Archive for the ‘Police & Crime’ Category

Thorpe holds press conference on proposed police reforms ahead of “Police Reform Month”

Monday, February 22nd, 2021

Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe speaks on police reform proposals during a press conference at City Hall as Antioch resident and advisor on police reform Con Johnson, the mayor’s policy intern, Lucas Bowman and Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson look on, Monday morning, Feb. 22, 2021.

Held prior to report from Bridging the Gap forums is completed; doesn’t invite all council members to attend; interrupted by protester ending presser; media, resident questions answered later

His proposed reform of demilitarizing the police is “so our officers can be seen as public servants not an occupying force.” – Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe

By Allen Payton

A press conference by Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe, was held Monday morning in front of City Hall, to announce his and Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson’s police reform proposals. Announced on his official Facebook page Sunday, it was shown live there, as well. He held it, today in time for what he’s labeled March as “Police Reform Month.” (See video beginning at the 6-minute mark)

Thorpe also invited District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica to participate, but did not invite Districts 1 and 3 Councilwomen Tamisha Torres-Walker and Lori Ogorchock. When contacted before the press conference, Barbanica said the mayor had invited him, last week to an event, today but didn’t tell him until yesterday what it was about. He heard from residents on Saturday morning that it was going to be a press conference on police reform. The councilman said he respectfully declined Thorpe’s invite.

Ogorchock also confirmed that she wasn’t invited and didn’t know anything about the press conference. When asked why he didn’t invite her, since she has asked several times to have bodycams and dashcams be placed on the council agenda, Thorpe said “Barbanica has been asking for them”. When pressed further he said, “Ogorchock could have held her own press conference if she really wanted to push for bodycams and dashcams.” Torres-Walker did not respond to an effort to reach her for comment.

During the press conference Thorpe said he didn’t know why Barbanica wasn’t there.

“Councilman Mike Barbanica was supposed to be here this morning to talk about body cameras and dash cams,” Thorpe said, and that he hadn’t heard from him. The mayor was later informed by the Herald that the councilman had sent him a message declining to attend.

Thorpe also introduced retired police officer and Antioch resident Con Johnson, who is part of the mayor’s Transition Team, advising on police reform. But he didn’t introduce Lucas Bowman, who said he is the mayor’s policy intern and a student at Stanford University where’s he’s taking a gap year from majoring in either political science or public policy. Bowman said his position is to look into whatever the mayor asks him to but that it’s not an official position and that he hasn’t been hired through City Hall.

Thorpe said the reforms are “Important measures that I’ll be proposing to the city council over the next few weeks. I’ll be working with the chief, city manager and police union.”

First, I’ll start by acknowledging…we did lose a resident who was in police custody,” referring to the death of an Antioch resident, Angelo Quinto following a 9-11 call and interaction with Antioch Police officers on Dec. 23. He died in the hospital three days later. The Antioch Police Department has yet to release any details about the incident. Later Thorpe said, “I learned about it the first week in January on social media and I reached out to the chief about that.”

He then spoke about the drive-by shooting in Antioch on Saturday night which injured a firefighter and paramedic.

“In my hour and a half conversation with the chief last night” he said “there is an 11-and-a-1/2-year-old daughter of the suspect who is still missing with her mother,” Thorpe stated.  “Community cameras did help” in the capture of the suspect. (See related articles here and here)

“Police reform has made it to the halls of Congress,” Thorpe then said, and that there are some government agencies that haven’t taken on the issue. “I’m saddened to say, in the area of police reform that’s Antioch. Luckily, the voters have more foresight than those who will divide us over political rhetoric of pro- and anti-police views.”

He then spoke of “common sense solutions…police reforms…so our officers can be seen as public servants not an occupying force,” and that the “reform measures are really a framework.”

Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson speaks on police reforms dealing with mental health.

Mental Health

“The first area is around mental health which has to be the focal point of our reforms,” Thorpe said. “We will seek to have a mental health crisis response team here, in Antioch.” That includes his plan to “have our officers and dispatch workers have mental health review each year.”

That includes the formation of a Mental Health Crisis Response Team, to have mental health professionals respond with police to 5150 calls.

Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson then offered prepared remarks about mental health issues on a national level and called for “reducing fatal police shootings in the United States,” and “treating the untreated.”

Wilson then spoke of local government dealing with “homeless related 9-11 calls” and “investing in community-based violence prevention” and to “invest in evidence-based programs that work” and “restorative justice school-based programs.”

“Without the financial investment…we will miss the moment to impact change,” she added.

Police Training

“Ongoing training is critically important,” Thorpe said. He proposed “we establish a training paradigm that is reviewed annually” that includes “implicit bias training, conflict resolution” and how to deal with “LGBT and gender nonconforming individuals,” among others.

Demilitarizing Police

His next proposed reform is on “demilitarizing our police,” saying “sometimes our local police department looks like an occupying force…tanks on our street.” Thorpe proposed an “immediate ban on purchasing military equipment.”

Police Accountability & Transparency

The next reform he spoke about was police accountability. Thorpe pointed out that it’s the mayor’s responsibility to place items on the agenda.

“If it never came back the former mayor decided to not bring it forward,” he said. “We will bring it forward in March.”

Thorpe spoke of having an independent review of “on-duty complaints of police – either in City Hall or establishing an independent” body to review complaints “within 120 days.”

“The police investigating their own department…not everyone believes that that’s fair,” he added.

He wants to “ensure when police officers conduct a stop they give their names and badge numbers and give out a card” with how complaints can be lodged.

Thorpe proposed forming a “council subcommittee on police oversight, first.”

“We will review and audit all police complaints,” he said. “We will proactively review our use of force policies. We can do it here and move those responsibilities over to an independent group.”

Hiring Policies

“We want to make sure that moving forward that all candidates who are currently under investigation will be disqualified from the process,” Thorpe said, as well as those lateral officers who have a history of citizen complaints. He mentioned requiring officers take an “implicit association test.”

His reforms include the hiring process for the chief of police, “that is open, transparent and inclusive of the community.”

Communications With City Officials

“Lastly, the first phase of police reform is…what the mayor and when the mayor and city council will be communicated to,” Thorpe stated. “We can’t be left to social media to find out what’s happening…(it) is simply inappropriate.”

“There will be more to come as we’re wrapping up the community conversations,” he added. “If anything that derives that is out of this framework then we will discuss those.”

Questions & Answers

Asked why the he held the press conference, now, before the report by CNA on the Bridging the Gap forums, Thorpe responded, “that was never intended to inform for police reform for what I’m proposing. We’re at the end. We’re going to hear it. But laying out this information, now is not premature.”

In response to a question about the mental health response team, Wilson said, “we looked at several models in Eugene, OR which has been taking place for the past 30 years. It’s a team that works with the police.”

The press conference was then interrupted by a man complaining that the mayor blocks people on Facebook. When the man wouldn’t stop yelling Thorpe abruptly ended the presser. He then took questions from members of the media and the public.

When asked, “where will the money come to pay for the crisis response team?” Thorpe responded, “That’s what we’ll discuss as policy makers. We have a $40 million budget reserve. All of this talk of defunding this and taking it from there has not come from council members. I believe there are plenty of funds.”

Asked if the Unhoused Resident Coordinator will be going out with police when they engage with homeless residents he responded the existing Community Engagement Team and the Crisis Response Team may be a combined. “We may disband the Community Engagement Team and have them handle issues with the homeless,” Thorpe stated.”

“Do you support turning on the police radios?” he was asked by Antioch resident Lacey Brown by telephone.

“That is something I believe the police department should have over them,” Thorpe responded.

Regarding the death of Quinto, Thorpe said, “I learned about it the first week in January on social media and I reached out to the chief about that.”

Thorpe’s Prepared Remarks:

“Since the murder of George Floyd, there has been a national and global awakening that has made the streets of our nation the epicenter for expression, frustration and hope including right here in Antioch.

Nationally, the awakening made its way to the halls of Congress, made its way to state legislatures, and made its way to many, many local jurisdictions throughout our state. With one notable exception, Antioch City Hall.

If our police department is doing the same things in five, ten, twenty years, we have failed as a city because we did not evolve with the times including our changing demographics.

Luckily, the voters have more foresight than those who seek to divide with “pro” and “anti” law enforcement political rhetoric.

Voters recognized that “reform” is synonymous with progress, improvement, betterment, refinement and adaptation.

In that spirit, today, I am announcing a series of police reform measures that I am proposing as a major first step towards building a police department that every segment of our community can trust.

If looked at objectively, I am seeking to implement common sense solutions that will provide our police department with the necessary tools to do their job in a manner that will allow for our community to feel safe and respected, and equally, will allow for our officers to be seen as public servants and not an occupying force. At the end of the day, the police is the community, and the community is the police.

I firmly believe that police officers are public servants who enter a very difficult vocation where they put their lives at risk on a daily basis, however, it cannot be ignored there are major structural problems in law enforcement when the very members of the community that they are tasked with protecting are afraid of law enforcement.

Through these reforms, I am seeking to build a pathway that will bring us to a place where the community and the Antioch Police Department are partners in preventing and solving crime in our city.

Until then, we have much work to do.

Conceptually, these police reform measures are a framework to begin our work as policy makers.

1. Mental health has to be a focal point of our reforms and not just limited to how law enforcement responds to mental health distress calls but the actual mental health and wellness of our law enforcement personnel. Therefore, I’ll seek to:

a. Require an annual mental health assessment of police officers and dispatch workers

b. Establish a local mental health crisis response team (For that I’m handing over to Vice Mayor Monica Wilson to discuss a measure she’s been developing regarding mental response).

2. Establish a training paradigm, publicly reviewed/updated annually, built around the following principles: 1. Procedural justice; 2. Relationship-based policing; 3. Implicit bias training; 4. Crisis intervention, mediation, and conflict resolution; 5. Appropriate engagement with youth, LGBTQ, and gender nonconforming individuals, English language learners, individuals from different religious affiliations, and individuals who are differently abled; 6. De-escalation and minimizing the use of force.

3. Demilitarize the Antioch Police Department:

a. Ban the City of Antioch Police Department from purchasing and/or accepting military style equipment from federal, state and private entities.

b. Ban the City of Antioch Police Department from deploying any militarized equipment.

4. Increasing police accountability and transparency:

a. Equipping our officers with body worn cameras;

b. Outfitting our police vehicle with dash cameras;

c. Independent review of on-duty police officer complaints either by moving components of the current process out of the police department or establishing an office of police officer accountability (receive, investigate and resolve all civilian complaints against on duty police in 120 days).

d. Require that during all police stops, officers give civilians their name, badge number, reason for the stop and a card with instructions for filing a complaint.

e. Establishing an additional avenue to on-duty officers to report misconduct outside of the current process that requires officers to go directly to a supervisor and chain of command.

f. Establish an interim City Council Committee for Police Oversight (Committee of the whole) until the establishment of an independent police oversight commission, to:

i. Review and approve policy for the police department with community input and expertise.

ii. Review and audit police complaints.

iii. Review resolutions of disciplinary actions.

iv. Proactively review police use of force policies updating the community regularly.

5. Improving police hiring practices to ensure Antioch is not a stop for police officers with troubled pasts:

a. Establish a Chief of Police hiring process that is open, transparent and inclusive of the community

b. Consider incorporating Implicit Association Test (IAT) into hiring process

c. Lateral candidates who are currently under investigation for “excessive use of force” and/or ‘misconduct’ or have a sustained ‘excessive use of force’ and/or ‘misconduct’ complaint on their records will be disqualified from the process

6. And, establishing a notification system that clearly lays out what and when the Mayor, City Council, City Manager and City Attorney should be communicated to concerning major incidents related to the Antioch Police Department.

Today, we take a first step in giving the Antioch Police Department back to all of its residents.

It is my hope that my colleagues rise to the challenge and recognize that those who are fighting to stop us from having this conversation are already on the wrong side of history.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report. Wilson also agreed to send her prepared remarks which, once received, will be published verbatim.

Discovery Bay homicide victim shot by same suspect arrested for drive-by in Antioch Saturday night, search on for suspect’s son and his mother

Sunday, February 21st, 2021

Photo and information: CCCSheriff

Suspect identified, being held on $11 million bail

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

Tues., Feb. 23, 2021 UPDATE: From the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office – Regarding the Discovery Bay homicide on Saturday, Kimberly Meeks and her son were located this morning and they are safe.

On Saturday, February 20, 2021, at about 8:51 PM, Antioch police officers, AMR medics and Con Fire personnel were shot at by a subject in a drive-by shooting. Two were hit and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect fled the scene and was pursued by numerous law enforcement agencies. The suspect was taken into custody in the City of Richmond. The suspect was later identified as 26-year-old Darryon Williams of Stockton.

Later that evening, the Antioch Police Department requested Contra Costa Sheriff’s Deputies contact a person related to their case and conduct a welfare check at a residence on the 2100 block of Newport Court in Discovery Bay.

Delta Station Deputy Sheriffs arrived at the residence and found the door to the home open. Deputies conducted a protective sweep of the house and discovered a deceased individual inside with apparent gunshot wounds. The person was later identified as 64-year-old Michael Iliff of Discovery Bay.

Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives and crime lab personnel responded to the location. They were assisted by the Antioch Police Department, CHP and other agencies.

Investigators later identified Williams as the suspect in the murder of Iliff. After being interviewed by detectives, Williams was booked today at about 1 PM into the Martinez Detention Facility on the following charges: one count of murder and ten counts of attempted murder. He is being held in lieu of $11 million bail.

Kimberly Meeks and her car. Photos: CCCSheriff

Sheriff’s Office detectives are trying to locate Williams’ four-year-old son and the mother of the child, 31-year-old Kimberly Meeks of Discovery Bay. She has links to the Stockton/Sacramento area. Detectives have concerns about their safety. They are traveling in a dark colored Audi SUV with California license plate – 8UKN742.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this homicide or the whereabouts of Meeks and her son is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441 or at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Firefighter, paramedic injured in drive-by shooting in Antioch Saturday night, suspect from Stockton caught in Richmond

Sunday, February 21st, 2021

Both first responders in stable condition with non-life-threatening wounds; ambulance and police car also struck by gunfire; incident under investigation

By Lt. John Fortner, Investigations Bureau, Antioch Police Department & Steve Hill, Public Information Officer, ConFire

On Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, at approximately 8:51 PM, Antioch police officers were called to the 1900 block of Auto Center Drive on the report of a citizen requiring emergency medical attention. A fire engine from Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire Protection District (Con Fire), and an ambulance from Contra Costa American Medical Response (AMR) also responded to the medical call.

While tending to the patient in the parking lot near Auto Center Drive, a suspect in a silver SUV drove by the team of first responders and began shooting at the group. Afterwards, the suspect turned around and drove past the group again firing a second series of shots. A 31-year-old male Con Fire firefighter and a 58-year-old male AMR ambulance transport Alliance paramedic were caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting while responding to a serious medical emergency in Antioch Saturday night.

Shots were reported at 9:08 p.m. shortly after firefighters and paramedics arrived on scene. Both first responders and the original medical call patient were transported to local area hospitals at approximately 9:30 p.m.  The firefighter was shot in the foot and the paramedic was shot in the leg and their injuries were determined to be non-life threatening. An ambulance and a police car were also struck by gunfire.

Several Antioch officers gave chase onto Highway 4 as the suspect vehicle fled westbound towards the City of Pittsburg. The vehicle pursuit traveled through Contra Costa and Alameda Counties and ended in the City of Richmond after the suspect vehicle collided with a parked vehicle. The suspect attempted to flee from the scene of the collision, but he was quickly taken into custody by officers from Richmond PD and the California Highway Patrol. The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Air Support Unit also provided critical assistance. A firearm was collected at the scene.

“Tonight’s senseless shootings are a vivid reminder of the very real dangers our first responders face, often side-by-side with our law enforcement partners, as they work to save lives across our communities,” said Lewis T. Broschard III, fire chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. “We are grateful for the public outpouring of support for our wounded firefighter and AMR paramedic and for the work of law enforcement across the Bay Area to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.”

“As representatives of our firefighters, and in support of the police and EMS personnel we respond with on a daily basis, we are grateful to report both first responders injured in tonight’s shooting incident are expected to make full recoveries,” said Vince Wells, president, United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County. “I would like to thank the members of the community of Antioch and beyond for your words of concern and support regarding those injured in tonight’s incident. We expect to learn more as the investigation uncovers more details regarding this incident.”

Antioch Police Department detectives with the Violent Crimes and Special Operations Units responded to the scene, along with crime scene investigators, and took over the investigation. The investigation is still active, and evidence is being collected and evaluated.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441, or Detective Brogdon at (925) 779-6895. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Two arrested in Antioch for outstanding felony warrants: one hiding in a garbage bag, then wrong-way Hwy 4 driver in stolen truck

Saturday, February 20th, 2021

Antioch Police chase of suspect ends at a home on Spaulding Street on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. Photo: APD

By Antioch Police Department

You can run , but you can’t hide from APD dayshift….

Today at about 9:40 am, Officer Hill attempted to stop a car for vehicle code violations, but the driver failed to stop, and continued a slow roll to a residence on Spaulding Street. He fled into the house, but the entire dayshift had him surrounded in seconds. Officers found him hiding inside of a large garbage bag underneath a pile of clothes in a child’s bedroom (we can’t make this stuff up ). Turns out he had warrants for felony aggravated assault and resisting an officer, so we sent him to County Jail to face a judge to explain his behavior.

Thanks to the awesome residents on Spaulding Street for their patience and assistance!

Wrong-way stolen truck abandoned on Hwy 4 in Brentwood and suspect’s discarded gun found following police chase on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. Photos: APD

Later on (around 1:30 pm), Officer Ewart spotted a Ford F250 stolen from Martinez getting onto Highway 4 from L Street. Officers attempted to stop him, but he immediately fled, exited the freeway, and re-entered the wrong way. Officers decided not to chase him, and instead coordinated with other officers over the police radio (you can’t outrun a Motorola) to monitor all of the freeway exits. Officer Rodriguez spotted the Ford going eastbound on the shoulder of westbound Highway 4 near Laurel Road. She watched him abandon the vehicle on an embankment near the Jeffrey Way onramp.

Officer Morris was waiting near the Taco Bell on Jeffery Way and caught the fleeing felon as he tried to hop away with his foot in a cast. His flight path was retraced and a discarded semi-automatic pistol was found in a planter box. The driver was found to have a felony warrant for violation of his post release community supervision, and we sent him back to jail so he could join the other guy in telling people not to run from APD.

We would like to thank the Brentwood Police Department and CHP – Contra Costa for their assistance with this incident. Fortunately, nobody was injured from his wrong-way shenanigans.

 

Following pursuit and use of K9, teen, man arrested in Pittsburg for armed robbery of woman at Antioch ATM

Thursday, February 18th, 2021

Suspect drove faster than 100 MPH on Hwy 4

By Sergeant Brian Rose #4309, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau

Antioch Police Officers responded to the report of an armed robbery at the Wells Fargo Bank located at 5859 Lone Tree Way at 12:18 AM Tuesday morning. The victim, a 33-year-old female, was making a cash deposit at the outdoor ATM when two suspects, males age 17 and 21, approached with guns and demanded her money. After the suspects took the victim’s money, they fled the scene in a 4-door dark gray Infiniti. A couple of minutes after the robbery, an officer spotted the suspect vehicle travelling westbound on Highway 4 at a high rate of speed. Officers attempted to catch up to the vehicle but were unable to do so based on the fact it was travelling more than 100 miles per hour.

A few minutes later, the suspect vehicle was located near Los Medanos College in Pittsburg by officers from the Pittsburg Police Department. Officers pursued the vehicle and attempted to disable it using spike strips at the intersection of East Leland Road and Harbor Street. The suspect vehicle swerved to avoid the spike strips and collided with two uninvolved civilian vehicles at the intersection. After the collision, the suspect vehicle continued driving recklessly with no regard for the public and the driver eventually lost control at the intersection of West Leland Road and William Way. The suspect vehicle collided into a power pole. The two suspects subsequently fled from the vehicle on foot. One suspect was taken into custody by use of a police K-9 and the other was apprehended while hiding in the rear yard of a residence near the area of the second accident scene. All involved parties received medical treatment for their injuries.

No officers or civilians were injured during this incident.

The Antioch Police Department would like to extend its gratitude to the Pittsburg Police Department for their assistance during this volatile incident.

This preliminary information is made available by the Field Services Bureau. There will be no further information released regarding this case at this time.

Anyone with information is encouraged 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.

Valentine’s night shooting leaves one Antioch man dead, another in hospital

Monday, February 15th, 2021

City’s first homicide of the year

By Lieutenant John Fortner, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

On Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021 at approximately 10:38 PM, Antioch police officers were called to the 2900 block of Enea Way on the report of several gunshots heard in the area.

Numerous officers responded to the scene and located a 47-year-old male shooting victim seated in a vehicle parked in the street. This victim was found to be suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Officers immediately began providing first aid and called for emergency paramedics. Ultimately, the victim, who was an Antioch resident, succumbed to his injuries and passed at the scene.

A second shooting victim, also an Antioch resident, was located at the scene and he was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The 37-year-old male was transported to a local area hospital where he was taken into surgery and is expected to survive.

Antioch Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigators and detectives with the Violent Crimes and Special Operations Units responded to the scene and took over the investigation.

Currently, detectives are working to identify any suspects or persons of interest. The investigation is still active, and evidence is being collected and evaluated.

According to Antioch Police Chief T Brooks, this is the city’s first homicide of the year.

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

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Antioch man arrested as part of Reno theft operation, over $150,000 in merchandise recovered

Saturday, February 13th, 2021

Photos: CHP

By CHP – Golden Gate

A recent retail theft at a Lululemon store in Reno led to the recovery of more than $150,000 in suspected stolen merchandise, $7,000 in cash, one handgun, and the arrest of three suspects in the Bay Area, through the cooperation of several law enforcement agencies that are part of an Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF).

On February 5, 2021, nearly $50,000 of clothing was stolen from the Lululemon clothing store in Reno, Nevada, by five suspects in an organized retail theft. Some of the suspects were repeat offenders, known by Lululemon loss prevention investigators to have ties to the Bay Area.

The Lululemon investigators reached out to the ORCTF, a multi-agency effort of the Golden Gate Division of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The task force includes members from the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

With the help of information from the Lululemon loss prevention investigators, the ORCTF executed two search warrants in San Francisco and Antioch on February 11. The search warrants led to three arrests and the stolen merchandise, cash and handgun. The recovered merchandise included clothing, cosmetics, purses and sunglasses from multiple retailers including Lululemon, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Victoria’s Secret, JCPenney’s Sunglass Hut, Solstice Sunglasses, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Burberry, Sax Off 5th, Louis Vuitton, Hermés, Gucci, Channel, and others.

Arrested were: Mario Omar Cisneros-Cruz, DOB 5/27/1979, of San Francisco; Owen Omar Cisneros/Rodriguez, DOB 9/23/2001, of San Francisco; and Saul Garcia Hernandez, DOB 3/11/1992, of Antioch, on suspicion of organized retail crime (490.4 PC), possession of stolen property (496 (a) PC), grand theft (487 (a) PC), theft of lost property (485 PC). Hernandez was also charged with carrying a loaded firearm (25850 (a) PC).

“It is our Task Force’s mission to detect, deter and dismantle organized retail crime,” said CHP Lieutenant Kevin Domby of the ORCTF. “If you have any information that may lead the detection of organized retail crime, please call our Tip Line at (510) 957-8247.”

 

Antioch POP Team arrest “Fraud God” and gang members

Thursday, February 11th, 2021

Stolen IDs, gun, drugs and cash confiscated by Antioch POP Team. Photo: APD

Over 1,000 stolen ID cards, forged checks and EDD cards!

Illegally parked car leads to arrest for drug sales, illegal gun

By Antioch Police Department

Suspect’s “Fraud God” pendant. Photo: APD

The last couple of days were very productive for the Antioch Police Department’s Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Team. After several months of investigative work and working with members of the community, the POP team was able to tackle a number of the ongoing issues in some of the city’s problem areas.

Tuesday, our POP Team served a search warrant related to an ongoing investigation that led to the arrest of a subject with an outstanding warrant. Over one thousand ID cards, forged checks, and EDD cards were recovered along with a gun (possessed by a convicted felon). One interesting observation, the arrested subject wanted it to be known that he was the “Fraud God” and purchased a gold chain as proof. This is one of the pictures we included in this post so you can see for yourselves.

The day continued with a focus on the Sycamore Square shopping center. We would like to make it clear, illegally parking in the handicapped zone is not a “pick up food zone” and should not be abused. Not only did this contact lead to a $250 parking ticket, but the driver was also arrested for drug sales and an illegal firearm.

Gun drugs cash confiscated from suspects. Illegally parked car that led to arrest. Photos: APD

Wednesday, the POP Team served several search warrants on active gang members in the city. With the assistance of the APD Gang Unit and Investigations Bureau, we were able to take two stolen guns off the street possessed by convicted felons as well as marijuana for sales.

Like always, the Problem-Oriented Policing Unit would love to hear from you to help reduce any ongoing problems. Our POP Team can be reached by emailing popteam@antioch.gov. You can also submit a tip by sending a text message to 274637 with the keyword ANTIOCH in your text.