By Sergeant Dimitri Barakos, Antioch Police Community Policing Bureau

On Saturday, September 15, 2012 at approximately 2:30 a.m., Antioch Police officers were dispatched to a local hospital for the report of a woman who was brought into the emergency room suffering from three gunshot wounds. The injuries are not life threatening.

Upon arrival at the hospital officers questioned the 20-year-old female and her friends. They could only say that the shooting occurred on an unknown street in Antioch. Officers located evidence of a shooting in the area of the 2100 block of L Street. It is unknown if this shooting scene is related to the shooting of this victim who is an Antioch resident. Officers collected evidence at the scene and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information may text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

By Lieutenant Pat Welch, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau

On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 7:18 p.m., the Antioch Police Department dispatch received a call of a shooting that had just occurred on Lemontree Way. As officers arrived on scene they located a 31-year-old Antioch man suffering from a bullet wound. As police were arriving on scene other witnesses reported the shooting actually occurred in the parking lot of a shopping center at 1118 Sycamore Drive in Antioch.

Witnesses at that location stated there were several black male adults in some sort of altercation in the lot just prior to several shots being fired. Witnesses also stated they thought two people may have been shot and one fled in a vehicle that had left the scene.

As Antioch dispatch was checking with local hospitals, they were notified a second gunshot victim, a 24-year-old Antioch man, had been brought into the emergency room. Neither victim’s wounds were life threatening. The investigation is ongoing and nothing else is being released at this time.

Anyone with information may text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

By Sergeant Quintero, Antioch Police, Field Services Bureau

On Saturday night September 8, 2012 at about 11:37 p.m., a 30-year-old Pittsburg man, driving a 2006 Mercedes sedan, was traveling westbound on Delta Fair Blvd. in Antioch, in the number one lane at or below the speed limit when a pedestrian walked southbound in front of his car from the north curb.

The pedestrian, a 51-year-old San Francisco man, was trying to get back to a party he was attending in the middle of the block and did not walk to a legal crosswalk to cross the street. The man who was struck by the car appeared to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision but the driver did not.

The pedestrian was transported to John Muir Medical Center by AMR with severe but non-life threatening injuries.

The names are being withheld pending further investigation and notification of family members.

By Lieutenant Diane Aguinaga, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau & Allen Payton, Publisher

On Monday, August 27, 2012 at 11:14 p.m., Antioch Police officers were called to the report of a domestic dispute at 2301 Sycamore Drive in Antioch, where a gun was involved. Officers arrived and located the suspect with the gun getting into a vehicle and leaving the scene.

When officers tried to stop the suspect, he fled in the vehicle, leading the officers on a pursuit through Antioch. During the pursuit, the suspect rammed/struck at least two police patrol cars before crashing and fleeing on foot through backyards in a residential neighborhood. The suspect eventually ended up on the roof of a house on Wainfleet Court where he was confronted by officers. The suspect, still in possession of the firearm, pointed it at officers on scene, who in turn fired at the suspect, striking him at least one time. The suspect died at the scene.

A woman living in the neighborhood posted the following on Facebook, after the incident – “There was a horrible incident in my neighborhood. In fact it occurred in my court. There was a car chase with police and the suspect was climbing over fences in my neighborhood. The police called me to let me know they were searching for a suspect possibly in my backyard. They said I should lay low. there were helicopters overhead. The[y] finally spotted the guy on a rooftop in my court and gun fire ensued. The suspect was shot and killed on the roof. My neighbor thought she was safe in her house but 6 bullet holes went through her walls and her children were grazed by bullets. Luckily, they didn’t require any medical attention.”

This information is very preliminary, as a joint investigation with the Contra Costa DA’s Office has been initiated. This is standard with officer involved shootings in Contra Costa County.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective James Stenger at (925) 779-6894.

By Sergeant Steve Bias, Antioch Police Narcotic / Property Crimes

Cedric West

On Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at 7:00 A.M., Antioch Police utilizing their SWAT team served a search warrant in the4900 block of Parkgreen Circle in Antioch. The search warrant was the culmination of an investigation involving the sales of narcotics from the same residence.

During the service of the warrant, a subject tossed a loaded handgun out of a bedroom window in an apparent attempt to keep it hidden from police. A hidden shotgun inside the house was also located. The ownership of the firearms is still under investigation to determine if they are stolen.

Frederic West

All three were transported and booked at the Martinez Detention Facility.

Anonymous tips may be texted to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword ANTIOCH in the body of the narrative.

Patrick West

By Sergeant Quintero, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau

On Friday, August 17, 2012 at about 5:20 a.m., a 50-year-old male Antioch resident was traveling westbound on E. 18^th Street near St. Claire Drive in his Dodge pickup truck. At that time, the truck struck a 34-year-old female Antioch resident on a bicycle in the westbound lane of E. 18^th Street.

The drive of the truck stopped and phoned 911 for assistance. The bicyclist sustained severe injuries and was flown to John Muir Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries. The names of the involved parties are not yet being released pending notification of family members.

The driver of the truck is cooperating with the investigation and did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the collision.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or has additional information is requested to call the Antioch Police Department at (925) 778-2441 or call the investigating Officer, Robert Solari, at 779-6000 x82372 and leave a message.

By Sgt. Tom Fuhrmann, Antioch Police Field Services Division

On Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at approximately 7:44 p.m., the Antioch Police Department received calls of a large fight in the 700 block of L Street and then a report of shots being fired and a subject down. Upon arrival, officers found a 19-year-old man down in the street with several gunshot wounds. It is unclear at this time who shot the victim or what his level of involvement in the fight was when he was shot.

At the time of the shooting, a Tri Delta Transit bus was northbound on L Street without any passengers on board. The bus was subsequently struck by several bullets, as well.

The 19 year old victim, Antioch resident, was transported to an area hospital where he was treated for his wounds, which were non-life threatening, and subsequently released.

Any further information or additional press releases will be provided by the Investigations Bureau at (925) 779-6939. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH

By James Ott

Antioch’s crime rates are up while arrest rates are down, said Police Chief Allan Cantando during his mid-year report to the City Council at their July 24^th meeting.

According to the report violent crime in Antioch is up 45 percent and property crimes have climbed by nearly 60 percent.

Cantando’s presentation compared crime rates from January through June of 2011 with crime rates from those same months in 2012 and it appears that every major crime statistic reported has increased, and in some cases substantially.

There were three homicides from January to June last year and four reported from those same months this year. Rape cases have gone up 100 percent from eight cases to 16, with robbery and aggravated assault cases rising by 34 and 50 percent, respectively.

It is a similar case for non-violent crimes with burglary up 45 percent and auto-theft up 30 percent. Other theft cases have totaled 1023 – up from just 504 from this same time a year ago.

Even arson cases are up 21 percent from 14 this time last year to 17 in 2012.

Despite those increases in criminal activity, Antioch Police have arrested fewer criminals so far this year. From January to June 2011, 2444 arrests were made. From January to June of this year, police made just 1970 arrests – or 19 percent fewer arrests of adults and juveniles.

Chief Cantando said that he believes part of the increase in crimes is the result of increased reporting of criminal activity by the public. Since June 23, 2011 Antioch citizens have been able to report crimes online and so, most likely, there are just more reports of crime being filed.

“Once the public was made aware of [online reporting], it made it much easier for them to report crime and we believe that this shows our increase,” said Cantando. “Not to say that crime wasn’t occurring prior to that but making it easier I think [is why] we’re seeing a rise in our numbers.”

Cantando also said that crime is cyclical and showed a three year comparison from 2009 to 2011 to illustrate how it fluctuates. Although total property crime was up on average 46 percent during those years, violent crimes were down over 10 percent during the same period.

Chief Cantando said that the increases in crime are a result of decreases in police staffing levels, and because of that he doesn’t think many should be surprised by the jump in crime.

“We’ve talked about our staffing levels and what we’re doing to increase those,” he said. “And there is a correlation between our staffing and the crime that’s occurring in our community.”

Another statistic to note was the decreased response time of Antioch Police Officers. The average time it took officers to respond after a call for service was received and an officer was dispatched was five minutes and 37 seconds so far this year. That’s an increase of 30 seconds over last year’s average response time and nearly a minute longer than it took in 2010.

Cantando once again pointed to decreased staffing as the main culprit here. He also said that because of employee turnover in their dispatch, some newer employees are still working out training issues.

Either way, Cantando said he was focused on improving those response times because “it affects everyone.” In fact, Cantando said that when he called the police for a neighbor he had to wait over an hour to get a response.

The Antioch Police’s clearance levels – or the percent of crimes that are solved – were well above the national average in 2011 and their 2012 levels look to be at a similar pace only six months into the year.