Evidence markers are placed at the scene of the physical altercation on Lone Tree Way Tuesday morning, Nov. 18, 2025. Photo courtesy of Spotlight CoCoCounty.(Redacted by the Herald)
By Lt. William Whitaker #6155, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at approximately 2:46 a.m., the Antioch Police Department dispatch center received multiple calls of a subject down on the roadway at Lone Tree Way and W. Tregallas Road. When officers arrived on scene, they located the victim who appeared to have been involved in a physical altercation. Antioch police officers provided aid to the victim at the scene. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition.
The Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau, consisting of Crime Scene Investigators and detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit, responded to take over the investigation.
Earlier in the day APD posted on social media that it was a traffic accident and to avoid the area. However, they later updated the post on their Facebook page with the more current information.
This is an active investigation, and no further information will be released at this time.
Additional inquiries, tips, or information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Arturo Becerra at (925) 779-6937 or by email at abecerra@antiochca.gov.
New team option, expanded online catalog make fulfilling kids’ and families’ Christmas wishes easier
Santa’s Gift Shoppe — powered by Toys“R”Us — is back; ship gifts by Dec. 13 to help ensure on-time delivery for the holidays
By Meiko Patton, AI Communications Specialist, USPS
CALIFORNIA — The U.S. Postal Service today announced that USPS Operation Santa is now open for letter adoption for the 2025 holiday season. Starting today, individuals, families, workplaces and community groups can go to USPSOperationSanta.com to adopt letters to Santa and help make the holidays brighter for children and families across the country.
This year, USPS is placing a special emphasis on adopting family letters — including a new way to do it as a team — to help ensure letters from the same household are adopted and fulfilled together.
“We invite the public to join us in spreading holiday cheer by adopting a USPS Operation Santa letter,” said Sheila Holman, the Postal Service’s vice president of marketing. “Every year, we receive far more letters than those adopting. So if you have the means, we encourage you to adopt a letter. And this year we’re making it easier for groups to adopt family letters — making the holidays brighter for everyone in a household. And they’re fun and easy to complete with friends or coworkers.”
Letter Adoption Now Open
Adopters can visit USPSOperationSanta.com and follow the steps below to fulfill a letter:
Create a login and verify your identity;
Browse available letters from across the U.S;
Adopt the letters you love — including family letters;
Shop for the perfect gift through Santa’s Work Shoppe or on your own; and
Ship your gift right away through our online catalog or from a Post Office location
To help ensure gifts arrive in time for the holidays, adopters should ship gifts no later than Dec. 13. Sending gifts as early as possible helps families know their holiday wishes have been met.
Adopt Family Letters as a Team
USPS is highlighting a feature that makes it easier to fulfill letters from the same household together:
Join forces to fulfill the whole crew — One person creates the team and invites friends, family, or coworkers to help fulfill a family’s letters.
Each person take a page — Team members can claim the letter from the family that speaks to them and invite others to adopt the rest.
You’re in charge — All letters in the family must be adopted. The team admin can see unclaimed letters and adopt the remaining ones to make sure the family is fully covered.
This option is designed for offices, teams, community groups and organizations that want to make a bigger impact together.
Santa’s Gift Shoppe Makes It Easy to Shop and Ship
To help make letter adoption easier than ever, Santa’s Gift Shoppe — powered by Toys“R”Us — is back this year with a much larger selection of items. Adopters can send gifts directly from the newly expanded online catalog, saving a trip to a Post Office location and keeping the experience seamless.
Santa’s Gift Shoppe is designed to:
Give adopters a quick, easy way to find the perfect gift
Save time and money — with free shipping on orders over $49
Streamline sending gifts directly to the recipient — because all packaging and shipping is handled for you
Support adopters who want to fulfill multiple letters — including family letters — in one session
Please Note: The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to more than 170 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is celebrating its 250th year of service to customers amidst a network modernization plan aimed at restoring long-term financial sustainability, improving service, and maintaining the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
Sutter Delta Medical Center earns an “A” – the only hospital in Contra Costa County to do so
By Monique Binkley Smith, Manager, Media Relations, Sutter Health
Fifteen Sutter hospitals earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit focused on patient safety. This recognition is awarded to hospitals for their exceptional performance in patient safety and quality of care.
“This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to patient safety and quality care,” said Dr. William Isenberg, chief medical and quality officer at Sutter Health. “Earning an ‘A’ grade is a testament to the dedication of our teams and their focus on delivering the safest possible care for our communities. This recognition reflects the trust our patients place in us and our shared commitment to creating safer, healthier neighborhoods across California.”
Hospitals that did not receive an “A” grade have established workplans to improve performance in the next evaluation cycle, drawing on best practices from Sutter hospitals that have consistently earned “A” grades.
“Earning an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group is a tremendous honor for Sutter Delta Medical Center — and even more meaningful because we are the only hospital in Contra Costa County to achieve this distinction for Fall 2025,” said Trevor Brand, CEO. “This recognition reflects the relentless dedication of our entire team to put patient safety at the heart of every decision and every interaction. Our community trusts us with their health, and we embrace that responsibility with a commitment to excellence today and a vision for even safer, higher-quality care tomorrow.”
Commitment to Safety
As a high-reliability organization, Sutter promotes a culture of safety in which everyone is empowered to speak up about potential safety concerns. Being high-reliability is more than a process — it’s a promise to make care safer and more consistent for every patient, every time. Efforts around this work include:
The launch of Sutter Safe Care in 2018. The program kicked off Sutter’s journey to becoming a high-reliability organization, with comprehensive training of over 65,000 leaders, physicians, advanced practice clinicians and staff.
Targeted training to onboard new leaders, employees and physicians, to ensure everyone adopts Sutter Safe Care’s high-reliability behaviors and key practices.
A reliability coach program empowering frontline staff to support their peers with high-reliability behaviors. Currently, there are over 1,100 frontline reliability coaches across Sutter Health, and participation in the program continues to grow, year over year.
Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries. The program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
Mike Conklin, Chairman and CEO of Sentinels of Freedom presents the donation check to LMC President Pamela Ralston on Nov. 6, 2025. They were joined by Tara Sanders, LMC Foundation Director (left), Melissa Jackson, LMC Veterans Services Program Coordinator (right) and LMC student veterans affiliated with the Veterans Resource Center. Photos: LMC
Funding to support in-person math tutoring
By Juliet V. Casey, Director of Marketing, Los Medanos College
Pittsburg, Calif. – Mike Conklin, chairman and CEO of Sentinels of Freedom, came to Los Medanos College Nov. 6, 2025, with words of wisdom and a hand-written check worth $5,000 for LMC’s Veterans Resource Center.
Just ahead of presenting the check, Conklin spoke to students attending LMC to gain the skills and education needed to transition from military service to civilian life.
“I’m here to tell you, people in this community want to see you succeed,” Conklin said, after sharing personal stories about the military service of his son whose combat injuries resulted in a stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “They all respect your service and sacrifice for this country.”
Mike Conklin speaks with the LMC student veterans.
He noted that Sentinels of Freedom, a nonprofit organization of veterans, aims to help wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans transition into civilian life. Through personalized support, the group provides guidance to veterans pursuing higher education, establishing careers and working toward self-sufficiency. The donation, he said, would support in-person math tutoring for student veterans at LMC. The college has 168 student veterans enrolled this fall.
Conklin also led a workshop for the group on budgeting and financial planning.
“Many veterans return to college after years away from the classroom, often facing challenges in subjects like mathematics as they transition back into academic life,” said Rikki Hall, LMC director of Admissions and Records. “This grant provides essential, targeted support to help them build confidence, strengthen foundational skills, and ultimately succeed in achieving their educational goals.”
Los Medanos College Veteran Services focuses on meeting the needs of military-affiliated students, while honoring their distinct experiences and contributions. LMC is approved for education and training under applicable federal and state laws administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
About Sentinels of Freedom
The San Ramon, CA-based Sentinels of Freedom are committed to empowering severely wounded and injured post-9/11 veterans during their transition into civilian life. Through personalized support, they provide guidance to each veteran in pursuing higher education and establishing fulfilling careers, facilitating their seamless integration into society and self-sufficiency.
The idea for Sentinels for Freedom began with our founder, Mike Conklin, whose son Kris was wounded in Iraq. While visiting Kris in the hospital, Mike spoke with others who were also wounded. It when then that he realized the tremendous physical and emotional hurdles these war–torn men and women faced when transitioning back to civilian life. Conklin established the organization as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2007. For more information visit https://sentinelsoffreedom.org.
About Los Medanos College (LMC)
LMC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District serving the East Contra Costa County community. Established in 1974, LMC has earned federal designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution. It offers award-winning transfer and career-technical programs, support services, and diverse academic opportunities in an inclusive learning environment. With exceptional educators, innovative curriculum, growing degree and certificate offerings, and state-of-the-art facilities, the college prepares students to succeed in their educational pursuits, in the workforce, and beyond. LMC’s Pittsburg Campus is located on 120 acres bordering Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood. For more information visit www.losmedanos.edu.
One of the 22 arrests in the last seven days, officers and K-9 on scene. Photos: Antioch PD
See list of 21 arrests Nov. 2-8, many for domestic violence, drugs
By Antioch Police Department
We don’t stop! Even with the shorter days and colder weather your officers responded to 1,685 calls for service, investigated 168 cases and made 22 arrests in just the last 7 days. That’s an average of 240 calls for service every day!
We don’t take days off. We don’t stop working during bad weather. We don’t have business hours. Day in and day out the wheels of justice keep turning in the City of Antioch thanks to the hard-working men and women at the Antioch Police Department.
Like always, we cannot do it without your continued support!
Weekly Adult Arrests Report
According to the most recent APD Weekly Adult Arrests Report by the Crime Analysis Unit, for the previous week, Nov. 2-8, 2025, those arrested ranged in age from 21 to 64 and were arrested for the following crimes:
4 for Assault with a deadly weapon with force: possible great bodily harm;
2 for Battery on a spouse/ex-spouse/date/etc., one Simple;
2 for Battery w/serious bodily injury;
3 for Inflict corporal injury on spouse/cohabitant/dating relationship – Aggravated;
2 for Burglary: second degree – Burglary/breaking and entering;
Felon/addict in possession, etc. of a firearm;
Possess narcotic controlled substance;
Possess unlawful paraphernalia;
Possess controlled substance;
Driving while suspended with DUI priors;
2 for Reckless driving: highway (Felony);
2 for Vandalism: damage property (Felony);
Failure to register as a sex offender violation after incarceration;
Petty theft: retail merchandise/etc.;
Shoplifting (Misdemeanor);
Trespass: occupying a property without consent;
Evading peace officer;
Accessory after the fact (Felony);
Personate to make other liable – False Impersonation (Felony);
Bench warrant/failure to appear on felony charge; and
2 for Bench warrant/failure to appear on misdemeanor charge
One of the two suspects arrested for carjacking and armed robberies. Photo source: Walnut Creek PD
Antioch, Pittsburg, Oakland PD’s, Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office assist
Julio Villalobos held on no bail, Britney Zuniga held on $850,000 bail; both have history of arrests
By Walnut Creek Police Department
On October 20, 2025, at approximately 2:20 pm, a victim called WCPD dispatch to report that his work vehicle had just been stolen. The victim described two suspects driving a grey Dodge Challenger. A short time later, an armed carjacking was reported at 1805 Ygnacio Valley Blvd. with the same vehicle and suspect description. At the time of the call, no suspects were taken into custody.
It was quickly learned that these suspects had committed three additional armed robberies in the City of Pittsburg, the City of Antioch, and the City of El Sobrante. With the collaborative help of Antioch PD, Pittsburg PD and Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, and the Oakland Police Department, Julio Angel Villalobos, a 21-year-old (born 11/4/2004) and Britney Ashanti Zuniga, a 23-year-old (born 9/6/2002), both residents of Oakland, were safely taken into custody. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office filed 11 felony counts for Villalobos and seven felony counts for Zuniga.
Thanks to our partners in law enforcement for their assistance in the successful arrest and filing of charges against these violent criminals.
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, nine-inch tall, 185-pound Villalobos is being held in the Matinez Detention Facility on no bail and has a court appearance on Dec. 9, at 8:30 a.m. in Superior Court in Martinez.
According to localcrimenews.com, he was previously arrested six times, all in 2023, by Alameda County Sheriff’s Department and Oakland PD for crimes including burglary, vandalism of $5,000 or more and attempting to or escaping from jail, prison or an industrial road camp, court jurisdiction of child for parental neglect, receiving stolen property – motor vehicle, vehicle theft, possession of ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm on person or in vehicle while in a public place, carry a concealed pistol, revolver or other firearm on a person, possession or control of firearm before age 30 when person has been a ward of the juvenile court, trespassing, vehicle robbery and carjacking.
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, three-inch tall, 130-pound Zuniga is in the West County Detention Facility on $850,000 bail and has a court appearance on Nov. 21 at 8:30 a.m. in Superior Court in Martinez.
According to localcrimenews.com, Zuniga was previously arrested three times by San Jose and Oakland PD’s, for crimes including assault with a deadly weapon or assault with force likely to produce great bodily harm and threats of violence.
2025-26 Antioch Veterans of the Year – Lifetime Achievement Bob Franchetto, with his wife Mary, and Ricky Diaz were honored during the annual ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Photos courtesy of (Left) Louie Rocha and (Right) Debbie Blaisure
By Allen D. Payton
During Antioch’s annual Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, Veterans of the Year honors were bestowed on Bob Franchetto and Rick Diaz. Having both served in the U.S. Army, Franchetto was honored as the 2025-26 Veteran of the Year for Lifetime Achievement and Diaz as the 2025-26 Veteran of the Year. They were each presented with plaques and jackets with their names and titles embroidered on, provided by Smith’s Landing Seafood Grill.
Community Awards for Veteran Supports were presented to Favalora Trucking in the Business category, GFWC Antioch Woman’s Club in the Club category and Snug as a Bug in the Non-Profit category, who presented each honoree with a hand-made quilt.
Representatives from Snug as a Bug were presented with a plaque to honor them as a Veterans Supporter in the Non-Profit category during the Antioch Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Photo courtesy of Louie Rocha.
The day began with a Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Antioch Rivertown Veterans Lions Club followed by the ceremony, led by organizer J.R. Wilson, President of the Delta Veterans Group and held near the Antioch Veterans Memorial at the Marina. U.S. Army Veteran Bill Swenson offered the Opening Prayer.
The Deer Valley High School Junior ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) presented the Colors, Raising of the Flag was conducted by the Antioch Police Department Honor Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Rocko Jeremy of the U.S. Coast Guard.
The National Anthem was sung by Bella Rose of the DVHS Jr. ROTC and the Antioch High and Deer Valley High School Marching Bands performed the Armed Forces Medley.
Retired U.S. Army SFC Ronnie McGee was the keynote speaker, followed by Youth Speaker Armando Morales, Executive Officer of the Deer Valley High School Jr. ROTC.
Congressman Josh Harder (D-CA9) also spoke during the ceremony. He hopes to represent Antioch if re-elected next year in the newly redrawn congressional district approved by the recent passage of Prop. 50.
Other elected officials in attendance included Antioch Mayor Pro Tem and District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha and District 5 Contra Costa County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston who both spoke, as well as District 3 Councilman Don Freitas, City Clerk Michael Mandy and Antioch School Board Vice President and Area 5 Trustee Mary Rocha.
By Ahdel Ahmed, Public Relations Manager, San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority
Stockton, CA – The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) is proud to introduce a new chapter in the history of California’s intercity passenger rail services with the rebrand from Amtrak San Joaquins to Gold Runner, effective November 3, 2025.
Gold Runner signals a bold new era for intercity passenger rail and bus service in California’s heartland, an identity that honors the past while moving confidently toward the future.
One of the founding goals of the Joint Powers Authority was to ensure local, dedicated management of the service, including control over marketing and brand direction. With continued investment from the State of California, SJJPA has been able to develop and implement strategies that elevate the service’s profile, strengthen ridership, and align messaging more closely with the communities it serves. The Gold Runner brand marks an important milestone in this mission, giving SJJPA the ability to steward the brand, one that reflects the Authority’s vision, values, and regional identity.
SJJPA has been proud to partner with Amtrak in managing and growing the service since 2015. The transition to the Gold Runner brand builds on this strong collaboration and shared commitment to passengers. Amtrak remains a critical partner, and together both organizations will continue to pursue co-branding opportunities that enhance connectivity and ensure a seamless, unified experience for riders across California.
“Gold Runner represents more than a new name, it’s a symbol of our commitment to our passengers and California’s communities,” said David Lipari, Interim Executive Director of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. “This new identity captures the energy and optimism of our region while positioning us for the future of passenger rail and intercity bus service. It reflects the spirit of partnership, innovation, and service that defines everything we do.”
The Gold Runner identity is designed to align with SJJPA’s long-term expansion plans and California’s broader rail strategy, while fostering stronger connections with neighboring rail services. Just as important, it highlights what makes the system unique: an expansive Thruway Bus network that connects more than half of all riders to destinations across the state.
By uniting rail and bus service under a single, cohesive identity, SJJPA can more effectively communicate the full scope of mobility it provides, support future expansion, and deliver a clearer, more consistent experience for passengers. The Gold Runner name reflects both the heritage and momentum of the Central Valley, representing speed, connection, and California pride.
To celebrate this milestone, SJJPA will host a launch event on Friday, November 14, 2025, from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. at the ACE Rail Maintenance Facility, located at 1020 E Alpine Avenue, Stockton, CA. The event will feature the unveiling of Gold Runner-branded trains and Thruway buses, remarks from transportation leaders, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the beginning of this exciting new era for California’s passenger rail.
About the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA)
Since July 2015, SJJPA has been responsible for the management and administration of Gold Runner, previously Amtrak San Joaquins. SJJPA is governed by Board Members representing each of the ten (10) Member Agencies along the 365-mile Gold Runner Corridor. For more information on SJJPA seewww.sjjpa.com. Gold Runner is Amtrak’s 6th busiest route with 18 train stations throughout the Central Valley and Bay Area, providing a safe, comfortable and reliable way to travel throughout California. Gold Runner is currently running six daily round-trips. In addition to the train service, Gold Runner Thruway buses provide connecting service to 135 destinations in California and Nevada including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Napa Valley, Las Vegas and Reno.
