Male in his early 20’s; Coroner’s Office has not yet reached next of kin, so no ID has been released, possibly later Friday

Council recently increased speed limit to 45 MPH on roadway

By Antioch Police Department

On Thursday July 14th, 2022, at 10:23 AM, Antioch Police responded to a report of a car fire near James Donlon Blvd. and Contra Loma Blvd. As officers arrived, it was determined that a vehicle had collided into a tree, then into another vehicle traveling in the same direction. The collision caused one of the cars to catch fire. One of the drivers died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. The other driver and a passenger were treated for minor injuries.

The Antioch Police Department Traffic Unit responded and took over the investigation. It was determined though witness statements that both vehicles were traveling at a high rate of speed on James Donlon Blvd., prior to the crash. Following a traffic engineer’s study, the Antioch City Council recently voted to increase the speed limit on the roadway to 45 MPH.

The case is still in preliminary stages and pending further investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed this incident is asked to call (925) 779-6864.

We extend our deepest condolences to the victims of this incident.

7/15/22 UPDATE: According to APD Public Information Officer Darryl Saffold, the driver was a male in his early 20’s. As of Friday morning, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office said they had not yet reached the next of kin and would not release the deceased’s identity but expects to have that information later today.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

Stubborn six-week-old peat fire in largely inaccessible areas of Bay Point and Pittsburg

By Steve Hill, PIO, Contra Costa Fire Protection District

July 12, 2022 – Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) today announced details regarding a peat fire that has been burning since May 28 in the waterfront areas of Bay Point and Pittsburg.

• The original fire began the early afternoon of May 28 in a homeless encampment near Suisun and Solano Avenues in Bay Point that burned to approximately 200 acres. The homeless encampment was completely consumed by the fire. No injuries were reported.
• The May 28 fire occurred in a largely inaccessible area with no structures or inhabitants and created a lingering and stubborn fire that has burned in the marsh since that date. The fire burned into large amounts of peat in the area throughout the ensuing six weeks, consuming additional vegetation and intermittently producing noticeable smoke, depending on weather conditions, but still threatening no structures or lives.
• On Saturday, July 9, driven by wind, the peat fire flared up extending into adjacent grassy areas of Pittsburg, threatening overhead high-voltage PG&E transmission lines and nearby decommissioned industrial sites.
• In spite of high winds at the scene, an overwhelming response from Con Fire, aided by Cal Fire, resulted in the fire being contained before it could extend into neighboring homes.
• Con Fire requested mutual aid from Cal Fire for water-dropping helicopters. Due to the threat to PG&E infrastructure, this request was granted.
• Before it was contained, the fire consumed an additional 74 acres, bringing the total area consumed by the fires to approximately 500 acres. As of July 11, the Marsh Fire is contained and continues to smolder in inaccessible areas of the Bay Point and Pittsburg waterfront.
• Peat fires are notoriously stubborn, can be virtually impossible to extinguish, and are often left, for lack of alternatives, to burn themselves out.
• Today, the remaining peat fire is producing significant smoke but presenting little fire danger to the surrounding area. It is NOT threatening structures; no evacuations are anticipated, as a result. The Fire has consumed most of the fuel adjacent to the community, increasing the margin of safety that would otherwise present a fire risk.
• The property owner has been cooperative, hiring contractors to mow and disk hundreds of acres to eliminate hazardous fuels.
• PG&E also provided resources to support the operation in the form of infrastructure protection teams and a large water-dropping helicopter.
• We share resident concerns regarding the smoke and are aggressively pursuing additional remedies for the situation with city and county officials, other jurisdictions, the property owner, and multiple regulatory agencies, in an attempt to mitigate the situation as soon as possible.
• Con Fire continues to monitor the fire scene and is prepared to immediately address any flare ups that may occur.
• We have coordinated with Contra Costa Health Services to monitor air quality in the fire area and, as a result, CCHS issued a health advisory late on July 11.
• For information on protecting yourself and your family from smoke, please visit cchealth.org/wildfire-smoke.

For stabbing near Antioch BART Station last Friday and shooting in Concord; has history of arrests

By Darryl Saffold, PIO, Antioch Police Department

On Sunday, July 10, 2022, Antioch Police Officers spent several hours looking for Mychal Allen Plew (3/25/91) who was wanted on a total of five felony warrants. Two of the warrants were for attempted murder (664/187PC) related to a shooting he committed in Concord and a stabbing he committed in Antioch on July 8 near the BART Station.

Officer Mulholland followed up on a lead and spotted Plew in the passenger seat of a vehicle leaving a house on the Antioch/Oakley border. He followed the vehicle until sufficient units arrived. At 8:39 pm a high-risk stop was conducted on Main Street in Oakley and Plew was taken into custody without incident. Plew was ultimately booked at the Martinez Detention Facility.

According to localcrimenews.com, Plew has a history of arrests by Antioch PD, Concord PD and CHP dating back to 2013 including drug possession, trespassing, receiving stolen property – vehicle, possession of burglar’s tools, false registration and auto theft.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Antioch Police Department

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community relationships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring place to live. It provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.
On “National Night Out,” Tuesday, August 2, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., a representative from the Antioch Police Department, Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission, Citizen Volunteer, and/or a member of the City Council may visit each participating neighborhood.

If your neighborhood would like to host a gathering and would like members of the Antioch Police Department to stop by, please contact Lt Vigil via email at jvigil@antiochca.gov or call 925-779-6993.

By Darryl Saffold, PIO, Antioch Police Department

While everyone was hopefully enjoying the holiday weekend, your officers have been extremely busy. In addition to addressing the various quality of life issues and helping those in need, your officers have been arresting people that have violated numerous laws and pose a threat to the welfare of our community.

Knowing this post doesn’t acknowledge the extensive work our officers have been doing, we want to paint a picture of the last seven days. Over the last week, eight arrests were made with four illegal firearms recovered, four stolen vehicles recovered that were returned to their rightful owners, as well as several warrant arrests were made.

We are extremely proud of how hard our officers work, considering the number of resources at our disposal. Despite some staffing challenges, at the Antioch Police Department we are committed to ensuring public safety. Thank you for your ongoing support, we couldn’t do what we do without it. #safestreets #noguns

Note: Placement of photos do not necessarily relate to the person(s) arrested or crime(s) committed next to them.

Details

DATE:  6/30/22                      TIME:  1631              CHARGE(S):  29800(a)(1) PC, 417(a)(2) PC – for Drive By Shooting, Felon in Possession of Firearm

LOCATION: Sycamore Drive

ARRESTEE(S): Therel Shurki Scott (5/31/79)

SYNOPSIS: Officers responded to the area of Sycamore Drive for a report of a drive by shooting. The VIC stated her apartment and vehicle were hit by gunfire and the unknown responsible fled the scene. While officers were investigating the incident, security at Sycamore Square reported being the victim of a brandishing from a firearm. The suspect description matched the suspect from the shooting and a vehicle license plate was obtained. The suspect vehicle was located on a nearby street and the driver, 43-year-old Therel Scott, was detained without incident.

A loaded 9mm pistol was located tucked between the driver’s seat and the center console. Officers were able to develop enough evidence to charge Scott for the shooting as well as the brandishing. Scott was found to be a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing the firearm located in his vehicle. Scott was later booked at Martinz Detention Facility (MDF) aka county jail.

******************************************************************************

DATE:7/1/2022            TIME: 1442                    CHARGE(S): CVC 2800.2 & PC 496(d) – for Stolen Vehicle

LOCATION: Lemontree Way/Sycamore Drive

ARRESTEE(S): Tayshaun I’maike Scott-Hunter (8/23/2003)

SYNOPSIS: Officer Mulholland located a gold Honda sedan that been reported a stolen. The vehicle was taken after a robbery in Oakland. Officer Mulholland attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled. The driver immediately got onto SR-4 westbound and the pursuit ended when the Honda grazed a commercial vehicle. This sent the Honda into a spin and it collided with a K-rail. The Honda came to rest after impact and the driver, 18-year-old Tayshaun Scott-Hunter, was taken into custody without further incident.

Officer Morris called the victim and found out he was robbed of his keys, wallet and cell phone when the vehicle was taken. During a search incident to arrest, Scott-Hunter was found to be in possession of the victim’s keys. He was ultimately booked into MDF for the above listed charges after medical clearance.

******************************************************************************

DATE:  7/1/22                        TIME:  1630          CHARGE(S):  10851(a) CVC – for Stolen Vehicle, Weapons Charges

LOCATION: 7-11 Century Blvd

ARRESTEE(S): Josue Torres (12/17/75)

SYNOPSIS:  Officers were circulating the Sycamore Drive searching for a reported stolen Mercedes SUV. The vehicle was located parked at the 7-11 on Century Blvd and the driver, 46-year-old Josue Torres, was arrested without incident. Torres was found to be on AB109 for weapons charges and was later booked at MDF.

******************************************************************************

DATE:  7/1/22                        TIME:  1823        CHARGE(S): WRNO – for Shooting in Santa Cruz

LOCATION: San Jose Drive and Buchanan Rd

ARRESTEE(S): Terry Robinson (6/13/96)

SYNOPSIS: Officer Nutt conducted a traffic enforcement stop and the passenger, 26-year-old Terry Robinson, was found to have a warrant for his arrest in relation to a shooting in Santa Cruz. Robinson was detained without incident. Robinson was booked at MDF on his outstanding warrant.

******************************************************************************

DATE:  7/1/22                        TIME:  1842                               Armed Robbery in Danville

LOCATION: San Jose Drive

SYNOPSIS: Danville PD sent a BOLO for an armed robbery vehicle in which a Rolex was stolen from a subject at gunpoint in their city. The suspects were reportedly armed with an AR-15 rifle and a pistol. A short time later, they requested Code 3 cover for their plain clothes detectives who were following the suspect vehicle into the apartment complex at 2005 San Jose Drive. Several APD officers were clearing a call on San Jose Drive and arrived within seconds and located the vehicle inside the complex. Two passengers foot-bailed but the driver was arrested without incident. The AR-15 and pistol were located on the back seat of the suspect vehicle. The front passenger was taken into custody by APD officers after a short foot pursuit inside the complex. Star 3 was overhead and maintained visual on the third suspect as he ran south through the lot and onto Buchanan Rd. He was challenged by APD officers and a Contra Costa County K9 and was arrested after a brief struggle. (See related article)

******************************************************************************

DATE: 7/3/2022                     TIME: 2231                CHARGE(S): CVC 10851 – for Stolen Vehicle

LOCATION: 19th Hole, E. Tregallas

ARRESTEE: Justin Griffin, 35

OTHER INVOLVED: N/A

SYNOPSIS: Officer Angelini watched an occupied stolen vehicle pull into the parking lot of the 19th Hole. He conducted a stop and took the driver, Justin Griffin, into custody without incident.

******************************************************************************

DATE: 7/4/2022                     TIME: 1740           Post Release Community Supervision violation warrant

LOCATION: J Street

ARRESTEE: Terry Domino Ferguson 4/16/1985

OTHER INVOLVED: N/A

SYNOPSIS: Several SWAT officers were on foot patrol in the downtown area and noticed 37-year-old Terry Ferguson working on a vehicle in front on J Street. They were familiar with Ferguson from a prior SWAT operation in which Ferguson was arrested for weapons manufacturing. A record check showed Ferguson to have an outstanding Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) violation warrant. Ferguson was contacted and attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended and taken into custody without incident. A PRCS search was conducted on Ferguson’s apartment and a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm pistol was located in a backpack that belonged to Ferguson. Ferguson was later booked at MDF.

******************************************************************************

DATE: 7/4/2022                      TIME: 1650                CHARGE(S): CVC 10851(a) – for Stolen Vehicle

LOCATION: 2540 Verne Roberts Circle

ARRESTEE: Richard Charles Lewis, 8/22/1991                                VICTIM: Antioch Resident

OTHER INVOLVED: N/A

SYNOPSIS: Officers responded to the report of a vehicle theft that occurred about 4:50 pm at 2540 Verne Roberts Circle. The victim caught the suspect (later identified as, Richard Lewis) in the act of stealing his vehicle. Lewis was unsuccessful in his attempt to steal the car and fled the scene on foot. Officers quickly arrived and set up a perimeter. Eventually, Officer Pedreira located Lewis hiding behind a large bush and was taken into custody. Lewis, age 30 was positively identified as the responsible during an in-field show up. He was booked into MDF.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Back Together!

After a two-year hiatus the California State Fair & Food Festival is back July 15-31 at the Cal Expo. It will include exhibits, programs, competitions, thoroughbred horse racing, carnival rides, freestyle motocross shows, concerts and lots of food! We’re excited to be BACK TOGETHER with everyone!

SPECIAL FAIR DAYS

$2 Taste of the Fair – Wednesdays & Thursdays, 11 am – 4 pm – Sample a variety of fair foods with $2 menu specials from your favorite food vendors.

Senior Savings Friday – Discount admission of $10 for seniors 62 & better.

Tuesday Kids Free Day & $2 Rides for All – July 19 & 26 FREE admission for kids 12 and under. Rides cost $2 each for all fair goers.

Military, Veteran & First Responder Appreciation Day – Thursday, July 21 – FREE admission all day for active duty, reserve and veterans from all branches of the military, active first responders.

SMUD Giving Mondays at the Fair – Monday, July 18 & Monday, July 25 – BRING 3 non-perishable, non-expired food items to the Fair Gates before 3 p.m. and receive FREE admission. The collected food items will benefit the Elk Grove Food Bank.

FOOD FESTIVAL

Over thirty food vendors will have a special Food Festival item for you to eat by yourself or share! There’s something delicious for every palate.

From savory – like sweet BBQ pulled pork, to sweet – like the bacon and pecan cinnamon roll and fried of course! – deep fried apple pie anyone?

Come visit all of our award-winning Food Festival Pass participants, see their well-deserved ribbons displayed at their booths and taste their delicious entries!

• Tickets now available!
• Toyota Concert Series on the Golden 1 Stage
• Competitions
• Programs & Exhibits

Main Gate Hours

• Monday – Thursday: 11 am – 10 pm
• Friday – Sunday: 10 am – 10 pm

Carnival Hours

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Opens at 2pm
• Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday: Opens at 11am

Kids Park Hours

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Opens at 1 pm
• Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday: Opens at 11 am

The California State Fair & Food Festival is located at the Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd. in Sacramento. For more information and details on all events, activities and competitions visit http://calexpostatefair.com/event/ca-state-fair/ and for the programs and exhibits visit https://calexpostatefair.com/fair/.

 

Under the auspices of WFI, the Mexican Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs is joining with California’s White Pony Express to create a global model for attacking food insecurity on a global scale

On July 7, 2022, a new global partnership will make the first of many shared moves against food insecurity.

Women Forward International, the global non-profit that is building creative partnerships to bring about unity, collaboration and service to humanity, will bring their Mexican partners, the Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico (EVM), for a site visit and food distribution with their California partner, White Pony Express (WPE), a leading food rescue and recovery non-profit, located in Contra Costa County. This follows on WPE’s site visit sponsored by WFI to EVM’s headquarters in Monterrey, Mexico last month.

The food distribution will be held in conjunction with RR Ministries, a community bilingual church in Antioch. The event will take place on Thursday, July 7 at (time) in the church’s parking lot at 512 W. 2nd Street. Sweetgreen, the health-focused casual food restaurant chain and WPE partner, is providing 150 vegan salads for the volunteers. World Centric, leader in compostable materials and sustainability, will be providing earth friendly containers for the food distribution.

The event represents WFI’s expansion of a volunteer-powered food delivery service initiative in Mexico. The non-profit organization is bringing together White Pony Express and the Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico in order to provide technical assistance and support for EVM’s Mesa Redonda Round Table initiative, aimed at reducing hunger in America’s neighbor.

Throughout EVM’s visit, WPE will help EVM deepen its work underway, institute safety policies and practices, raise awareness, and ultimately expand their services. WPE will provide lessons learned and will help develop manuals and approaches that will enable Mesa Redonda to incorporate more restaurants and other types of businesses into their network as well as serve additional organizations supporting women who have suffered from gender-based violence (GBV).

According to Kent Davis-Packard, founder and president of Women Forward International: “The collaboration of White Pony Express with its Mexican counterpart demonstrates the power of cross-border partnership to alleviate food insecurity and contribute to social equality. It also provides an example of a new paradigm of philanthropy that is based on love and human unity.”

Eve Birge, Executive Director of White Pony Express, adds, “We look forward to deepening the impact of the Mesa Redonda initiative through sharing best practices and approaches to building trust and collaboration. In short, we will help them create a model that will be scalable and is based on our belief in the ‘all of us taking care of all of us’ vision.”

Rocio Cavazos, founder and president of EVM, envisions a deeper purpose for her organization’s visit: “WFI and WPE are helping us achieve a shared goal of uplifting lives, protecting the environment, and putting an end to hunger and marginalization. This model can be applicable to the entire world.”

ABOUT WOMEN FORWARD INTERNATIONAL (WFI)

WFI(www.womenforwardinternational.org) builds creative partnerships that bridge mind and heart to bring about unity, collaboration and service to humanity. WFI’s partnerships encompass a range of private sector, academic and non-profit clients to identify research critical to human progress, and then pairs teams of graduate international studies students with these organizations to complete that research and implement innovative solutions. These projects include empowering women artisans in conflict zones, enabling sustainable farming with gender equity and taking steps toward the elimination of hunger along with inclusive access to education through digital and other unique platforms. WFI uses the reflective power of Art to reveal and investigate the underlying cultural issues at stake in a given international relations issue. It thus provides the next generation of global leaders with a more holistic approach to human relationships.

ABOUT VEGAN ENTREPRENEURS OF MEXICO (EVM)

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, the Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico (en.aevm.mx) is an NGO and entrepreneurial community that strives to empower consumers to adopt conscious and healthy lifestyles. Members make plant-based options accessible to the general public, replacing the use of animals to achieve balance with the Earth, the health of our bodies and an ethical interaction with other living beings with which we share the planet.

ABOUT WHITE PONY EXPRESS (WPE)

Based in the California Bay Area, White Pony Express (WPE) (www.whiteponyexpress.org) is a volunteer-powered organization with a mission to eliminate hunger and poverty by delivering the abundance all around us to those in need—with love. They serve 120,000 people each year by partnering with more than 80 non-profit agencies who have strong ties to the community. The rescue program at WPE has expanded this model by subjecting all collected food to a meticulous culling process and promising that it is obtained, sorted, and redistributed within a twenty-four-hour time period—seven days a week.

ABOUT RR MINISTRIES (MINISTERIOS REY DE REYES): RR Ministries is a bilingual ministry, located in Antioch, California. We believe God has called us to teach His word as an instrument of restoration and healing for the families in our community. We, as a church are committed to create an environment that builds healthy individuals and strong families. The church’s Promise Keeper Program conducts regularly conducts food and supplies distribution on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. For information, call (925) 588-4818.

18-year-old from San Jose and two juveniles; Antioch Police, Sheriff’s Office STARR helicopter assist in search

By Danville Police Department

On Friday, July 1, 2022, at about 4:36 PM, Danville police officers were dispatched to a report of an armed robbery that occurred at the Trader Joe’s grocery store parking lot located on Railroad Avenue in Danville.

The victim reported he was held up at gunpoint by two suspects as he exited his car. The suspects fled in a waiting vehicle with the victim’s personal property.

Danville police and Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs along with Sheriff’s Office STARR helicopter began an extensive search for the suspects. Other law enforcement agencies were also notified.

Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division located the suspect vehicle in Antioch. With the assistance of the Antioch police department and STARR helicopter, all three suspects were arrested.

One suspect is identified as 18-year-old Leon Cathay Fountain of San Jose. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on charges that include armed robbery, conspiracy, participating in a criminal street gang, and several weapons violations. He is being held in lieu of $380,000 bail.

The two other suspects are juveniles and are not being identified.

The investigation is ongoing.

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

Armed Robbery at Trader Joe’s in Danville this afternoon. Vehicle fled the scene. No injuries.