Saturday, December 11, 2021 AT 6 PM – 10:00 PM

3732 Colonial Court in Antioch

With the help of our family and friends, we have been providing community outreach for over 25 years. Please help us continue our efforts this year! Items collected will be provided to the Antioch Police Department for the “Help for the Holidays” program that supports local families. We are collecting…

• New unwrapped toys
• Blankets
• Hats/Gloves/Scarves/Coats
• Gift Cards $$$$$ Antioch POA (VENMO ACCOUNT) @Holiday-Fooddrive – Notation for donation: DISNEY

Drive by and drop off between the hours of 6 pm to 10 pm. If you cannot come in person, please consider a monetary donation or if local, pick-up arrangements can be made. We truly appreciate your generosity for so many in need. THANK YOU!!!

For more information/details contact Kristen Vistalli 925-584-4966.

Male suspect back in custody as of Tuesday; female suspect out on bail; the other male suspect still in custody

By Allen Payton

The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 30 that, last week, they inadvertently released one of the suspects arrested for the organized retail theft at Nordstrom in Walnut Creek on Nov. 20. (See related article)

Sheriff David Livingston issued the following statement about it:

“On November 21, 2021, 32-year-old Joshua Underwood of San Francisco was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF) on charges that included robbery, conspiracy, and burglary. Due to a computer input error, Underwood was released on November 24, 2021. 
This afternoon, Underwood appeared in court for his arraignment. He was remanded into custody and is currently being held at MDF on the following charges: robbery, burglary, conspiracy, and organized retail theft. He is being held in lieu of $140,000 bail.

Regarding one of the others who was arrested, on Monday, the Sheriff issued the following statement about the case:

“On November 21, Dana Dawson was booked on the following charges: robbery, conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm, concealed weapon in her vehicle, burglary, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools. The DA’s Office filed robbery, conspiracy and burglary charges. Dawson was eligible for bail which was set at $190,000. She posted bail and was released on November 25.”

According to VineLink, the third suspect, Rodney Barone Robinson, age 19 of Oakland, is still in custody. His bail has been set at $160,000, said Jimmy Lee, Public Affairs Director for the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office.

An ABC7 News report provides more details about the oversight by the Sheriff’s Office.

Sources: (Left) Herald file photo and (Right) Mary Knox for DA campaign.

The current DA has been slow to respond to flash mob robberies, and once she responds, she’s ineffective. Given my 36 years of experience as a Contra Costa Deputy District Attorney, I know the District Attorney can do more. We need to implement these three steps immediately:

1. Convene a Bay Area-wide law enforcement response to track and apprehend suspects 

Contra Costa law enforcement agencies are partnered to provide mutual aid during emergency situations.  This “mutual aid” concept should be employed throughout the Bay Area to strategically shut down access routes for potential retail targets to intervene and prevent crime before it happens.

The investigative and technological expertise of this team will:

• Identify the criminal syndicates who organize the smash-and-grab robberies
• Intercept the “chatter” on social media planning these events
• Share information between law enforcement agencies to quickly locate and arrest perpetrators

The ideal team to coordinate this activity is the DA/FBI Safe Streets Task Force, comprised of local, state, and federal task force agents who are partnered with prosecutors assigned to the Community Violence Reduction Unit (a unit that I created in the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office).

Given the violence involved and the value of the merchandise being stolen, the Task Force will collaborate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to charge qualifying cases under the Hobbs Act and prosecute them in federal court.

The criminal syndicates committing the smash-and-grab robberies, as well as strings of residential burglaries in Contra Costa, are mobile and active in surrounding counties.  During the past four years, regional law enforcement agencies have done an impressive job of sharing information to identify the true scope of the criminality of these crews and to provide investigative support.  The information supplied by this well-coordinated network provided me with the evidence required to file multiple counts following very significant organized retail theft and residential robberies.  I worked with the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill Police Departments through the investigative challenges of the looting in 2020 and filed charges on a number of suspects.  As District Attorney, I will continue to support this allied inter-county effort.

2. Prevent the use of our freeways as crime corridors, deploy cameras 

Organized shoplifting gangs have been using the regional freeway system to quickly move between targets in neighboring law enforcement jurisdictions.  By the time an investigation starts at the first crime, the gang has moved on to loot another store in the next county.

Contra Costa’s Freeway Security Network has the technological capability to combat organized retail theft.  The Allied Freeway Agencies have received additional funding for the Network and direction to develop a plan to augment and expand the Network county-wide in order to provide technological leads in preventing and investigating criminal syndicates involved in the violent organized retail theft.

I am proud to have originated the creation of this freeway camera system to combat freeway shootings.  Since the network was installed, freeway shootings have been reduced by 90% in Contra Costa while remaining all too frequent in neighboring counties. I continue to work with law enforcement and elected leaders to propose that additional funding that Governor Newsom included in the state budget be used to incorporate additional technology to target organized retail theft into the Freeway Security Network.

3. Disrupt the use of social media as a key enabler of looting 

Organized retail theft would not exist without social media, which is the key element to planning and profiting from these crimes.

Looting is coordinated through social media 

Social media platforms provide the means of communication which allows criminals to conspire to commit take-over robberies. These platforms are directly aiding and abetting the commission of large-scale crimes, which may result in criminal liability for the social media platforms.  I will call on the social media platforms, as well as private communication platforms, to monitor and immediately report to law enforcement any communications planning a smash-and-grab robbery or the “fencing” of stolen property.

We must make it clear to technology companies that failure to monitor and report the coordination of criminal enterprise should not be a protected business activity and should instead be considered as aiding and abetting that crime.

Stolen goods are sold via online marketplaces 

If a market for the merchandise that is being stolen did not exist, the criminal syndicates would have no motive to steal.  While I am out talking with community members, most are surprised to learn that the merchandise that is stolen from CVS, Walgreens, Lululemon and the high-end retailers is often sold on the internet via OfferUp, LetGo, and the Facebook and Amazon Market Places.

As District Attorney, I will actively engage and educate our community members about the crime occurring in our county and ways we can work together to combat it, such as not buying merchandise off the internet that does not have a means of guaranteeing that it is not stolen merchandise.  I will also work with retail stores to modify their return/exchange policies to ensure that they are not accepting the return of their own stolen merchandise.

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About Mary Knox: Mary Knox was born and raised in Walnut Creek and has 36 years of experience advocating and fighting for victims, their families, and the larger community. She is a lead prosecutor in the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office, who has prosecuted and won high profile cases against some of the most notorious criminals in county history. She has broken the chokehold that criminal gangs have had on the most disadvantaged communities and has engaged in meaningful violence reduction by instituting effective strategies to reduce crime and prosecute violent criminals. Learn more about Mary at maryknox4da.com

By Sergeant R. Hoffman #4515, Antioch Police Community Policing Bureau

On Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021 at approximately 2:55 am, Antioch Police officers located a vehicle taken in an Oakland carjacking driving on L Street near Sycamore Drive. Officers were notified that the suspects in this carjacking were armed with firearms.

The vehicle led officers on a pursuit through Antioch and into Oakley. Ultimately, the vehicle lost control on Main Street in Oakley and drove over the center median and collided into a decorative boulder in the Starbucks parking lot located in the 2100 block of Main Street. Officers located a male running from the vehicle and eventually apprehended him, with help from Oakley PD, after a lengthy search throughout the surrounding neighborhood. The apprehended subject was identified as a 13-year-old male from Concord.

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

By Corporal James Colley #4705, Antioch Police Field Services Division

On November 27, at approximately 8:36 pm, APD Officers responded to Walgreens, located at 3416 Deer Valley Road on a report of four subjects looting the store. Upon APD arrival, officers learned three Black male adults and one Black female adult, wearing COVID-19 style masks and hoodie-style sweatshirts, entered the store, and ran directly toward the cosmetic section. Once in the cosmetic section, the subjects used hammers to smash open the locked plexiglass cases and stole approximately $2,400-worth of products. No suspects were apprehended and there were no injuries reported by Walgreens staff.

The incident is described as grand theft.

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

As thieves turn to new tactics, Bay Area, San Joaquin County prosecutors form alliance to ensure accountability

By Bobbi Mauler, Executive Assistant, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Today, Nov. 24, 2021, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton announced an alliance between Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Joaquin counties, law enforcement, and state agencies to combat the recent increase in organized retail theft. Each office has pledged a prosecutor to collaborate and participate in the joint effort. (See related article)

“Fencing and organized retail theft rings operate across jurisdictional boundaries,” said Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton. “As prosecutors, we must respond to the nature of these crimes and operate with our partners to more effectively meet this challenge. Those responsible for perpetuating these crimes are working together as a team, and to ensure accountability for their crimes, law enforcement needs to work together as a team too. These caught and arrested will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

“Organized retail theft has adverse and costly impacts on business owners and consumers alike,” said San Joaquin District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar. “Through a partnership with our neighboring counties, we will hold all parties accountable, including fencing rings and individuals who purchase stolen goods. We commend Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta for taking organized retail theft seriously and we implore the community to report suspicious resell activity to assist law enforcement’s efforts in tracking organized retail theft rings.”

While police work to strengthen investigations and collaborations across jurisdictional boundaries, prosecutors’ offices similarly can better ensure accountability through information sharing. The partnership between counties and local agencies would allow for the sharing of information through data collection, crime analytics, as well as pooled investigative tools to successfully prosecute those involved with organized retail theft schemes. In addition to the shared resources between counties, the District Attorney’s Offices would continue to collaborate with their local retailers and State Representatives to ensure statues that cover organized theft rings are enforceable and improve safety for consumers.

“Retail theft crimes are affecting all counties in the Bay Area as well as across the nation.  Collaboration and shared strategies with neighboring prosecutors and law enforcement partners are critical to both preventing and responding to organized retail theft,” said San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin.  “This alliance of prosecutors is committed to developing strategies to combat these organized crimes.  Together, we are determined to stop those who participate in organized retail theft, including by dismantling the fencing networks that make this type of crime profitable.”

“The recent premeditated retail theft mob action in multiple cities across Northern California is intolerable and will not be accepted by District Attorneys, law enforcement officials and our community members,” said San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.  “Anyone caught engaging in such criminal conduct should expect to find themselves facing prosecution, conviction and incarceration. There is no leniency for such behavior.”

“The recent acts of retail thefts, robberies and mass-mob burglaries throughout Northern California will not be tolerated. These are clearly carefully orchestrated crimes, working together in large groups to create a mob-like mentality,” said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. They are instilling fear in merchants, customers, and the wider community. This is especially appalling at a time where many are out and about during the holiday season. Be assured that those caught and arrested will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

“California has seen shifts in crime trends and tactics, and Bay Area prosecutors are forming this partnership to meet the moment,” said Cristine DeBerry, Executive Director of the Prosecutors Alliance of California.  “Partnerships like these reflect the need to implement modern solutions to modern problems. These crimes happen quickly, and they may not be caught in the act.  Through information sharing and coordination, there will be greater likelihood of arrests and accountability than everyone working in isolation.”

The Contra Costa County Probation Department is the recipient of a one-year, $389,700 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to monitor high-risk, repeat DUI Probation clients.  Currently, the Probation Department is supervising 202 DUI probation clients.

Grant funding will be used to make sure DUI probation clients are following the court ordered terms of their probation, including home, work and office visits, alcohol testing and warrant service operations.

In addition, funding will be used to develop the Habitual Offender Tally, also known as “HOT Sheets,” that identify repeat DUI probation clients to local law enforcement agencies.  The funds will also be utilized to assist Probation in working with Court officials to establish probation orders for the DUI clients being placed on probation.

This grant is aimed at reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol-related collisions as well as lower DUI recidivism rates.

“Prevention and treatment are valuable tools in reducing DUI recidivism rates,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Monitoring programs are intended to steer probationers in the right direction.”

The ongoing partnership between the Contra Costa County Probation Department and the Office of Traffic Safety has spanned more than 15 years.

“The support and assistance provided by OTS, coupled with strong working relationships with state and local law enforcement agencies, have allowed the Probation Department to closely monitor and rehabilitate our clients,” said Chief Probation Officer, Esa Ehmen-Krause. “Reducing the traumatic impact that impaired driving causes across our community contributes to improving public safety.”

The grant will fund Probation Department personnel to monitor drivers on Probation for felony DUI or multiple misdemeanor DUI convictions, including conducting unannounced fourth amendment waiver home searches, random alcohol and drug testing and ensuring those on probation are attending court-ordered DUI education and treatment programs.  It will also fund the continued training of the Probation Department personnel in an effort to keep up with current trends and equipment use.

While alcohol remains the worst offender for DUI crashes, Contra Costa County Probation supports OTS in its statement, “DUI just doesn’t mean booze.”  Prescription medications and marijuana can be impairing by themselves, but also in combination with alcohol, and can result in a DUI arrest.

The grant program runs through September 2022.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Use bats and hammers for smash and grab robbery in Fairfield store; similar to jewelry store robbery at Sun Valley mall in Concord, Monday

By Fairfield Police Department

Fairfield Police Department’s Investigations Division Recovers $50,000 worth of stolen jewelry. On Wednesday, November 17, 2021, around 2:10 pm, Fairfield Police Department Dispatch received calls regarding individuals entering a jewelry store at the Solano Town Center Mall and using bats and hammers to break the glass counter tops to steal jewelry. The suspects then fled the area. No one was injured during the incident.

Fairfield Police Department’s Investigation Division responded and took over the case. Through outstanding investigative work, the suspect vehicle was located in Antioch, California. 19-year-old, Dominick Desouza from Antioch was arrested and booked into the Solano County Jail on robbery charges. A 16-year-old male and 17-year-old male were also booked into Solano County Juvenile Hall. Investigations was able to recover $50,000 worth of stolen jewelry.

This case is still under investigation and no other information is being released at this time.

The robbery was similar to a smash and grab robbery of a Concord jewelry store at the Sun Valley Shopping Center on Monday, Nov. 15. Calls to the Fairfield Police Department asking if some of the recovered jewelry was from the Concord robbery were not responded to prior to publication time.  (See related article)

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.