UPDATE: On June 23 the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed several felony counts against the below serial robbery suspects.
1) Maurice Brunson – Charged with 5 felonies plus enhancements
2) Erick Daigle – Charged with 19 felonies plus enhancements
3) Gyovanni Daigle – Charged with 15 felonies plus enhancements

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On June 20 at 9:49 p.m. Antioch Police detectives conducted surveillance on people suspected of committing numerous armed robberies in Antioch over the past several weeks as well as several other armed robberies in Contra Costa County, including Brentwood, Pittsburg, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Pacheco and Alamo.

Detectives saw Gyovanni Daigle, 20, Erick Daigle, 18, both of Antioch, and Maurice Brunson, 19, of Bay Point in a white Ford Thunderbird park behind the Domino’s Pizza on Buchanan Road. They watched as Erick Daigle and Brunson placed bandanas over their faces and robbed the restaurant at gun point, according to police. Detectives were able to alert Antioch Police patrol units who assisted in taking all three suspects into custody as they fled the scene.

A firearm, bandanas, and cash taken in the robbery were recovered from the Thunderbird and its occupants. Upon being interviewed, the Daigle brothers admitted to robbing three 7-11 stores in Antioch on May 28 and June 14, according to police. All three were booked at Martinez County Jail on robbery charges.

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

300 Poles Downed Since Beginning of the Year!

A report on the CBS Channel 5 news website, yesterday, stated that copper thieves have hit PG&E hard in Antioch this year.  For the story, click here.

The story even made Matt Drudge’s national news website, at www.drudgereport.com with the headline “Copper Thieves Knock Down 300 Utility Poles In CA Town…“

On June 4 at approximately 12:45 a.m., Antioch police received a call about people gambling near a bar at 2500 Sycamore Drive. When officers arrived, they found several people kneeling on the ground with money and dice in front of them. As the officers approached, most of the gamblers fled.

One person, Aaron Harris, 42, of San Francisco, walked toward the officers. The officers observed that Harris had body armor under his sweatshirt. Harris acknowledged that he was wearing the body armor. As the officers looked closer at Harris, they saw that he had a gun inside the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

The officers attempted to give direction to Harris so that they could take him into custody. Instead, he neglected the commands and began to resist arrest. After a struggle Harris was taken into custody and the loaded gun was recovered.

During the apprehension, an unknown person fired off two rounds in the parking lot of the bar. Additional officers responded and gained control of the situation. The person responsible for firing off the rounds was never located.

Harris was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for numerous firearm violations, felon in possession of body armor and resisting arrest. He has a lengthy criminal history, which includes a 1989 conviction for possession of crack cocaine for sale in San Mateo County and a 1994 Contra Costa County conviction for assault with a firearm, first degree burglary and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to state prison in both of these cases.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Mortimer with the Antioch Police Department at (925) 779-6941.

Kidnapping and Rape of Jaycee Dugard, Just Outside Antioch

According to ABC News Channel 7 in San Francisco, “Phillip Garrido was given the maximum possible sentence of 431 years to life in the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard” and “Nancy Garrido was sentenced to 36 years to life.”

See the complete Associated Press story and ABC News video, by clicking here.

The Garridos kidnapped Jayce Dugard when she was 11 years old and they held her captive for 18 years. Phillip Garrido raped Dugard and fathered two daughters by her. They lived in the unincorporated area on the northeast side of Antioch, in the neighborhood between E. 18th Street and Wilbur Avenue along Viera Avenue.

On May 26 just before 5:30 p.m., police received a call reporting that two people were seen climbing over the back fence of a home in the 3300 block of Camby Road.

Officers found Dominic Flowers, 18, and a 14-year-old male, both of Antioch, inside the residence. Flowers fled out of the back of the home and onto a trail to the rear. Officers were able to contain him in one of the nearby backyards, and he was eventually flushed out by police dog Thor

Flowers was taken into custody by officers on the perimeter, and the juvenile was taken into custody inside of the home without incident.

The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld a federal court decision that mandated the release of up to 40,000 inmates from the California prison system.

“Fortunately, we’ve been working on this issue for almost two years,” said County Supervisor Federal Glover. “We have a strategic plan for the county and are actively seeking grants to fund its implementation. Having a strategic plan puts us — as a county – ahead of the eight ball.”

In a 5-4 decision, the high court agreed that having about 160,000 inmates in California’s prisons created overcrowded and unhealthy conditions for a system designed to accommodate 80,000 inmates.

Earlier this year, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to transfer about 40,000 state prisoners to county jails. This has not been implemented due to a lack of funds. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger moved about 10,000 to out-of-state for-profit prisons to relieve the overcrowded conditions.

In 2009 after a lower court ordered the state to release thousands of prisoners, the supervisors’ Public Protection Committee chaired by Glover and with Supervisor John Gioia, asked the county to partner with a host of community-based organizations to create a plan to reduce inmate recidivism. Released inmates have a 75 percent recidivism rate, which creates a burden on law enforcement agencies and the courts as well raises a concern for public safety.

Two months ago, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors approved the strategic plan written up by Oakland-based consultant Urban Strategies.

To see the Contra Costa Reentry Strategic Plan, click on http://www.cocoreentry.org/?p=381.

On May 22 at approximately 7:47 p.m., Antioch Police received calls of a shooting victim in the 2300 block of D Street. Officers located the victim, a 19-year-old Antioch resident, on the sidewalk. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The motive for the shooting is unknown at this time, but leads are being followed up by the Antioch Police investigations unit. Additional information will be released pending the ongoing investigation.

On May 20 just after 4:30 p.m. the Antioch Police Department Dispatch center received a call regarding suspicious people removing items from a residence in the 3400 block of Gentrytown Drive. Witnesses provided a description of the suspects and the vehicle they were loading the property into.

Responding officers stopped the vehicle as it was leaving the scene, and found property in the truck that was later identified by the victim as being taken from his home while he was at work. Officers detained the occupants of the vehicle, Kenneth Hubbs, 33, of Antioch, and Rachael Byrnes, 25, of Pleasant Hill, until they were positively identified by witnesses as being involved in the burglary.

A further search of the vehicle yielded credit cards, checks, and identifications that were stolen in burglaries in Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg and Antioch. Both Hubbs and Byrnes were booked at the police station and transported to the Main Detention Facility in Martinez.