Man threatens to kill his family, drives car into house, arrested at Bay Point BART Station

Suspect is being held on $300K bail, has history of arrests

By Allen D. Payton

A one alarm fire started in the garage of a home in the 1700 block of Mt. Hamilton Drive in Antioch Tuesday night, August 8, 203. The investigation determined it to be the result of arson

“We received the call at 10:40 p.m.” According to Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief & PIO Tracie Dutter stated.

On Wednesday, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) announced the arrest of 44-year-old Adil Abbas Aljanaby (born 9/23/78) for arson and threatening the life and safety of his family after a domestic dispute with his wife.

The responding firefighters worked quickly and were able to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the garage. After a thorough investigation, the fire was found to have originated in the garage. With the assistance of accelerant detection K-9 Baxter, Con Fire investigators determined the area of origin was inside a vehicle in the garage.

Upon further investigation, Con Fire Investigators learned approximately one hour prior to the fire, Aljanaby threatened to drive through the house, set the house on fire, and kill his family.

On Wednesday, Aug. 9, investigators located a witness who saw the dispute unfold. The witness identified Aljanaby as driving into the garage door, then entering the garage. A fire was seen inside as he left.

At 10 p.m. Aljanaby was detained at the Bay Point Bart Station by Con Fire investigators. They observed damage to the front of Aljanaby’s vehicle consistent with the damage to the garage door. Aljanaby was arrested and charged with arson to an inhabited structure or property.

Aljanaby was transported to the Martinez Detention Facility. The Antioch Police Department has additional ongoing investigations and will be submitting further cases with additional charges.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the 6’5″, 220 lb. Aljanaby is being held on $300,000 bail. According to localcrimenews.com, he has a history of arrests dating to 2019 by Antioch PD, BART PD and Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office for DUI, disobeying a domestic relations order, and just last month for resisting arrest and contempt of court.

Launches new system; sign up to receive updates

By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, Public Affairs, East Bay Regional Park District

The East Bay Regional Park District has launched a new system to make information about police and fire activity more accessible to the public. The system also includes an interactive webpage with near real-time mapping of police and fire activity, including location, date and time, a general description, and outcome. The new system also allows the public to sign up for daily or weekly email updates with a summary of public safety activity and links to more information.

The new system is provided by Sun Ridge Systems, Inc. – Citizen RIMS and housed on Crimegraphics.com, which integrates with the Park District’s existing Public Safety Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management System (RMS). The new system allows updates to be emailed out automatically rather than manually by public safety staff, increasing efficiency and allowing staff to focus on other important activities.

Most importantly, the new system increases public transparency by making disclosable public safety activity information more accessible. The system allows any member of the public to access near real-time public safety activity mapping information and sign up for daily or weekly email updates.

Access to daily or weekly updates is available via an easy one-time sign-up process. Email addresses are entered into Citizen RIMS / crimegraphics.com and will only be used to send email update to subscribers.

To learn more and sign up for these updates, visit www.ebparks.org/public-safety/activity.

User Notice:

Access to disclosable public safety activity information is provided as a public service from the East Bay Regional Park District and subject to applicable terms of use. To protect privacy, the Crimegraphics.com website does not provide information regarding juvenile offenders, or specific information regarding calls for service that are protected by confidentiality laws or sensitive in nature. The East Bay Regional Park District does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information contained on this website regarding specific incidents, crimes, or people with respect to the omission of information that may have not yet been filed or is pending filing with a court(s) of jurisdiction relating to criminal offenses.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

By Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

We are pleased to announce that Father Robert Rien has accepted the newly created position of volunteer Fire Chaplain – lead as part of the fire district peer support program. He is the first-ever official Fire Chaplain for Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. This appointment is effective immediately.

He has been the Pastor of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish in Antioch for the last 18 years. During that time, he served as Chaplain for the Antioch Police Department and for the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District. He holds the distinguished Master Chaplain Certification from the International Conference of Police Chaplains.

Father Robert Rien is a native of Oakland, California, and is a Priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland for the past 50 years. Ordained in 1974, he served parishes in Alameda and Contra Costa County. Three years after ordination, he served as the Catholic Chaplain for the 349th Military Air Lift Wing, stationed at Travis Air Force Base for five years.

Before being assigned to parishes in Contra Costa County in 2001, he served as Chaplain for the Oakland Fire Department. In addition to his other duties and responsibilities, he serves as Catholic Chaplain for both Sutter-Delta and Kaiser Deer Valley Hospitals.

Additionally, he serves as a Regional Chaplain for the East Bay Regional Park District and a Contra Costa County Peer Support Services Association member.

Father Robert currently resides in Antioch. When not tending to his parish, he enjoys reading, cooking, and watching the 49ers, Warriors, and Giants. He appreciates being with friends and loved ones.

Located in East County, Father Robert can be reached by email at Rrien@cccfpd.org. Please assist Father Robert in becoming familiar with the District and join us in making him a welcome part of the Con Fire team!

By Allen D. Payton

07/22/23 UPDATE #2: According to Jimmy Lee, Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Director of Public Affairs, “On Friday, July 21, 2023, at about 1:51 PM, deputy sheriffs from the Marine Patrol Unit were dispatched to assist the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the United States Coast Guard with searching for a missing boater who was apparently trying to push his 20-foot vessel to shore near the Fulton Shipyard on the San Joaquin River. The U.S. Coast Guard and Sheriff’s Office drone team were also involved in the search. The missing boater, who is not being identified at this time, was not located. The Marine Patrol Unit will continue the search today.”

07/22/23 UPDATE #1: According to Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Schnabel, “We suspended the search after searching until around 7:30 pm. One man had fallen overboard from a recreational boat and the other man jumped in after him attempting to get him out of the water leaving the vessel unmanned. Neither had life jackets. One man was recovered by a Good Samaritan and taken to a local boat ramp.”

———

A helicopter could be seen flying over the river and Waldie Plaza along the Antioch waterfront Friday afternoon. According to Con Fire PIO Steve Hill, “We responded in the noon hour to reports of a 55-year-old man in the water. In spite of searches by us, Sheriff’s Office Marine program and the Coast Guard we were unable to locate him. We are clearing at this hour, the Coast Guard remains on scene.”

As of 4:25 PM Coast Guard 11th District Public Affairs Specialist Hunter Schnabel said, “the search is ongoing for a male. We received a report from another male who was swimming with him after he got back to shore and called in a panic.”

“We have Station Rio Vista and Air San Francisco’s MH65 Dolphins (helicopters) in the search,” he added.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Executive Inn on E. 18th Street; APD, another resident help victim out of her room

By Allen D. Payton

Con Fire personnel responded to a small fire in one of the rooms at the Executive Inn on E. 18th Street Saturday afternoon, July 8, 2023. It’s the location of the City’s homeless hotel offering transitional housing.

According to Battalion 8 Chief Scott Valencia, it was “a very small fire in the bedroom. The sprinklers kept it in check. This is a normal response for a commercial fire, four engines and two trucks. One victim had burns to the hand. The cause is still under investigation.

According to Fire Marshal & Assistant Chief Chris Bachman, “the female victim in her 20’s was passed out on the bed. Antioch PD and another resident assisted the victim to get her out of the room. She was transported to UC Davis Medical Center.”

“Not only was it a sprinkler save of the room, but a sprinkler save of a life, as well,” he stated.
“Because it was a change of occupancy from hotel to transitional housing, Con Fire required a sprinkler system and they retrofitted it,” Bachman explained. “Today was a great example of why the code identifies that our occupancies require sprinklers, now and how the sprinkler system saved not only the building but a life.”

Small fire at Antioch’s homeless hotel burns hand of female resident Saturday

Executive Inn on E. 18th Street

By Allen D. Payton

Con Fire personnel responded to a small fire in one of the rooms at the Executive Inn on E. 18th Street Saturday afternoon, July 8, 2023. It’s the location of the City’s homeless hotel offering transitional housing.

According to Battalion 8 Chief Scott Valencia, it was “a very small fire in the bedroom. The sprinklers kept it in check. This is a normal response for a commercial fire, four engines and two trucks. One victim had burns to the hand. The cause is still under investigation.

According to Fire Marshal & Assistant Chief Chris Bachman, “the female victim in her 20’s was passed out on the bed. Antioch PD and another resident assisted the victim to get her out of the room. She was transported to UC Davis Medical Center.”

“Not only was it a sprinkler save of the room, but a sprinkler save of a life, as well,” he stated.
“Because it was a change of occupancy from hotel to transitional housing, Con Fire required a sprinkler system and they retrofitted it,” Bachman explained. “Today was a great example of why the code identifies that our occupancies require sprinklers, now and how the sprinkler system saved not only the building but a life.”

Limited response plan implementation ensures responses to exceptionally high volume of fireworks-caused fires

Antioch had most with 22 and worst structure fire destroying garage, damaging two homes in which four residents displaced, dog died

Martinez man loses part of hand holding an exploding firework

By Steve Hill, PIO, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

July 6, 2023 – Contra Costa County Fire Protection District today made available details of the fire and EMS activity, much of it fireworks related, occurring across the district on the Independence Day holiday evening.

For the six-hour period from 8 p.m., July 4, to 2 a.m., July 5, the district dispatched crews to 69 fire incidents. This represents a more than 400 percent increase over other recent Tuesdays, which in June, averaged 20 fire dispatches for the entire day. Year-over-year, fire incidents were up nearly 60 percent.

The holiday evening’s 69 fire incidents point to the dangers of fireworks use in current heightened fire danger conditions. Eleven of these fires are known to have been caused, and another 51 suspected of having been caused by fireworks.

While the cool weather was favorable and the midweek timing had the holiday falling on a work night, fires numbered some 60 percent more than 4th of July 2023’s 44 fire incidents for the same evening period.

In spite of more than 60 grass, vegetation and other exterior fires burning across the district on the

Four Residents Displaced, Dog Dies in Antioch Fire

evening of the Fourth, only four structure fires ensued. Of these, in three cases, fireworks could not be ruled out as the cause. In the worst structure fire of the evening, in the 2 a.m. hour in Antioch, a garage was destroyed, and two adjacent homes substantially damaged as a result of fireworks. In all, four residents were displaced, and a dog died, as a result of this unnecessary fire.

20% Increase in Emergency Medical Service Incidents 

Calls for emergency medical services were also up over normal, non-holiday periods with some of this increase likely attributable to fireworks activity. On the Fourth, 240 EMS incidents were dispatched with 64 of these occurring between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. the next day. Total EMS responses represent about a 20% increase over more typical weekdays. On average, Con Fire responds to just over 200 EMS incidents daily.

In one particularly egregious case, a 66-year-old male in Martinez was gravely injured in the 10 p.m. hour when he lost part of a hand while holding an exploding firework.

Considerable preparation across the district, including upstaffing of additional dispatchers; two hand crews and equipment; two fire dozers; and the district operations center, staffed by multiple chief officers; resulted in rapid and overwhelming responses, which served to limit fire spread, and resultant damage when fires did occur.

All 60-plus grass and exterior fires were kept small, limiting potential for structure damage as a result of rapid and overwhelming responses as well as early notifications to 911 by residents.

During possible attempted gas theft

By Allen D. Payton

According to the Contra Costa Fire Protection District (Con Fire), a fire in the Antioch BART parking lot on Thursday was extinguished after a total of six vehicles were extensively damaged. Con Fire crews, along with Antioch and BART police, responded. The fire appears to have been caused during an attempted gasoline theft. The incident remains under investigation.

Especially during flu season; ConFire says respiratory virus calls are straining CCC EMS resources

By Contra Costa Health Services

To ensure continued timely response to true medical emergencies, Contra Costa Health (CCH) encourages residents to call 911 only if the need for care is truly an emergency.

Contra Costa County’s emergency medical system traditionally serves higher-than-usual numbers of patients this time of year, and this month healthcare providers and the agencies providing emergency ambulance service are especially impacted because of COVID, flu and other respiratory viruses.

According to Con Fire, “Respiratory virus calls are straining CCC EMS resources.”

Several hospitals in the community are reporting critically high level of patients occupying beds, with more than 1,200 inpatients reported throughout the county as of Friday. Hospital emergency departments are similarly impacted.

Calling 911 for your health emergency is recommended if it involves:

• Chest pain, difficulty breathing or a fast (120+ beats per minute) resting heartbeat
• Numbness or weakness in any part of the body, seizures, or difficulty speaking
• Fainting, unconsciousness, dizziness, sudden severe pain or headache, or confusion
• Sudden blindness or vision changes
• Heavy bleeding that will not stop with pressure, or broken bones
• Choking, drowning or near drowning
• Severe burns
• Poisoning or drug overdose
• Allergic reactions, especially if there is difficulty breathing
• Someone making a credible threat to harm themselves or someone else

There are other good reasons to call 911 as well. But to reduce strain on the county’s healthcare system, CCH asks anyone considering whether to seek emergency care if a 911 call is the best way to get the services they need, or if contacting an advice nurse or urgent care might be more appropriate.

When many people seek care through 911 at the same time, it reduces the number of emergency ambulances in circulation, ready to respond when someone in the county needs lifesaving care.

Based on a paramedic’s assessment of a patient’s condition and if the number of available emergency ambulances is very low, the paramedic may suggest a patient visit an urgent care on their own or call an advice nurse.

During the winter virus season, patients visiting emergency departments at hospitals in the county may also need to wait longer depending on circumstances at the time they arrive and the severity of their illness or injury.