The suspects were pulled over along an onramp to Highway 4 and all the merchandise was recovered on Wed., July 26, 2023. Photos by Brentwood PD
One was on felony probation with history of arrests
By Brentwood Police Department
More stolen merchandise recovered during the arrest. Photo: Brentwood PD
On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, around 1:00 PM, Brentwood officers were dispatched to the Streets of Brentwood for a theft from The Children’s Place in The Streets of Brentwood that just occurred.
On their way to the call, a Brentwood officer located the vehicle as it was attempting to flee and contacted the two suspects, identified as 30-year-old Paulosha Glasper (DOB 08-17-92) and 25-year-old Amoni Ponnellfontain both of Antioch.
Interestingly enough, the officer who pulled them over recognized one of them from a previous theft report he took at the Streets of Brentwood.
Officers recovered approximately $2,200 worth of stolen merchandise. Glasper who is on felony probation for theft, also had a warrant for burglary.
All of the property was returned to the stores, and Glasper and Ponnellfountain were placed under arrest for organized retail theft, and other charges. They were both transported to the Martinez Detention Facility for booking.
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Glasper was still in custody on July 31 at the West County Detention Center and expected to be released on Aug. 2. According to localcrimenews.com she has a history of arrests dating back to 2017 by multiple agencies for crimes including grand theft, DUI and shoplifting.
A special thank you to the Streets of Brentwood employee who provided the description and license plate of the suspect’s vehicle, which led to officers locating them.
Cars can be seen doing donuts in the Antioch boat launch parking lot and at W. 2nd and L Streets next to the Antioch Police station in front of officers late nights in July, 2023. Screenshots from videos by a resident who chose to remain anonymous.
“It’s happening at 11 p.m., 1 a.m., 3 a.m. No one sleeps in downtown anymore.” – Joy Motts, former Councilwoman and Rivertown resident
Says Torres-Walker ignoring complaints although pledged to work with Motts on downtown issues; Torres-Walker claims she has been in contact with chief and Rivertown residents
Barbanica setting up meeting with chief, proposes hiring retired cops to supplement APD
By Allen D. Payton
Rivertown residents are fed up with the donut-spinning cars in downtown Antioch intersections and at the boat launch parking lot at the end of L Street near the police station, almost every night. They want something done about it and are considering taking things into their own hands. (See videos here and here)
Former Councilwoman Joy Motts said their complaints have fallen on deaf ears as Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker in whose District 1 the illegal activities are occurring because “she never responds”. So, Motts reached out to District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica who is working to set up a meeting with residents and APD.
“This goes on every night, sometimes for hours… 11pm, 1am, 3am. No one sleeps in downtown anymore. It’s waking people up. And it happens during the day,” Motts said on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. “When they take off, they run through every stop sign. They are going to kill somebody, maybe one of my family or my neighbors. We are at our wits end.”
“Then yesterday, three motorcycles raced down W. 2nd Street by the (old lumber company) lot going 80,” she continued. “They’re in our neighborhoods during the day. Almost every intersection is covered with tire marks. It’s just lawlessness.”
“Because we’re a grid they just stream though the intersections running stop signs,” Motts stated. “Two of my daughter’s friends have been hit in their cars by people running stop signs. They got broadsided.” “They come down here nightly and it’s just terrorizing the whole downtown neighborhood,” she shared. “They spin around in the boat launch parking lot, and we can hear them blocks away. We’ve called the police and they say we’ll let the others on patrol know about it.”
Multiple tire marks can be seen in the boat launch parking lot at the end of L Street and in the intersection of W. 2nd & L Street next to the Antioch Police station on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Motts Suggests Closing Access to Marina Area Parking Lots at Night
“I think they need to shut down the Marina and Smith’s Landing and boat launch parking lots at night. Ultimately, it’s a quality-of-life issue.
Asked if she’d contacted Torres-Walker who represents the area, Motts said, “she never responds to emails from any of us down here.”
“People are talking about hiring an attorney. People are talking about taking matters into their own hands which is a no-win situation and bad things could happen,” the former councilwoman shared. “They do this because they know they can with the reduced police force and there’s little to no enforcement.”
She believes the reduced police staffing level is a major contributor to the problem with currently 99 sworn officers on the force. That’s due to 16 vacancies of the 115 sworn approved in the budget. Plus, there are still 35 officers on paid leave due to the two investigations, including the one by the FBI and DA that began last year, and this year’s with the racist text scandal.
Motts said she contacted Barbanica who has suggested hiring retired police officers and a private security company.
“I’ve requested a meeting with the chief. Barbanica is working to get a meeting together to find solutions,” she added. “We need help.”
“My family has been here for over 100 years. and this is the first time we’re asking, ‘can we stay here?’” Motts exclaimed. “We’re afraid. When we slow down at a stop sign, we’re scared someone is going to fly through. We also hear gunfire a lot.”
“We pay taxes. We love our community. We love our downtown. We do events through Celebrate Antioch. We’re trying to improve things. But downtown, right now, is chaos,” she added.
Regarding “hiring of police personnel. We obviously have a shortage of police personnel, right now. In my opinion there are options,” he said. “It’s going to take years to get back up to staffing levels. He asked to have “a discussion…about hiring retired police officers that left in good standing. They can come in as non-sworn personnel. It’s much cheaper. There are no benefits involved. Essentially, they’re part-time employees. They can pick up the slack in investigations…in cold calls that come in, to free up the officers that are working the street for hot details.”
The department added two officers to the force in the past six months. Filling the vacancies at that rate will take four years. Plus, depending on how many officers are terminated following conclusion of the investigations, it will be more years to get to the 115 sworn officer positions.
When reached for comment Barbanica confirmed he’s been in contact with Police Chief Steve Ford to set up a meeting with Rivertown residents to discuss and find solutions to the challenges they’re facing.
Torres-Walker Pledged to Work With Motts on Downtown Issues
After last fall’s election Torres-Walker who committed to Motts to work with her to help the Rivertown area. As previously reported, following the first-hand recount of the ballots, Torres-Walker said to Motts, “I don’t think I can do this without you. You love Antioch and I want to partner with you. I don’t know what people downtown want. You do. I want you to tell me, advise me and I want to work with you.”
The City’s mayor pro tem was asked by voicemail and email Friday evening and Saturday morning if what Motts said was true, that Torres-Walker hasn’t responded to emails from Motts and other Rivertown residents about the issues affecting them. She was also asked if she had contacted any of the residents to meet with them and the police department to address their concerns.
In response Torres-Walker wrote Saturday morning, “I have been in communication with the chief and a handful of residents who live in and near the housing development on 4th Street near the police department regarding these kind of issues and gun violence.”
Already bonded out of custody; others from Oakley, Brentwood
Public advisory on keeping your vehicle safe
By Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard
On July 25, 2023 at 6:10 PM Oakley Police officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Yellow Rose Circle for an attempted vehicle theft that had just occurred. The victim of the case interrupted the theft and the suspects fled the area. The victim followed the suspects and called us to provide details on what had happened and to update us on the whereabouts of the suspects. Our officers made contact with the suspects and stopped them. It was determined the suspects broke a window of the victim vehicle, which happened to be a Jeep equipped with a 6.4-liter engine. Also, in the suspects’ possession were blank, programmable Dodge key fobs.
There is currently a widespread problem, extending well outside of the Bay Area, involving Dodge/Jeep/RAM products that are primarily equipped with 6.4-liter engines. These products have become highly sought after by thieves for the purposes of using them in exhibition of speed events such as sideshows and these stolen vehicles have been known to be used to commit other crimes and they have often been documented to be involved in police pursuits.
A typical theft involves the suspects breaking a window to gain entry into the vehicle. The suspects then manipulate the vehicle into neutral so they can push it down the road a little ways. The thieves are equipped with a smart phone or tablet that allows them to tap into the onboard diagnostic electronics of the vehicle and they are able to manipulate the vehicle into starting up and driving away without the use of the actual electronic key that was supplied with the vehicle. Once the vehicle is in possession of the thieves they can program actual electronic keys to the vehicle and those keys can then be used just like the key that was supplied with the vehicle.
“I would normally not put such specific information out regarding the tactics and tools thieves use to steal because I do not want to be part of the “criminal education program”. This issue however, has become such a problem that I want potential victims to be aware of how vulnerable they are to this type of a theft. I encourage people with these types of vehicles to safeguard their vehicles by doing any one (or more) of the following:
Park in the garage
Equip your vehicle with battery disconnect devices (kill switch)
Use prominently displayed steering wheel locks
Use brake locks
If possible use another vehicle to block the preferred vehicle in place
Equip your home with legitimate security light/camera systems
Place hidden GPS devices in your vehicles (Apple air tags)
I am identifying the suspects in this case as Anthony Parson (21, of Oakley), Kyle Michael LaCosta Schmidt (20, born 1/20/2003 of Brentwood) and Brian Wayne Ray (20, of Antioch). All three suspects were booked into jail for this offense. Our investigators and the members of our Special Services Team are investigating this trio to see if their involvement goes into the much larger theft ring of these preferred vehicles, which again includes all 6.4-liter equipped Dodge/Jeep/RAM vehicles.
According to localcrimenews.com, Parson was also arrested by Contra Costa CHP on May 27, 2023 for DUI with Blood Alcohol Conent above. 08
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, LaCosta is 6’2”, Hispanic and was still in custody on Wednesday, being held on $20,000 bail. According to localcrimenews.com, LaCosta Schmidt was also arrested by Concord PD on May 29, 2021 for reckless driving.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, Ray is White and bonded out of custody Wednesday night, July 26 at 10:43 p.m.
I will update the community on this issue if any developments occur. I know hard working residents buy their Chargers, Challengers, Hellcats, Scat Packs, Jeeps and RAMs to enjoy and use. I do not want your daily lives interrupted by criminal activity, I want you to continue to enjoy your vehicles so please take extra security measures as we work to determine the depth of this crime ring and work to bring it to an end. I highly encourage owners of these types of vehicles to contact their Dodge/Jeep/RAM dealer to get a RF Hub Module Software Update. I am informed this is the best factory preventative measure, for this problem, currently available.
Spiked in June to 100 motor vehicle thefts, on increasing trend
By Allen D. Payton
According to Antioch Police Public Information Liaison Sgt. Price Kendall on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, from July 6 through 22, there were 42 reported stolen vehicles from all parts of the city. Most of the vehicles that were stolen were Hyundai’s and Kia’s.
However, one of the vehicles reported stolen is a Buick LaCrosse owned by Antioch resident Jennifer Grey. According to an NBC Bay Area TV news report on Monday the theft occurred during her visit to a veterinarian.
In a post on her Facebook page on Monday, Grey shared photos of her car and wrote, “STOLEN!-SHARE-STOLEN! 2017 Buick LaCrosse PREMIUM all-wheel drive, only 27,000 miles on it, stolen from the parking lot at East Hills Veterinary Hospital in Antioch ca.on Buchanan on 7/21/23 at around 4:40 p.m. Blue ice metallic, blacked out windows and a small skull with blue reflective eyes on the rear window. It’s got deep butterscotch leather interior, 27,000 Mi on it, and little black reflective protectors on the inside where you open the door so you don’t scratch the door handle nook area . License plate TRUCKUR although plate is probably gone now. You will not see another car like this one around the Bay Area. The police and I happen to believe that this car will not be dismantled it will be sold so the likelihood of it traveling the Bay Area freeways is fairly great. If you see this car please call 911 Antioch ca. police immediately and give the above time and date information and then let me know. Thank you for your time and attention I really appreciate it.”
Source: APD
According to the Antioch Police 2023 Crime Statistics so far, this year, there have been 405 motor vehicle thefts through June. They averaged 61 per month through May then increased to 100 vehicle thefts in June.
The 2022 Crime Statistics show there were a total of 62 motor vehicle thefts in July 2022 and a 650 in the city last year. That was an increase over 2021 in which there were 552 vehicle thefts in Antioch, in 2020 when there were 573, as well as the 610 in 2019 and 602 in 2018.
The most vehicle thefts in the city in the past 10 years was in 2013 with 1,217, followed by 1,096 in 2021, 1,024 in 2015, 1,023 in 2014, 988 in 2017, and 2016 with 916 motor vehicle thefts.
A Coast Guard helicopter flies over the river searching for the missing boater along the Antioch waterfront Friday, July 21, 2023. Screenshot of video by Allen D. Payton
Recovered Monday morning; conflicting information from agencies of what occurred; no investigation by APD
By Allen D. Payton
According to Antioch Police Public Information Liaison Sgt. Price Kendall, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, the body of the man missing in the river last Friday during a boating mishap was found.
Con Fire spokeswoman, Assistant Fire Chief Tracie Dutter said, “Someone reported a possible deceased male on the rocks near Fulton Shipyard Road on Monday at 7:48 AM. We were requested by PD to assist in recovering the body. We were on scene assisting at about 8:20 a.m. and by 8:40 a.m. the recovery was completed.”
According to Deputy Gonzalez of the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office, the man was identified as 58-year-old Douglas Cross from San Leandro, based on his driver’s license information.
As previously reported, according to Jimmy Lee, Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Director of Public Affairs, “On Friday, July 21, 2023, at about 1:51 PM, deputy sheriffs from the Marine Patrol Unit were dispatched to assist the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the United States Coast Guard with searching for a missing boater who was apparently trying to push his 20-foot vessel to shore near the Fulton Shipyard on the San Joaquin River. The U.S. Coast Guard and Sheriff’s Office drone team were also involved in the search. The missing boater, who is not being identified at this time, was not located. (See video)
The Marine Patrol Unit continued the search on Saturday, he added.
However, according to Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Schnabel, “We suspended the search after searching until around 7:30 pm. One man had fallen overboard from a recreational boat and the other man jumped in after him attempting to get him out of the water leaving the vessel unmanned. Neither had life jackets. One man was recovered by a Good Samaritan and taken to a local boat ramp.”
Asked if an investigation was being conducted to determine what occurred and if the other man had been interviewed to get his side of the story, Sgt. Kendall responded, “No investigation is being conducted by the Antioch Police Department.”
Lee was asked the same question but did not respond prior to publication time. Please check back later for any updates to this report.
Brentwood Police arrested three teens during a burglary in progress on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Photo: Brentwood PD
Two out of custody with no charges filed; Antioch teen’s father of same name has history of arrests from 2014-2023
By Brentwood Police
On Wednesday afternoon, July 19, 2023, Brentwood Police officers were called to a residence located at the 700 block of Allbrook Court for a burglary in progress. When officers arrived to the residence the suspects fled.
With the help of a citizen witness, officers were able to successfully locate the suspects, identified as 18-year-old Keoni Mikala Temple, Jr. of Antioch, 19-year-old Rashad Lewis of Brentwood, and a 16-year-old juvenile. All three were placed under arrest for burglary.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, as of Friday, July 21, both Temple and Lewis were out of custody with no charges filed.
According to localcrimenews.com, Temple’s father, Keoni Mikala Temple, Sr. has a history of arrests dating back to 2014 including three arrests by three different agencies in March of this year.
We want to thank the alert citizen who provided us the critical information needed to ensure all involved were arrested. We always appreciate when our citizens help us out. This is a friendly reminder to our community, if you see something, say something!
NOTE: Apologies but while the Herald was experiencing email challenges from a systemwide problem with the hosting service last week, this information was sent by APD Public Information Sgt. Price Kendall to another email provided to him but was not seen until today. The information is accurate as of July 19.
In addition to the previously reported fatal shooting of a man in Antioch’s downtown early Saturday morning, July 15, 2023, there were three other shootings reported by police that weekend.
One man arrested following shooting during domestic dispute Friday night July 14
On Friday, July 14, 2023, at approximately 11:36 pm, Antioch Police officers were dispatched to the area of Putnam and D Streets on the report of shots fired. Officers arrived on scene and learned a single shot was fired after two males were arguing during a domestic dispute. The male who fired the shot was located along with the firearm used. He was arrested for felony domestic violence and assault with a weapon. It was also learned the man had a felony warrant for $200,000.
44-year-old man shot multiple times Saturday morning July 15
On Saturday, July 15, 2023, at approximately 2:51 am, a Shotspotter notification alerted in the area of Lemontree Way that seven rounds were fired. An hour later, a 44-year-old male walked into Sutter Delta Medical Center with four gunshot wounds. No suspect has been identified and the investigation is still on-going.
52-year-old man shot by female Sunday evening July 16
According to Con Fire spokeswoman Assistant Chief Tracie Dutter, on Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 7:13 p.m., personnel responded to the Babe Ruth baseball fields off Auto Center Drive in Antioch and rendered aid. According to Sgt. Kendall, at approximately 7:14 pm, Antioch Police fficers were dispatched to the Babe Ruth baseball fields located at 1550 Auto Center Drive on the report a male was suffering from a single gunshot wound. Officers arrived on scene and located a 52-year-old-male with a wound to his left leg. A preliminary investigation revealed he was shot by an unknown female. The investigation is still ongoing, no arrests have been made, and the motive is unknown.
Screenshot of KTVU Fox2 interview with the APOA’s attorney Mike Rains on Thursday, July 20, 2023 and Mayor Lamar Thorpe who responded Friday morning.
Rains says chief had “decision-making…taken away from him”; Thorpe calls it “completely laughable“, an “attempt to spin“; claims police officers have committed “moral crimes” before investigation is completed
By Allen D. Payton
Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe sent a scathing letter on Friday, July 21, 2023, to attorney Mike Rains, the who represents the Antioch Police Officers Association, attacking him for comments he made blaming the mayor for Police Chief Steve Ford’s sudden retirement. Ford announced his departure on Wednesday, effective August 11th. Rains made his comments in an interview with KTVU Fox2 interview on Thursday. Thorpe posted a copy of his letter on his official Twitter feed and on his official Facebook page Friday morning.
During the news report Rains, of the law firm Rains Lucia Sterns St. Phalle and Silver, PC, told the reporter, “This department is in turmoil and he’s the one who could have brought it out of turmoil. It’s going to be hard to find somebody to do that, now.”
“These important decision-making things that any police chief should be making, having been taken away from him,” Rains stated. “I think he just got finally tired of not being able to make the decisions to guide both the investigation and the department the way he wanted to do.”
In that same report, Thorpe was also interviewed and said, “One individual or one role does not define the entire city. We have to deliver on the promises that we told people we would deliver on and part of that is building trust with the community and having a police department that serves all the people of our city.”
Thorpe’s Facebook post of letter to Rains on July 21, 2023.
In his Facebook post, Thorpe wrote, “This morning I had an encouraging conversation with Chief Steve Ford concerning his recent retirement announcement. While Chief Ford and I are in regular communication, I was traveling back from a transportation conference in Birmingham, Ala on Wednesday.
I thanked Chief Ford for his service and he reassured me that the reforms we’ve started have built a strong foundation for new leadership.
There will be local blogs and a paid lawyer for the officers involved in the racist text messaging scandal who try to politicize his retirement announcement.
Attached is my open-letter to said paid lawyer.”
Thorpe letter to Rains dated July 21, 2023. Source: Lamar Thorpe
Thorpe’s tweet of the letter reads, “Late [sic] from Mayor Thorpe to attorney for officers involved in racist text messaging scandal.”
Thorpe’s tweet on Twitter of his letter to Rains on July 21, 2023.
In his letter to Rains, Thorpe wrote, “Your attempt in the press to make Chief Steve Ford’s retirement about me is completely laughable, as it is clear you are seeking to make the Antioch Police Department’s current state of affairs about politics. It isn’t. It is about right and wrong.
As a paid representative to the racist [sic] that violated the public’s trust, I understand that your role is to protect them from the moral crimes that they committed against our residents. However, the moral crimes that your clients have committed are so egregious, and so outside of normalcy that it required a leader with internal fortitude to bring order to the Antioch Police Department.
To the city council, Chief Ford was that person. He came in with the belief that he would change the ‘hearts and minds’ of the members of the Antioch Police Department. However, racism is so entrenched within the halls of the Antioch Police Department that the Chief himself was freely labeled a ‘gorilla’ in text messages among officers (referring to the latest 128-pages of texts filed in court last week). Do you think this behavior is worth defending? A culture that is so toxic that they denigrate their leader in the most vile way by which a black man can be referenced.
For all of your attempt to spin in the press, keep in mind: I wasn’t the person that found the texts, nor was I the one that released the texts and the names of your clients. That honor goes to the FBI, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, and the Contra Costa County Superior Court. Are these agencies anti-police? Anti-law enforcement? Of course not, because they were doing the right thing and upholding their duty to the public.
In fact, the only people that seem to benefit from Antioch’s current moral crisis are people such as yourself who are paid handsomely to defend the indefensible. You hide behind policies and procedures without ever caring about how your actions hurt the residents of the city of Antioch, or the honest officers that have never violated the law whose names are being dragged in the mud because your clients lack the honor to take accountability. I’d say their lack of honor, and your protection of them is the most anti-police behavior I have ever witnessed.
That is one of the key differences between you and me. I do not get paid to serve as mayor. I serve because I love my community, and I will always fight to ensure that the residents of MY city are able to live in a city where they can prosper, and not feel marginalized by the very institutions their tax dollars uphold.
I am not writing this letter for a response from you as your words mean ABSOLUTELY nothing to me. I am writing it so that my community can hear the facts directly from me.
Respectfully,
Lamar A. Thorpe
Mayor, City of Antioch
——————
Rains’ Firm Represents Officers in Text Scandal Investigation, Not in Lawsuit
When reached for comment about Thorpe’s letter Rains said he is not representing the officers involved in the text scandal lawsuit.
In fact, the City through City Attorney Thomas L. Smith’s department, has hired and is paying for the attorneys representing and defending the current and two former police chiefs, and one former and five current officers named in the federal lawsuit.
But the attorneys in Rains’ office are with the officers during the interviews by the City-hired outside investigator for the text scandal investigation which is about possible violations of department policies and procedures.
Rains added, “Had the mayor left the chief alone he would have been able to do his job. I’m sorry to see him go. All of his discretionary powers were taken away.”
Thorpe Paid Stipend as Mayor
The mayor was incorrect in one of his comments toward the end as he and each councilmember receive a $1,600 per month stipend as well as benefits. Thorpe was challenged on that comment and asked if he would like to correct the record. He responded, “There’s no record to correct, I don’t get paid a salary, I get a stipend that is less than the annual salary of a minimum wage worker in California. Rains earns a salary, I do not.”
Thorpe was also asked to respond directly to Rains’ accusation that the mayor prevented Ford from doing his job. He was asked if anything Rains said is correct, and if at any time during Chief Ford’s tenure he attempted to exert any pressure on him or through the city manager regarding carrying out his duties for the department.
Thorpe responded, “My direct response to Rains is my letter, it speaks for itself.”
