By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

The investigation into the in-custody death at the Martinez Detention Facility is continuing. The investigation is being conducted by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Sheriff per the in custody fatal incident protocol.

On Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at about 11:09 PM, a Deputy Sheriff found an inmate who was unresponsive during a room check at the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF). The Deputy immediately called for jail medical staff to respond. Life-saving measures were performed on the inmate. An ambulance and the fire department responded to MDF. The inmate was transported to Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. He was later pronounced deceased.

The 65-year-old male inmate is identified as Leartis Johnson of Antioch. He was originally booked into the MDF on May 16, 2018 by the BART police. His original charges included attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery.

His death appears to be health related.

Eat, Drink & Love for Special Olympics Northern California. Antioch Police Department will serve as celebrity host and wait staff to raise funds for Special Olympics athletes. Tips received will go directly to Special Olympics Northern California. Join us and APD for this amazing cause on Tuesday, March 19 from 5-8 p.m. at Smith’s Landing Seafood Grill at 1 Marina Plaza in Antioch.

Lisa Dianne Norrell

Dear Editor:

It is a downright disgrace what happened, as explained below.

In early November 1998 the 15-year-old Pittsburg teenager Lisa Diane Norrell left a friend’s party held at the Antioch Veterans Hall by the City Park. She decided to walk all the way home by herself, a two-plus miles distance to her home. Sometime that evening she went missing and never reached her home, was found about 8 days later Murdered, and her body dumped/hidden outside a local landscaping business yard. The actual responsibles have yet to be concretely identified or charged. (See related articles, here, and here.)

My Reliable Informant (RI hereafter) shortly contacted me and reported knowing who did it and gave further credible information. The RI agreed to meet with and to disclose the vital information to Law Enforcement I knew would act on it (or so I thought then). Lisa’s case was one of several Murders in a two-month period that occurred from Bay Point thru Antioch (a potential killing spree, not serial killings).

I in-person spoke to the then CCC District Attorney’s Chief of Inspectors at that time, Gene Greenwald, and passed on the information, name of the RI, the RI’s phone numbers, etc. He did not contact the RI, so I then again contacted the Chief and questioned why he hadn’t on such serious matters. He said he would and guaranteed me that he would asap. After a week or two the RI said that the Chief and no one from there had contacted the RI at all. The RI reported to us that he/she then personally went to the District Attorney’s Office and wanted to speak with the Chief, or another Inspector, and was there to provide the information he/she had that would help solve the case. He was questionably ignored and just told to go home! The RI reported that he/she was never contacted by the Chief or anyone else thereafter.

After I had personally informed the then Chief Greenwald I had also contacted one of the Pittsburg Police Department’s Detectives assigned to Lisa Norrell’s murder investigation, giving that Detective the aforementioned RI information, info I was told, RI’s contacts info, etc. Neither the RI nor I were ever contacted by that Pittsburg Detective or anyone else from that agency’s assigned Investigations personnel. I do not know if either Antioch PD or the Sheriff’s Department assigned Investigators were ever given the information, etc.

Within other matters I had later communicated with and passed on formally to a Federal Agent (in early 2011) the aforementioned information, along with additional unrelated reported Police misconduct. Due to that agency’s secretive and confidential regulations whatever was or was not done in reference to those things I am uninformed of.

Recently there was a newspaper article published wherein a Pittsburg PD Detective, Jacob Stage, was assigned to pursue some cold cases – including the highlighted Lisa Norrell 20 years old Murder. I was very happy to see such and contacted him and provided to him the above information. I have come to know that he is actively pursuing the new and previously unknown potential leads and related information. I encourage anyone else who may have any information or leads that may finally help solve Lisa’s and/or anyone else’s still unsolved Murder case to contact that Detective and to provide whatever they can to help him in his pursuit of justice for the Victims, their families, friends, etc. His contact number is with the Pittsburg PD communications center. Do it, now!

NOTE – I have repeatedly called and left phone messages, and my contact info, for the East Bay Times Reporter Nate Gartrell (who co-authored the recent cold cases 12/28/18 article) and he too has failed to contact me in any way whatsoever! I suppose he is no longer interested!

Yes, I am more than angry! It is a tragic set of circumstances that very poorly reflects upon them and their apparent uncaring demeanors, ineptness, etc., that we all are exposed to in our daily lives. Kudos to PPD, Detective Stage, and the Antioch Herald’s Allen Payton for providing their obvious time, space, and interests in these matters.

Anonymous

Antioch

Editor’s Note: We don’t usually publish letters from anonymous sources. But, due to the nature of this matter and on-going investigation the letter writer has chosen not to be identified.

The Antioch Police Department holds the title of having one of the largest K9 units in the far East Bay. And as much esteem as the hard-working animals hold in the eyes of APD and their handlers, the K9 unit is often underfunded, which puts added stress on the K9s, their handlers and the Antioch Police Department at large.

What Is So Special About a K9 Unit?

Police dogs are believed to be able to do the work of several police officers.  K9 Officers are used to locate and subdue suspects, find missing people or objects, or detect illicit substances, such as drugs or explosive devices.  Dog teams are also able to search an area 50 times faster than a human and can detect a smell up to 500,000 times better, with certainty, than a human can.  Canines that are integrated into a police force are known for being incredibly hard-working, have a desire to cooperate and please their handlers, and have exceptional tenacity when it comes to fighting a criminal, working in detection or on a search and rescue mission.  Law enforcement professionals know that police canines can assist police departments in ways that no other tool can.  There is no doubt that a K9 unit is imperative to the success of most police departments.  This holds to be true for the Antioch Police Department

Why Are Costs High?

As much as police canine units bring value to active police departments, the cost of acquisition and on-going training for both the canines and their handlers can be expensive.   The average cost of a dog is $12,000. Like many police agencies, APD struggles when it comes to budgeting for a new dog. APD is able to budget the costs of care, training and transportation of each of their canines, but acquisition costs can be prohibitive.   During each canines’ 6-8-year career, their handlers manage many of the costs associated with care, including veterinarian visits, food costs and transportation, when the dog is not working.  However, those costs are handled by the police department when each dog is on active duty.

How Can We Help?

Last year, APD was able to add another canine to their K9 Department thanks to the fundraising efforts of a committed Antioch community member.  This year, the department is facing the pending retirement of another dog, meaning the efforts to fundraise for another canine has increased. This time around, the APD K9 Unit has designed a T-shirt as a part of a continuing fundraising effort for the K9 program.  The current design was created by the department’s six current handlers who are assigned the city patrol.  Each K9 partner’s name is incorporated into the design on the back of the shirts and sweatshirts. Although these shirts were originally designed to be sold only in-house, the interest from the community has been large.  Now the shirts have been made available to the public.  Each black shirt is available in a traditional cotton crewneck, a cotton pullover hooded sweatshirt, or a woman’s style V-neck.  There are also youth and tall sizes available.

Prices are as follows:

-Youth sizes S-XL = $15

– Men’s and Women’s styles and sizes S-XL = $20 (in both cotton or dry fit)

– Cotton hooded sweatshirts S-XL = $40

– For XXL or larger or tall sizes = $25 for shirts or $45 for sweatshirts

To order, complete the attached order form, and return, with payment to:

Antioch Police Department

300 L. St.

Antioch, CA 94509

Attn: Corporal Steve McElroy

Please make checks payable to APOA K9 Fund, or should you choose to use Venmo for payment, we are listed as “APDK9.” Please provide all of your contact information in the notes portion of Venmo if this is your method of payment, as well as submitting your form to the above address. If the order form submission is more convenient to email, it should be submitted to smcelroy@ci.antioch.ca.us

All proceeds from these shirts go directly to the APD K9 unit. The proceeds will be used for a variety of things from training, to equipment, to ultimately purchasing new dogs when the need arises.

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff-Coroner

Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston announces that a Coroner’s jury has reached a finding in the June 12, 2018 death of 52-year-old Phillip Andrew Jacobson of Antioch. The finding of the jury is that the death was a suicide.

Jacobson was arrested on booked into jail on July 11, 2017 by the Antioch Police Department. He was being held on eight counts of child molestation. (See related article).

The Coroner’s jury reached a unanimous verdict after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by hearing officer Matthew Guichard.

A Coroner’s inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving peace officers, is a public hearing during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding: Accident, Suicide
Natural Causes,  and At the hands of another person, other than by accident.

Artist sketches of the suspects from APD.

By Sgt. James Stenger, Antioch Police Investigations Supervisor

On August 19, 2018 at 3:27 am, Antioch Police patrol officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 2200 block of San Jose Drive for a shooting where two people were shot in the parking lot. Officers located 19-year-old Anthony Singh in his vehicle suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. A second male, whose identity being withheld for safety reasons, was located suffering from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Video was located at a gas station on Somersville Road in Antioch during the investigation. The video depicts a late model silver Dodge Charger with black racing stripes. The video also shows a male suspect who hides behind the Charger as Singh’s vehicle passes the gas station. The male enters the car, shuts off his lights and follows Singh to the murder scene.

Included is a still image of the suspect driver, wearing a distinct red sweater with what appears to be yellow silhouettes of people on the front of the sweater.

During the investigation it was determined that there were two suspects associated with the Dodge Charger and this murder. Two forensic sketches were developed during this investigation.

APD homicide investigators are asking the public for help in identifying the Dodge Charger or the suspects depicted in the forensic sketches. Please contact Detective Gonzalez at 925-779-6923 if you have any information regarding Anthony Singh’s murder or can identify the suspects or suspect vehicle.

This information is made available by the Investigations Division. Any further inquiries into the status of this case should be done through Detective Gonzalez at 925-779-6923. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Screenshot from ABC7 News report of suspect vehicle in the Caldecott Tunnel.

Fought with police; two officers struck, one dragged, another pinned by suspect vehicle; loaded gun, drugs found

By Sgt. Rick Smith, Antioch Police Field Services – Patrol

On Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019 at approximately 2:56 P.M., Antioch Police Officers located a reported stolen vehicle in the parking lot of Sycamore Square, located in the 1000 block of Sycamore Drive. Officers contacted the driver of the stolen vehicle, a 27-year-old Oakland resident, and attempted to detain him. He managed to enter the vehicle and began actively fighting with uniformed officers.

The suspect’s vehicle was blocked in by marked Antioch Patrol Units and he began ramming the stolen vehicle into the patrol cars. One officer was struck by the vehicle while attempting to detain the suspect and dragged by the vehicle. A second uniformed Antioch Officer was struck by the suspect’s vehicle and momentarily pinned between the stolen vehicle and a patrol car. The suspect was able to flee out of the parking lot. The officer in the door had managed to free himself just prior to this. Both Officers sustained minor injuries.

The suspect fled from marked Antioch Patrol units through city streets and onto the freeway westbound, eventually entering westbound Highway 24. The California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit with the assistance of Contra Costa County Helicopter Star 3. The suspect entered the Caldecott Tunnel westbound and collided with two uninvolved vehicles. This disabled the suspect’s vehicle and he fled on foot through the tunnel. A CHP Officer attempted to take the suspect into custody, but he violently fought and managed to break free, fleeing into a neighboring apartment community. As he fled, the suspect attempted to carjack several occupied vehicles.

Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Helicopter Star 3 was able to track the suspect as he fled. With the assistance of CHP, Orinda Police, the CCC Sheriff Helicopter, the suspect was located in a heavily wooded area near Tunnel Road and taken into custody. A loaded firearm was located in the suspect’s discarded clothing, along with a large amount of narcotics for sale in his vehicle.

He was eventually booked into the Contra Costa County Detention Facility in Martinez on a variety of felony charges. No civilians were injured during the collisions.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925)778-2441.You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.