services.”
“The new sign just went up today,” Pastor Damon added.
Construction on the Genesis Family Life Center began the day after Thanksgiving, on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Asked if they would be serving meals to the homeless and those in need he said, “We’re going to be providing ready to eat groceries for those people without a kitchen, like those living in the Opportunity Village (transitional housing hotel), next door.”
“This building is just a shell; it is the people who will fill it that matter most,” the Owens shared. “Seeing the G.F.L.C (Genesis Family Life Center) transition from a vision on paper to a functional space has been a journey of faith and hard work.”
Show us how the Contra Costa Canal brings water to your home, school, or community, and why having reliable water every day matters. Your artwork could appear in the 2027 Contra Costa water District wall calendar — and winning entries earn a $75 gift card!
Entries due May 9.
Submit artwork by mail or in person the original, unfolded artwork and the completed consent form on the flyer to: CCWD Calendar Contest. 1331 Concord Avenue, Concord, CA 94520
Contra Costa Water District delivers safe, clean water to communities across central and eastern Contra Costa County in Northern California.
Formed in 1936 to provide water for irrigation and industry, we are now one of the largest urban water districts in California and a leader in drinking-water treatment technology and source water protection.
As a public water agency, we are committed to transparency and sharing information about our public services with many and varied audiences.
Vasco Road Delineator Work Area Map. Source: CCC Public Works Dep’t
By Kelly Kalfsbeek, Community & Media Relations Coordinator, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works Department
February 3, 2026, Brentwood, CA – The Contra Costa County Public Works Department will repair delineators to enhance safety on Vasco Road between Camino Diablo and the Alameda County Line on Monday, February 9, 2026, barring unforeseen circumstances.The work will occur from 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., weather permitting. The work will be scheduled to minimize impacts to commute traffic. Message boards will be posted to advise drivers of the scheduled work. A pilot car will be used to direct traffic through the work area. Drivers can expect delays of 20-30 minutes and are encouraged to use alternative routes.
About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:
The Contra County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) is responsible for the maintenance and operation of over 650 miles of roads, 79 miles of streams and channels, and over 150 County buildings. CCCPWD services include parks and recreation, sandbag distribution, flood control, road and facilities maintenance, and storm water management. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org.
For more information contact Jenna Castro (916) 900-6623.
Derek Baker with his valuable and rare Solano Swap Meet find of the Girls Tyme poster with Beyoncé’s photo (top right) and autograph (on orange hat below) inside his space at Rivertown Treasure Chest in downtown Antioch. Photos courtesy of Derek Baker.
Local treasure hunter buys it at Concord drive-in swap meet, offers it for sale at $4 million
Oakley resident Derek Baker is a part time vintage treasure hunter who frequents garage sales, estate sales and flea markets looking for interesting items he can flip for profit. He sells on eBay, through his own personal network and at a vintage co-op store in downtown Antioch called the Rivertown Treasure Chest. Comic books are his focus, but he tries to keep his mind open to anything that comes his way.
One Sunday morning, Baker was at the West Wind Solano Swap Meet & Public Market at the drive-in in Concord, when he noticed a pile of concert posters on the ground. The vender was the type of person who cleaned out homes or storage units and likely had no idea of what they really had. Many of the posters had the kind of art that would be associated with The Grateful Dead or other similar bands, which can fetch a good price. Some of the posters had inscriptions and signatures on them. So, he grabbed a stack, making sure to include all those with writing and got a bulk deal – 29 posters for $20.
Baker found his treasure at the Solano Swap Meet at the Westwind Drive-In in Concord.
They were almost all good posters that, in turn, can be sold for $10 to $30 each. One poster was even related to the Grateful Dead as it appears to have a signature from Vince Welnick, who played for the band at one time. However, the real gem was a pop culture piece of history from 1992. A poster of “Girl’s Tyme” – later known as Destiny’s Child – from their performance on Star Search.
The poster was printed and displayed for the live studio audience of Star Search to view as they attended the performance. It is unknown how many of these were actually printed for use inside the theater. Being that they lost that night, it is likely almost all of them, if not all the rest of them, were thrown in the trash when the theater was being prepared for the next evening’s performances. This particular copy appears to have been saved by one of the band’s managers at the time, Alonzo ‘Lonnie’ Jackson, who had several of the girls personalize it for him.
Beyoncé Knowles was 11 years old, and she already knew she was going to be a star. Not only did she sign her name but also added her autograph. Only one other girl even thought to sign her name, Ashley Tamar Davis. Two others inscribed notes but didn’t even put their names down. But Beyoncé already knew one day she would be the Queen B.
Baker’s poster appears to be the first signature and autograph of Beyoncé on any professional promotional material. Some baseball card collectors have told him that it’s like having the signature on a rookie card of one of the most popular players of all time.
The section of the poster with Beyoncé Knowles’ (now Carter) signature and autograph.
Baker purchased the poster in April 2025 and since then, he has had James Spence Authentication (JSA) certify that they believe it to be genuine. Star Search has since been rebooted on Netflix, making this a ‘Tymely’ treasure find. Being a piece of pop culture history for both Star Search and Beyonce, it may be a museum-worthy artifact. Baker thinks the new Hip Hop museum opening in the Bronx this year would be a good home.
The poster may be a ‘unicorn’ with no other piece to compare it to. How much is it worth? Is it a $1,000 poster or a $10 million poster? One suggestion is that he travel to Las Vegas to have it valued by Pawn Stars from the famous TV show which Baker said he might do.
The value or rather price he can get for the poster – which is the only true value of such an item – is unknown, for now. But Baker will eventually find out as he has it up for sale, asking $4 million. Maybe a super-fan from the BeyHive, as Beyoncé’s fanbase is known, or a museum benefactor will let him know.
Interested? Stop by and see Baker and more of his treasures for sale at the Rivertown Treasure Chest in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown at 306 G Street. Or make him an offer on ebay.
