By Darryl Saffold, Public Information Officer, Investigations Bureau, Antioch Police Department

ANTIOCH, CA. On 10/11/2022 at approximately 11:05 PM, Antioch Police Department Dispatch received numerous 911 calls of a pedestrian down in the roadway who was suffering from major injuries. Callers located the victim approximately 160 feet south of the Contra Loma Boulevard and Buchanan Road intersection.

At approximately 11:08 PM, Antioch Officers arrived on scene and located a 50-year-old female who was in critical condition. Officers immediately began life-saving measures with the assistance of other Emergency Medical Services that arrived at the scene to assist. The victim was transported to a local area hospital where she was later pronounced deceased.

During the investigation, it was determined that the victim was crossing the street westbound at the Contra Loma Boulevard and Buchanan Road intersection. Simultaneously, a vehicle driving southbound on Contra Loma Boulevard, at a high rate of speed, struck the female while she was in the crosswalk and before she could make it safely to the other side of the road. The involved vehicle then fled the area and did not stop to check on the status of the victim before leaving.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact the Antioch Police Department Traffic Unit at (925)779-6864 or email Officer Egan at Jegan@Antiochca.gov.

We offer our deepest condolences to the family of this tragic and unfortunate event.

Charges: assault with a deadly weapon and vehicular manslaughter as one of the three children was removed from life support and passed away

By Allen D. Payton

On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, 29-year-old Ray Shaqil Reeves, was arrested in Oakley by Antioch Police officers for causing the accident that struck and injured three 12-year-old siblings, a girl and two boys, on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, as they were walking home from school in Antioch. All three children were transported to hospitals and one of the boys was later removed from life support and passed away. (See related articles here and here)

Reeves caused the accident that resulted in the injuries. As previously reported, according to witnesses a red Chevrolet Impala struck a tan Mercury Mystique in the area of Sycamore Drive and Manzanita Way, forcing the Impala in the direction of the juveniles walking on the southwest corner of Sycamore Drive and Manzanita way.

According to witness statements, the Mercury Mystique was traveling westbound on Sycamore Drive and was waiting for traffic to clear before turning left (southbound) onto Manzanita Way. Simultaneously, the Chevrolet Impala exited Sycamore Square onto westbound Sycamore Drive at a high rate of speed. As the Impala approached the Mercury, the Impala attempted to pass the Mercury on the left just as the Mercury began to make the left-hand turn. Regrettably, the result was the Impala colliding into the Mercury, propelling the Impala in the direction of the juveniles reportedly walking home from school.

He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility for violation of the following California Penal Code Sections: PC 192 (c)(1)-Vehicular Manslaughter, PC 245(a)(1)-Assault with a Deadly Weapon, PC 245(a)(1)-Assault with a Deadly Weapon, PC 245(a)(1)-Assault with a Deadly Weapon, PC 245(a)(1)-Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and PC 245(a)(1)-Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

UPDATE: His bail has been set at $390,000 and arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 1:30 p.m.

The Antioch Police Department thanked “the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office for hearing this case and filing charges against Reeves.”

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of the children and pray for the family and loved ones during this time of grief. Words fall short of expressing our sorrow for the victims of this extremely tragic incident,” the APD shared in their press release about the arrest.

By Antioch Police Department

Sept. 12, 2022 – Antioch Family, please welcome the newest member to the Antioch Police Department, Officer Devin Eigard. Officer Eigard joins us as a Lateral Officer from the Solano County Sheriff’s Office with several years of experience.

More importantly, Officer Eigard is an Antioch native and attended Antioch High School before graduating from California Virtual Academy.

Here’s an interesting fact about Officer Eigard, while working for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, he became the department’s first Traffic Motor Officer. Which doesn’t come as a surprise considering Monster Energy sponsored him for BMX riding in his youth…true story.

We can’t wait to see what tricks you have in store for the city of Antioch, Officer Eigard; welcome aboard!

 

Following unsuccessful attempts to de-escalate officers use non-lethal force to subdue him

By Antioch Police Department

On October 4, 2022, at approximately 10:51 am, Antioch Police Department Dispatch was notified of a robbery in which the victim was stabbed in the chest. Witnesses reported that the suspect fled the area after the robbery, leaving the victim on the ground.

Officers arrived and located a 58-year-old male adult suffering from a knife wound to the chest. Officers immediately began life-saving measures and rendered aid to the victim. The victim was transported to a local trauma center.

Witnesses pointed the other responding officers toward the suspect across the street, who was later identified as 29-year-old Hakeem Zumory Thomas. Officers pursued Thomas as he fled the area through the hills between Fairview Avenue and Buchanan Road, at which point he stopped running.

Officers tried to de-escalate the situation by talking and pleading with Thomas to give up the knife and surrender. Despite their efforts, Thomas refused to drop the knife and demanded that officers shoot him. Officers continued talking to Thomas, to no avail, while he refused their orders in further efforts to de-escalate the situation and not harm Thomas. Officers used a less lethal projectile as a distraction device, and Thomas finally dropped the knife and surrendered without being injured.

According to Vinelink.com, Thomas was still in custody of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office as of Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

We offer our deepest condolences to the victim and pray for his speedy recovery. Additionally, we would like to thank all the community members and first responders who assisted. Moreover, we would like to commend the officers who responded to this incident. Due to their training and de-escalation tactics, the situation ended peacefully and without further injuries.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

By Lieutenant John Fortner, Investigations Bureau, Antioch Police Department

On Saturday night, Oct. 8, 2022, at approximately 11:55 PM, Antioch police officers responded to the report of gunshots in the 2600 block of Belmont Lane off of Buchanan Road.

Numerous officers responded to the scene. When officers arrived, they located one male victim in the parking lot suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Evidence at the scene indicated the incident occurred outdoors in the parking lot between the condominiums at that location. Officers immediately began administering first aid and called for emergency fire department and AMR paramedics.

Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene, and he was pronounced deceased. The suspect(s) fled the scene and have not been contacted.

Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau, consisting of Crime Scene Investigators and detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit, responded to the scene and took over the investigation.

Currently, detectives are interviewing witnesses and residents in the area and are working to identify any suspects or persons-of-interest. The investigation is still active, and evidence is being collected.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441, or Detective Duffy at (925) 779-6884. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

By BART Police Department

BART Police have arrested four suspects in connection with last month’s carjacking of an elderly couple in the Antioch BART station parking lot. BART PD officers on Thursday responded to a report of a fight on board an Antioch-bound train at the Walnut Creek Station. Upon arrival a BPD officer recognized members of the group involved in the fight as being the same suspects wanted for the September 28th carjacking. The group of four was detained without incident and includes two females and two males. One of the female suspects is an adult while the other three are juveniles.

Images captured by BART surveillance cameras positioned in the Antioch parking lot and station played a vital role in identifying the suspects. Those images were included in a Be On the Look Out (BOLO) message that was sent to BPD officers as well as partner law enforcement agencies. It’s unlikely these arrests could’ve happened without an observant BPD officer using the images in the BOLO to identify the suspects.

No report was provided by either the BART or Antioch Police Departments at the time of the carjacking.

BART has a network of more than 4,000 working surveillance cameras in stations, parking lots, elevators, and trains throughout the system. Images captured by these cameras have been instrumental in identifying suspects in multiple cases. It is very likely that anyone who commits a violent crime on BART will be seen by our cameras.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

Quinto was not in police custody when he died in the hospital three days later from “excited delirium and prescription drugs”

Antioch Police Officers Association, Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica respond; Thorpe does not

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on his official Facebook page on Thursday, Oct. 6, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe repeated the false claims by the family of Angelo Quinto that he “was killed by Antioch Police” and that his was an “in custody death”. Both claims have been debunked by both the Contra Costa County Coroner and Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, as well as former Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks.

Thorpe posted the glowing comments about himself by Quinto’s mother and stepfather, that include the false claims which read, “‘Mayor Lamar Thorpe has been a courageous leader, helping the city of Antioch overcome a history that has often failed many members of its highly diverse community.

Our son, Angelo Quinto, was killed by Antioch Police in December 2020, soon after Mayor Thorpe was elected. A second in custody death followed closely thereafter. Mayor Thorpe was instrumental in seeking and achieving meaningful reforms, including body cams and non-police mental health response teams, that led to better policing for the Antioch community in an expeditious manner.

As a result of Mayor Thorpe’s fearless leadership, the city of Antioch has reformed or is in the midst of reforming many critical areas. His fearlessness has often made him the target of attacks by members of the community who don’t understand the need or are afraid of the reforms that have been undertaken. He is a forward looking leader who will not be silenced, and is helping Antioch overcome a legacy of exclusion and division, and transform it into a city that lives by its motto, opportunity lives here.’

Cassandra Quinto-Collins and Robert Collins”

The other death they referred to, was of a man that occurred in February 2021 while he was in custody at a local hospital. He was under the influence of drugs, running into traffic on major city streets and attempted to break into a car with the driver inside and had to be tazed by police to subdue him. He was administered NARCAN and later died while still in-custody at a local hospital. (See related article)

March 2021 – Antioch Police Chief: No Knee to Neck, Quinto Died While Not in Police Custody

Yet, during the press conference held about the case, in March 2021, then-Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks said Quinto died in the hospital three days after the incident while not in police custody. (See related article)

At that press conference which Thorpe both attended and spoke during, Brooks said there was no knee on Quinto’s neck by officers and he was not in custody at time of his Dec. 26 death. In addition, Brooks released the 9-11 calls from Quinto’s family to Antioch Police demonstrating the need for the officers’ response to protect the family from Quinto who was harming them. Officers arrived on the scene to find Quinto being actively restrained by his mother on a bedroom floor of the home, Brooks further shared.

In addition, he shared he had “been in contact with the Coroner’s Office and the following four points have been jointly approved by multiple pathologists related to their findings thus far:

1. Although the decedent had injuries consistent with a struggle with his family and law enforcement, none of the injuries appeared to be fatal.
2. There were no fractures of the skull, torso, or extremities.
3. A full examination of the neck revealed there was no evidence of strangulation or crushed airway.
4. They are currently expanding toxicology testing because they were aware of reported past drug use.”

August 2021 – County Coroner’s Inquest Jury: Quinto’s Death Was Accident Caused by “Excited Delirium and Prescription Drugs”

Then in August 2021, a Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner’s Inquest Jury, after hearing the testimony of witnesses, found that Quinto’s death was an accident. He “succumbed to excited delirium and prescription drugs during the physical altercation with officers, the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office ruled”.  (See related article)

September 2022 – Contra Costa DA Report: Officers Acted In Lawful, Objectively Reasonable Manner

Finally, early last month, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office issued a 39-page, “Report of the Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident In-Custody Death of Angelo Voithugo Quinto on December 24, 2020” in which they wrote, “…Antioch Police officers engaged with Quinto in a manner that was lawful and objectively reasonable under the circumstances…an internal examination showed no bone fractures or damage to Quinto’s larynx and trachea…” The report concluded that, “In applying the applicable law and the California District Attorney’s Uniform Crime Charging Standards to the present case, there is no evidence of a criminal offense committed by Officer Becerra, Officer Perkinson, Officer Hopwood, or Officer Shipilov. As such, no further action will be taken in this case.” (See related article)

Thorpe Refuses to Answer Questions, Now Limiting Comments on Official Facebook Page

Questions were sent to Thorpe Saturday morning, Oct. 8 asking, “do you not believe the findings from the office of your political ally, D.A. Diana Becton? Do you not recognize the negative impacts of what you’ve shared on the morale of Antioch Police Department personnel?

Are you not aware that officers who are leaving the department are claiming in their exit interviews that it’s partially and directly related to your attitude and that of your two council colleagues, Monica Wilson and Tamisha Torres-Walker, against them, other APD officers and the department as a whole?”

In addition, posts on his Facebook page show Thorpe only allows select individuals to post comments. Below each post the following sentence can be read: “Mayor Lamar A. Thorpe limited who can comment on this post.”

He was then asked, “Why have you limited comments on this and other posts on your official Facebook page? Are you afraid of reading comments by ang engaging with your constituents who you were elected to represent and serve? Do you not want to know what your constituents are thinking? Isn’t that being cowardly? Who are you allowing and not allowing to comment on the posts on that page? What is the criteria you are using for your selectivity?”

Antioch Police Officers Association Responds

Asked if he had a response to Thorpe’s post Sergeant Rick Hoffman, president of the Antioch Police Officers Association provided the statement they issued to the Associated Press in September and posted on their Facebook page on Sept. 2nd:

“The death of Angelo Quinto was an unfortunate circumstance and the men and women of the Antioch Police Department continue to pray for the Quinto family. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office has cleared the Antioch Police Officers involved in this incident of any wrongdoing and we believe this is the correct decision.”

Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica Also Responds

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica also responded to Thorpe’s posting of the Quinto family’s comments, sharing the Sept. 2nd post on his own official Facebook page following the announcement by the DA’s office. He wrote, “I want to be very clear that the loss of any human life is tragic. This is not in any way meant to minimize that. This article speaks for itself and I believe that we should wait for investigations to be completed before making assumptions.

During this time, so many statements were made by members of the public and elected officials which led many people to believe there was wrongdoing before any formal investigation was complete. I want to point out, that I always understand the emotion and the sense of loss from family members, so this is in no way referring to their response or minimizing their grief. This is about people within our community and elected officials that should know better, that we should wait to find out the facts before jumping to conclusions.

Last year there were even statements published after being made by Assemblyman Gipson of So. CA. that there was an officer that did kneel on Mr. Quinto’s neck for five minutes, giving the appearance that this contributed to this death. This statement was made before any findings were made public.

On 9/3/21, I personally called and spoke with the Assemblyman about this, telling him that I disagreed with his public statement, especially before any findings had been published and that there was no evidence of this. I also brought to his attention at that time, the recent Coroner’s Inquest findings. During that conversation, he told me that he was going to personally call Chief Brooks and apologize for the premature statement and apologize to the APD. With Chief Brooks permission, I supplied the Assemblyman with the chief’s personal cell phone number.

On 9/13/21 I again reached out to him as that call had not yet happened, but he told me that he would be making the call. To my knowledge, that has yet to happen.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Lamar and Kenry Young face life sentences

ANTIOCH, CA – On Monday, September 26, 2022, a jury of Kenry Lee Young and Lamar Young’s peers returned with a guilty verdict after a five-week trial. The brothers were convicted of California Penal Code Section 289 (sexual penetration by a foreign object), PC 287 (oral copulation), and two counts of PC 211 (robbery) for the numerous crimes they committed on October 17, 2020. (See related article)

While we regret these crimes took place, we would like to commend the bravery of the victims for coming forward and assisting with the prosecution of these two men. Because of their efforts, the Young brothers will never be able to victimize anyone else.

Additionally, we would like to thank Deputy District Attorney Jessica Murad and everyone else involved for their hard work during this lengthy trial.

The Antioch Police Department would like to thank the members of the community who assisted us with this investigation, in addition to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, Serological Research Institute, FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Stockton Police Department.

Lastly, we would like to recognize the tireless efforts of Antioch PD Detective Kelly Inabnett, who was the lead investigator on this case. His extensive work and dedication to bringing justice to the victims led to the identification, arrest, and successful prosecution of this case.

Face Life Sentences

UPDATE: According to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, Lamar and Kenry Young, the two brothers who callously committed a sexual assault and robbed two foreign national students in Antioch, are facing life sentences.

35-year-old Lamar Lee Young of Stockton and 33-year-old Kenry Lee Young of Antioch attacked a couple on October 16, 2020, before midnight in the Palms Parking Lot near G Street in Antioch. The victims traveled to Antioch from the South Bay to go fishing at a pier on the Delta. When the victims returned to their vehicle, Lamar and Kenry approached them on foot with handguns drawn while the couple were seated in their car. The Youngs then proceeded to use their firearms as blunt force weapons on both individuals, carried out sexual acts on the female victim, and robbed them of their valuables — including an ATM card.

Members of the Antioch Police Investigations Bureau took the lead in reviewing a large amount of video evidence – including areas near the scene of the crime and a bank’s security camera footage where Kenry Young attempted to use the stolen ATM cards to withdraw cash. Investigators also used a DNA sample from Kenry Young to compare it to forensic evidence from the scene of the crime – which resulted in a positive match.

On October 22, 2020, members of the Antioch Police Special Operations and Problem Oriented Policing Units arrested Kenry Young at his residence in Antioch, which was only a few blocks from the crime scene. Lamar Young, identified as the second suspect, was arrested in Stockton on October 29, 2020.

After the Youngs were booked into the Martinez Detention Facility, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed a six-count felony complaint on November 2nd against Kenry and Lamar Young.

On September 26^th, 2022, a jury found both men guilty of forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by a foreign object with enhancements for use of a dangerous or deadly weapon, as well as second-degree robbery and assault.  Each faces a minimum of 30 years to life. A sentencing date has been set for December 16^th, 2022, in Martinez in front of Judge Rebecca Hardie.

Deputy District Attorney Jessica Murad – who prosecuted the case for The People — said she’s thankful to the victims for coming forward and “having the courage to testify against these men for these truly horrific crimes. By doing so they have ensured no one else will ever be victimized by these brothers again.”

Antioch Police Detective Kelly Inabnett said in a statement: “I am sorry I met the victims during one of the most traumatic moments of their lives, but I am grateful and inspired by the strength they showed when testifying against their perpetrators. I am grateful the jury decided to hold the Young brothers accountable for their actions.”

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and the Antioch Police Department would like to thank the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, Serological Research Institute, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Stockton Police Department, the CCCDAO’s Sexual Assault Unit, Legal Assistants, Victim Support, and the members of the community who helped in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

Original Antioch Police News Release

ANTIOCH, CA. On Saturday, October 17, 2020, at about 1:00 am, Antioch Police patrol officers were notified of a brutal sexual assault that occurred in the Palms Parking Lot (near the Foot of G Street). Officers learned two victims were fishing at the San Joaquin River and returned to their vehicle at about 11:50 pm the previous evening. They were approached by two male suspects who were armed with handguns. The suspects robbed and pistol whipped both victims. After doing so, both suspects forced the female victim to perform sexual acts on them. The suspects left the scene in a vehicle – and minutes later – attempted to use a credit card stolen in the incident at an ATM.

Members of the Antioch Police Investigations Bureau took over the investigation and performed an extensive collection of video evidence. This included areas near the scene of the crime and the ATM that was used. From this video collection, investigators developed a suspect, 31-year-old KENRY LEE YOUNG of Antioch. A reference sample of his DNA was compared to forensic evidence from the scene of the crime, resulting in a positive match. On October 22, 2020, members of the Antioch Police Special Operations and Problem Oriented Policing Units arrested Kenry Lee Young at his residence, which was only a few blocks from the crime scene.

Detectives conducted additional investigation and learned the second suspect was Kenry Young’s brother, 33-year-old LAMAR YOUNG of Stockton. On October 29, 2020, members of the Special Operations and Problem Oriented Policing Units placed Lamar Young under arrest in Stockton.

On Monday, November 2, 2020, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged both Kenry and Lamar Young with multiple felonies, including oral copulation by force, sodomy by force, sexual penetration by force, aggravated assault with a firearm, and two counts of

robbery. Both remain in-custody at the Martinez Detention Facility awaiting trial and their bail was set at $3,450,000.

The Antioch Police Department would like to thank the members of the community who assisted us with this investigation, in addition to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, Serological Research Institute, FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Stockton Police Department.

Additional inquiries or information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Inabnett at (925) 779-6932 or by emailing kinabnett@antiochca.gov. Anonymous tips or information about this – or any other incident – can be sent via text to 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword ANTIOCH.