Antioch Police work to remove submerged car at the Antioch Boat Launch on Fulton Shipyard Road, Thursday night, Aug. 23, 2018. Photos by APD

From Antioch Police Facebook page

Last night Antioch Police Officers and Contra Costa County Fire Department were dispatched to a vehicle that had driven into the water from the Fulton Shipyard boat ramp.

Officers arrived and saw the vehicle fully submerged approximately 30 yards into the water. Officers were able to get into the water and reach the submerged vehicle with the help of two local fishermen who were out on their boat.

The officers attempted to locate anyone inside the vehicle. Once the vehicle was removed from the water it was confirmed there was no one inside.

Everyone involved in the rescue attempt was a little cold but safe.

Golden State Killer suspect Joseph DeAngelo. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

All cases to be prosecuted in Sacramento County

Martinez, Calif. – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office announced today, Tuesday, August 21, 2018 that Joseph DeAngelo, the 72-year-old Citrus Heights man suspected of being the East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer, is charged with four felonies from the alleged attacks in Contra Costa County from 1978 to 1979. DeAngelo could face four life sentences plus ten years for his alleged crimes of kidnapping during the course of a robbery in Contra Costa County if he is convicted.

The Contra Costa D.A. announced that these cases will be prosecuted jointly by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office in Sacramento County. This joint prosecution includes cases from Sacramento, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Contra Costa Counties. An amended complaint, charging crimes from all six counties was filed today in Sacramento County Superior Court. A copy of the amended complaint is available here. (See counts 23-26 on pages 16-18)

In announcing this decision, District Attorney Diana Becton stated, “The horrific crimes committed by Joseph DeAngelo terrorized the victims and residents of Contra Costa County. For decades he evaded justice and devastated communities across California. Today, I am pleased to announce that four Contra Costa County cases are filed in Sacramento County. As we take another step today toward justice, our office will continue to support the victims and their families through this difficult time.”

DeAngelo now faces 13 felony counts of murder. Special circumstances sentencing enhancements include: multiple murders, murder during the commission of rape, robbery, and burglary, and personal use of a firearm. DeAngelo was charged today in an amended complaint with 13 felony counts of kidnapping to commit robbery with sentencing enhancements for personal use of a firearm and personal use of a knife during the commission of the offenses. He faces a minimum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

DeAngelo is expected to appear in Sacramento County for his arraignment on Thursday, August 23rd at 1:30 p.m. in Department 61 at the Sacramento County Superior Court.

Watch the video of the press conference by the six District Attorneys on YouTube.

Gus Kramer from his website.

By Allen Payton

In a brief interview while he is out of town on vacation, Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer responded to the censure against him by the Board of Supervisors at their meeting on Tuesday, August 14 over sexual misconduct allegations. (See related article).

The conversations and text between assessor Kramer and complainants were mutual and consensual, he explained. “In fact, most were initiated and or sent by one of the complainants,” Kramer stated. “No inappropriate physical behavior was claimed at all. No touching or asking out on dates of any kind.”

It was only after the two women were not chosen in civil service competition for a supervising appraiser’s position in the Assessor’s Office in 2014, were the complaints made.

“Only then did the conversations become unwelcome,” he said.

Upon being advised of their complaint, Kramer said he stopped all communication with both of the complainants, and they were advised of all of their options.

“None were pursued,” he pointed out.

The independent investigator, hired by the county in 2018, who is a female attorney in Oakland, determined there was no sexual harassment on Kramer’s part. The investigation was not conducted until this year, over three years later, when he was facing re-election.

According to Kramer, during that same time, and at least five years prior, one of the complainants had been lobbying members of the Board of Supervisors to be appointed to the position of County Assessor, should he retire or leave office midterm.

“She didn’t want to stand for election because she did not want to spend the money on a public campaign,” Kramer stated.

He ran unopposed in the June primary and won re-election for another four years.

The Board’s action occurred when neither Board Chair John Gioia nor Kramer could attend the meeting and defend himself or offer his point of view before the vote. He is considering suing the county.

By Sergeant John Fortner #3264, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau – Violent Crimes Unit

On Sunday, August 19, 2018 at 3:28 a.m., Antioch Police dispatch received a 911 call from a citizen reporting they had been shot. The victim told police that he was in the parking lot of an apartment complex at the 2200 block of San Jose Drive.

When officers arrived at the complex they located two 19-year-old males who had been shot. Both males were in the parking lot. One male victim sustained at least one gunshot wound and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The second male also suffered from a gunshot wound but, was able to run a short distance away and hide.

Officers began first aid as fire department paramedics were called to the scene. The surviving victim was stabilized and transported to a local area hospital where he was taken into surgery. No additional victims have come forward or have been identified.

At this time, evidence suggests that the victims were together when they were shot by an unknown subject. A portion of the parking lot was designated a crime scene and cordoned off. The Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau was notified and responded to the scene. This incident is currently under investigation, and evidence is being collected.

Any further information or additional press releases will be provided by the Investigations Bureau. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department at (925)778-2441. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Thanks for Your Feedback, Antioch!

If you’ve ever tried to run a household while living paycheck to paycheck, you know how risky it is. When every dollar is already spoken for, it’s hard to keep up with the regular maintenance and sense of security your home needs. Small problems eventually become big problems—until eventually, you’re in big trouble.

The front of your house has so much garbage the neighbors won’t talk to you. Your backyard becomes so filled with junk and weeds, your kids won’t go anywhere near it. And your kitchen? Nothing works, the appliances are constantly shorting out and the pipes are leaking into the subfloor.

Get the picture? Now imagine that your home is Antioch—a city that is operating very close to paycheck to paycheck.

The front yard of your Antioch “home” is everything you see while driving through the city—the graffiti, overgrown weeds and trash dumped along the sides of our roads. The backyard is the city’s youth violence prevention programs—or rather, the lack of them. The kitchen, that’s our downtown, where we thirst for new and exciting amenities, but where few residents go.  

Of course, you should feel safe in your “home.” But after missing a payment here and there, you’re surprised ADT hasn’t shown up to take their sign back. In Antioch, our sense of safety is shared with our police department, and like other city departments, it’s under resourced and understaffed.  

So how do we upgrade our Antioch “home”? Well, that’s up to you.

A year and a half ago, the Antioch City Council formed a two-member ad hoc committee to engage the community around our Quality of Life issues. The mission was to get extensive feedback from the community on the priorities the City should address and use that feedback to create long-term solutions for improving our quality of life – and fully reach our potential as a safe, clean and beautiful place to live.

Our first task was to conduct a professional community survey in late 2017. The survey results were presented to the entire city council at a special meeting on January 20, 2018. The goal of this survey was to gather statistically reliable information on the issues our community cares about. We then used the results as a foundation for engaging the community and gathering additional input, eventually collecting over 2,000 responses from residents. You may recall receiving an invitation through your water bill or social media to “Join the Conversation!” If you were one of many who responded, thank you.

Finally, we conducted a second community survey in June of 2018. We were thrilled to learn residents were more optimistic about the city’s direction than they were in prior years. With this data, we were able to finalize our recommendations.

Our recommendations were to renew Antioch’s existing sales tax at the one cent rate, and use the funds for the following priorities that you, the citizens, had identified for us:

●       Maintain 911 emergency response and maintaining the number of police patrol officers;

●       Ensure water quality and safety;

●       Enhance Antioch’s quality of life and financial stability;

●       Clean up parks and illegal dumping; and

●       Restore youth after school and summer programs.

On July 24, 2018 we presented our recommendations to the full council, and they were unanimously approved. In keeping with our tradition of listening to the public, the community had additional suggestions that were incorporated in several follow-up City Council meetings.  Measure “W” has been placed on the November 2018 ballot for your consideration. It’s important to point out that this measure requires independent financial oversight (which currently exists in the form of the Sales-Tax Oversight Committee and will continue) in addition to guaranteed annual independent audits to ensure funds are spent properly.

Our work has not been easy, and the results may not be perfect, but it’s a chance to let regular citizens set the course to where they believe the city should go. The ballot box has always been the most powerful tool voters have. With it, you have the opportunity to think big–and change the course of our city. Thank you again to residents who took the time to give us your views, which were incorporated into this measure, and remember to participate in the election this Fall.

Lamar Thorpe, Mayor Pro Tem         

Monica Wilson, Council Member