On Jan. 18 at 1:47 p.m. Antioch officers responded to Deer Valley High School after a parent called stating a person had just pointed a handgun at him. The person made a verbal threat while walking towards him.

The parent drove away from the person and contacted a DVHS staff member in the lot who called police. The parent provided a description of the person and another person seen walking with him through the campus and in the direction of Lone Tree Way.

Officers located the two people – Jashowndre Upshaw, 20, and Myrick Rucker, 19 – near Taco Bell in the Deer Valley Plaza. During further investigation, two loaded handguns were located in a vehicle near where the two men were contacted.

Both were identified as the involved persons and Upshaw was identified as the one who pointed the handgun at the victim. Upshaw was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility. Rucker was released from Antioch PD pending further investigation.

It was determined that neither are Deer Valley High School students. All involved parties involved are adults and no students were injured or threatened.

This preliminary information is made available by the Field Services Bureau. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Antioch Police Department at (925) 778-2441.

Susan Valenzuela

April 25, 1955-January 18, 1996*To our beloved daughter, sister, and mother, Susan Valenzuela. We miss you dearly. We miss your sense of humor, your jokes, your laughter, your silly ways and most of all, your love.

It’s been 16 years since your life was taken so suddenly by a hit and run driver in Antioch, CA while you crossed the street with a friend. He took your life so senselessly and callously drove on. We all hope he lives with the pain and guilt every day for what he’s done. One day, some how, some way, he will pay.

VEHICLE-1971-1973 Buick Riviera or similar make. Light in color, possibly cream or white. Beveled rear window and tapered dolphin tail rear end.

SUSPECT-Hispanic or African American male with medium build, 25 to 30 years old (16 years ago) with corn row like hair style.

LOCATION-10th Street in Antioch, CA approximately 10 pm.

After this coward hit Susan with excessive speed, throwing her 120 feet, he got out of his vehicle and looked at what he had done to her. Shamelessly, he refused to help and fled from the scene, avoiding all responsibility and consequence.

If anyone has any information regarding this horrific incident, please call the Antioch Police Department or the Antioch Herald. A $10,000 reward is being offered by Susan’s family for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.

On January 15 at approximately 2:40 p.m. Antioch Police received a call of a fight in the area of 2200 Peppertree Way.

Upon arrival Officers contacted the victim, Pita Pelesauma, 49, of Pittsburg, who told police he had been in a fight with his son-in-law, Sus-Anthony Weaver. Pita was transported to a local hospital where it was determined he sustained a puncture wound to his chest. Pita was taken into surgery and is listed in critical condition.

Weaver fled the scene prior to police arrival and is still at large. He is an Antioch resident, 24 years old, 5-foot-11, 280 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Antioch Police Department at 778-2441.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced the seventh grant of the 2011-12 season from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund. The Foundation will be distributing a grant to the Antioch Police Department.

The Antioch Police Department will purchase a dual purpose canine, trained in patrol procedures and narcotics detection, so that an 11-year-old veteran canine can retire.

Antioch Chief of Police Allan Cantando said, “We are truly honored to have been selected by the Foundation as a grant recipient and are excited about the long-term benefits this grant will allow our canine unit, the Antioch Police Department and the City of Antioch to enjoy for the years to come.” Cantando added, “These grant funds will be used to purchase a new dual purpose canine to ensure the continued success of the unit.”

During the 2011-12 NFL season, The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will be distributing grants to K-9 units of police and fire departments in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers.

The Foundation will also distribute several grants to the Pittsburgh area and will consider grants to any two cities in the United States if the Steelers make the playoffs. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation invited police and fire departments across the country to submit proposals detailing their needs.

This marks the fifth season that the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation has distributed grants to K-9 units. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation seeks to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs in Pittsburgh, PA.

In commenting on why the mission of the foundation is so important to him, Roethlisberger said, “We’re very fortunate to be in the position that we are able to help these K-9 units. The work that is performed by the dogs and their handlers as well as the bond that is formed is incredible. We’re just thrilled to do our small part.”

For more information about the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation or The Giving Back Fund, please contact Stephanie Sandler or visit www.bigben7.com or www.givingback.org.

About Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger is in his eighth season as quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and already has secured his place in the record books. At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, he is aptly referred to as Big Ben, and has become known for big performances and a humble approach. Roethlisberger is one of only 10 starting quarterbacks to win two or more Super Bowls. In 2009, he led the Steelers to a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa with a thrilling touchdown pass in the final seconds. In 2006, Roethlisberger became the youngest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 in Detroit. Roethlisberger was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2007, and already holds most of the passing records for the Steelers. He is the only quarterback to lead his team to the conference championship game in each of his first two seasons. He was the unanimous Rookie of the Year in 2004, breaking Dan Marino’s rookie records for completion percentage and passer rating, and was the first quarterback in NFL history to compile a 13-0 regular season record as a rookie.
Roethlisberger was raised in Findlay, OH and was a three-sport star at Findlay High School. He went on to set nearly every quarterback record at Miami University (Ohio) prior to foregoing his senior season and becoming the 11th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2004 NFL Draft. Roethlisberger resides near Pittsburgh with his wife Ashley and his two dogs, Zeus and Hercules.

About The Giving Back Fund
The Giving Back Fund (GBF) is a national public charity that creates and professionally manages charitable foundations and other philanthropic programs for athletes, entertainers, business entrepreneurs, and corporations. Since our founding in 1997, GBF has created an important niche in expanding and diversifying philanthropy, particularly among young people, women and people of color. Our unique structure allows donors to direct more of their charitable dollars to causes they care about and less to administrative overhead. To date, The Giving Back Fund has provided philanthropic consulting, management and programming to more than 200 athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and other high net worth individuals. GBF has overseen the distribution of more than $30,000,000 in charitable grants within the United States and other countries, and has developed dozens of unique scholarship, mentoring, medical, arts, and other philanthropic programs. For additional information, please visit www.givingback.org.

On December 16 at 7:56 a.m. Antioch officers were called to the Riverview Motel at 3120 E 18th Street for a 52-year-old Martinez woman needing medical assistance. When the officers arrived on scene they found the female deceased from what appeared to be blunt force injuries.

Also in the room with the female was her estranged boyfriend, who was interviewed by Antioch Detectives. The motel room was in disarray, and it appears as if a violent struggle ensued. Detectives are interviewing witnesses and more information will become available at a later time.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Stenger at 779-6894.

On December 12th Antioch Officers responded to the report of a prowler at a residence in the southeast area of Antioch. The resident reported that someone had forced open her side garage door.

Approximately 15 minutes prior to hearing the garage door being kicked in, the resident reported two male suspects were ringing her door bell, but she didn’t answer the door. These suspects were undoubtedly the ones who forced open the garage door and were planning on burglarizing the home. Fortunately, they left before committing the crime.

The resident was able to provide detailed descriptions of the suspects as well as the vehicle they were driving and their direction of travel when they left the area. This information was crucial for the responding officers and it assisted them in locating the suspects.

The vehicle they were in had been reported stolen. The suspects tried to elude the officer, but crashed the car and then fled on foot into the neighborhood. Responding officers established a perimeter and conducted a yard-to-yard search for the suspects. They were successful in apprehending one of the suspects who had an extensive criminal history.

The suspects in this case would have been further deterred had the resident taken the following steps when the suspect’s first rang the door bell.

Some people who go door-to-door are motivated for legitimate reasons, but others are motivated to commit burglaries or thefts. Here are some measures that will help curb these types of crimes:

When someone knocks at your door, always acknowledge you are home. Talk through the door without opening it. If you don’t answer, and it happens to be a criminal, they may attempt to break into your home.

You are not obligated to open the door for anyone. Identification should always be verified before opening the door. A wide-angle door viewer is necessary if you cannot see the person at your door. A service representative should have an appointment and should not just “show up” at your door.

Do not rely on a door chain for security. Partially opening a door equipped with a door chain is not a safe practice. The door is not secured. A door chain cannot withstand physical force. To ensure your safety, follow these simple steps:

Talk to the person through the door. If you don’t know the person, don’t open the door.

Ask the person what they need. If it is a car problem, offer to call their road service for them. If it is an accident, call 911 for them. The idea is to keep them outside and you make the call for them.

Ask them to stand by while you place the call. If the person(s) stays, it is a good chance that they are legitimate; however, if they leave quickly, they are probably up to no good.

As with any suspicious circumstances, information about the suspect is a great benefit to the police who are responding to locate the suspect. Take a good look at their face, clothing, any distinguishing features, direction of travel, other persons with them, vehicle, etc.

If the person leaves quickly, consider it to be suspicious and report the activity by calling Police Dispatch. You can call 911 if it’s an emergency or the non-emergency number (925) 778-2441 if an emergency doesn’’t exist.

If you have concerns about the person knocking on your door and are thinking about calling the police, err on the side of caution and make the call. It is better to pass the information on. It may just be the very piece of information the police need to stop an individual whose only purpose is to victimize you or your neighbor.

Remember, being aware, being observant and getting involved, will make our community safer.

On December 8 at approximately 6 a.m., Antioch Police detectives with the assistance of the Antioch Police Department SWAT team served search warrants at two residences simultaneously in the 4300 block of Wallaby Court in Antioch.

The search warrants were conducted as a result of an investigation into a series of armed robberies of pizza delivery drivers that have been occurring over the last month in the neighborhood. During the robberies, the drivers were robbed at knife point of their pizzas, cash and personal property.

A $250,000 Ramey Warrant for the arrest of Rashied Ali Hudson, 25, was obtained when the investigation identified him as being one of two responsibles. Hudson was identified as the main suspect who was armed with the knife during all of the robberies.

Hudson was located during the search warrant service and was taken into custody without incident. He was later transferred to the Martinez Detention Facility.

Numerous pieces of evidence were located and collected during the searches. The investigation is continuing into identifying the second suspect in this case. Detectives have identified a person of interest and are working to collect further evidence against him.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Santiago Castillo at (925) 779-6933.

Watchful neighbors and community involvement have yet again helped the Antioch Police Department apprehend criminals who were involved in committing residential burglaries.

In recent days there have several burglaries in which caring and watchful neighbors have reported suspicious activity prior to the actual crime being committed. In other cases, neighbors have provided timely and relevant descriptive information just after a burglary was committed and their diligent reporting was instrumental in the suspect’s apprehension.

Protecting the innocent from crime and apprehending those who are responsible for it instills pride in the men and women of the Antioch Police Department. The residents of this community who have been actively assisting in this endeavor are deserving of praise and should be proud that they too are making a difference.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but it is also the season to be wary of burglars, thieves, pickpockets and other holiday Grinch’s. Nothing can ruin the holiday spirit faster than becoming the victim of a crime. This is the time of year during which we have experience a rise in burglaries.

Unfortunately, burglars view the holiday season a little differently. For them, it is a time of opportunity to burglarize your home and to steal your property, which in many cases includes gifts. Homes with openly displayed Christmas trees that are easily visible from the street are very tempting targets; as are homes where the discarded gift boxes are piled up after the holiday.

The burglars appreciate knowing which homes have expensive gifts inside to steal. Breaking the boxes down or cutting them up prior to disposal will help.

The holiday season is a very busy time and many of us have thousands of things on our minds. Remember to stay alert to your surroundings especially when shopping. Park in areas that have adequate lighting, plan group shopping trips; don’t put purchases inside the passenger compartment of your vehicle; place them in the trunk.

Don’t over burden yourself with carrying too much, don’t carry large amounts of cash and be on the look-out for strangers approaching you for any reason. Con-artists try various methods to distract you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

Additional crime prevention information on burglaries and personal security can be found in the associated PowerPoint presentations:

http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/Police/beatalert/12081102.pdf

http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/Police/beatalert/12081103.pdf