James Sossaman, 44, Antioch resident, arrested May 31 for Unlawfully Causing a Fire (PC § 452(c)) and Felon in Possession of a Firearm (PC § 29800) and aerial view of May 31 Hargrove St., Antioch fire reveals area of grassfire origin and damaged apartment buildings. Photos: Con Fire

Investigators determine vegetation fire that destroyed eight apartments, displaced 40 residents caused by fireworks.

By Steve Hill, Public Information Officer, Con Fire

Fireworks seized in conjunction with May 31 Antioch grassfire that led to destruction of eight apartments and displacement of 40 residents. Photo: Con Fire

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) today, June 1, 2021, announced its fire investigators made a fireworks-related arrest yesterday in relation to a fireworks-caused fire behind apartments in the 1700-block of Hargrove Street in Antioch that destroyed eight units and displaced 40 residents.

James Sossaman, 44, an Antioch resident, was arrested for Unlawfully Causing a Fire to Inhabited Structures (PC § 452(b)) and Felon in Possession of a Firearm (PC § 29800) and transported by Antioch Police to Martinez Detention Facility for booking.

Con Fire responded to multiple reports of a vegetation fire behind apartments in the 1700 block of Hargrove in Antioch, May 31 just after 5:30 p.m. While responding, Engine 81 reported a large column of black smoke from a half mile away. Upon arrival, the grass fire had already extended from the grass into a two-story apartment complex and a second-alarm response was ordered. An aggressive fire attack followed in an attempt to slow the spread of fire.

Through witness interviews and surveillance videos, investigators located the person responsible for the grass fire and determined it was caused by Sossaman throwing an M-100 pyrotechnic device into the field behind the apartment complex. Through the investigation, Sossaman was also found to be on felony probation. During a search of his apartment, a loaded firearm was located along with several other illegal fireworks.

Weather conditions at the time — temperatures in the upper 90s with wind gusts between 15-20 mph – quickly fed the fire into the neighboring apartments. Crews, including East Contra Costa Fire’s Battalion 5, were able to stop grassfire spread across the gully and protect the apartments on the west side of the incident.

Additional companies worked to extinguish the structure fires and search 10 separate apartments that were either on fire or in immediate danger of catching fire. Strong winds blew the fire across a breezeway to adjoining apartments. A coordinated fire attack resulted in the fire being extinguished at approximately 6:26 p.m. Crews were on scene for approximately three hours to overhaul and salvage as much as possible.

The fire displaced 40 residents and the American Red Cross assisted with housing for those displaced.

No firefighters were injured. Two civilians were transported to hospital for smoke inhalation.

Con Fire’s Fire Investigation Unit urges residents to help them fight the crime of arson across the county by calling the Arson Tip Line at 1-866-50-ARSON. They caution residents not to hesitate on information that seems too little or unimportant to matter, adding some of the most valuable tips come from residents who were not aware what they saw was very important to the investigation of an incident.

At 1-866-50-ARSON, residents can leave a recorded message about fire-related criminal activity in English or Spanish. Tips can be anonymous, but all tips are treated confidentially. Fire investigators sometimes need additional information, so inclusion of name and phone number is encouraged.

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

Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston announced Friday, May 28, 2021 that a coroner’s jury reached a finding in the November 17, 2020 death of 30-year-old Ezekiel James McCoy of El Sobrante. The finding of the jury is that the death was an accident. (See related article)

McCoy sustained injuries during a fight with other inmates at the West County Detention Facility. After being treated and cleared by medical staff at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, he was placed in a negative air flow room at the Martinez Detention Facility pending the result of a COVID-19 test. He was checked on throughout the day and last checked at 4:23 PM. About nine minutes later, deputies found McCoy unresponsive.

The coroner’s jury, which heard two inquests on Friday, also reached a finding in the October 7, 2020 death of 31-year-old Kentreal Julius Irving of Antioch. The finding of the jury is that the death was an accident. (See related article)

Irving jumped to his death off the Highway 242 overpass while fleeing from Sheriff’s Deputies.  At that time, Sheriff’s Deputies believed Irving to be from Concord.

The coroner’s jury reached the verdicts in both inquests after hearing the testimony of witnesses. The hearing officer for the McCoy inquest was Matthew Guichard; the hearing officer for the Irving inquest was Laura Pagey.

A coroner’s inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving peace officers, is a public hearing during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding: accident, suicide, natural causes or at the hands of another person, other than by accident.

Antioch Police stop a car at the Valero Station on Somersville Road during their traffic enforcement Friday night, May 28, 2021. Photos: APD

Friday night crack down in response to last weekend’s sideshows

By Antioch Police Department

Last night, Friday, May 28, 2021, in response to last weekend’s sideshow activity, the Antioch Police Department and several of our neighboring agencies dedicated extra officers to a proactive traffic enforcement detail in order to deter any potential sideshow activity.

During this enforcement effort:

• over 50 vehicle stops were conducted,
• over a dozen citations were issued,
• 5 cars were towed,
• 2 guns were recovered and,
• 1 arrest was made.

One of the five cars towed and one of the two guns seized Friday night. Photos: APD

We believe this coordinated effort provided a visible deterrent that helped to prevent any sideshows from occurring during the evening. We plan to continue these proactive enforcement efforts throughout the weekend and encourage everyone to drive safely over the holiday weekend.

Regional plan for transportation, housing, the economy, and the environment

Interested agencies, organizations and individuals are invited by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to comment on the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050. As required by state and federal law, MTC and ABAG have jointly developed this regional plan for transportation, housing, the economy, and the environment, which will serve as the San Francisco Bay Area’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) upon its adoption. Draft Plan Bay Area 2050 is defined by 35 integrated strategies designed to advance the region towards a more equitable and resilient future.

A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) prepared on the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050 will be subject to public review pursuant to a separate notice.

The following online public workshops have been scheduled to receive comment on the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050:

ONLINE PUBLIC WORKSHOP

East Bay Workshop
Contra Costa and Alameda Counties
Monday, June 14, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
https://bit.ly/33uXj0y
Passcode: 179826
Webinar ID: 862 3482 0389

ONLINE PUBLIC HEARINGS

Additionally, MTC and ABAG will hold three (3) public hearings to receive oral testimony and written comments about the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050. Copies of the draft plan are on file with the Secretary of the Board of MTC and open to public inspection at planbayarea.org/learnmore. Should you require a hard copy of the draft plan, please submit your request to info@bayareametro.gov or call 415-778-6757 and one will be mailed to you.

The first public hearing will be held during the regular meeting of the Joint MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative Committee on:

Friday, June 11, 2021 at 9:40 a.m. (Remotely)
https://bit.ly/33xhpav
Webinar ID: 874 2787 4017
Bay Area Metro Center
Board Room, 1st Floor
375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

In light of Governor Newsom’s State of Emergency declaration regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and in accordance with Executive Order N-29-20 issued by Governor Newsom on March 17, 2020 and the Guidance for Gatherings issued by the California Department of Public Health, the meeting will be conducted via webcast, teleconference, and Zoom for all participants. Detailed instructions on participating via Zoom are available at: https://mtc.ca.gov/how-provide-public-comment-board-meeting-zoom. The meeting accessibility instructions also will be posted to: https://mtc.ca.gov/whats-happening/events/public-hearings no less than 72 hours prior to the hearing.

Two additional online public hearings have been scheduled for:

Hearing 2
Tuesday, June 22, 5:30 p.m.
https://bit.ly/3y0ZiYp
Passcode: 177176

Webinar ID: 812 0345 4209

Hearing 3
Wednesday, July 7, 1:30 p.m.
https://bit.ly/2SIduFK
Passcode: 908706

Webinar ID: 854 5833 8822

The Draft Plan Bay Area 2050 will be available for public review beginning Wednesday, May 26, 2021, online at https://mtc.ca.gov/whats-happening/events/public-hearings,  https://abag.ca.gov/meetings-events/public-hearings, and planbayarea.org. In an effort to reduce printing costs and conserve paper and in accordance with EO N-29-20 and the Guidance for Gatherings issued by the California Department of Public Health, you are urged to review the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050 on the website listed above. Should you require a hard copy of the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050, please submit your request to info@bayareametro.gov or call 415-778-6757 and one will be mailed to you.

The public comment period for the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050 begins on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 and ends on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 by 5:00pm. All written comments must be received no later than Tuesday, July 20, 2021 by 5:00pm. All written comments on the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050 are being accepted via mail to MTC Public Information, Attn: Draft Plan Comments, 375 Beale Street, Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94105; via e-mail to info@planbayarea.org; and online at planbayarea.org/learnmore. Comments also are being accepted by phone by leaving a voicemail at (415) 778-2292.

Public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Draft Plan Bay Area 2050 will be sought pursuant to a separate notice. After considering public comment, MTC and ABAG are slated to adopt Plan Bay Area 2050 in fall 2021. For more information, call the MTC Public Information Office at (415) 778-6757.

Do you need an interpreter or any other assistance to participate? Please call 415-778-6757. We require at least three working days’ notice to accommodate assistance requests. For TDD or hearing impaired, call 711, California Relay Service, or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (voice) and ask to be relayed to 415-778-6700.

您需要口譯員或任何其他幫助才能參加嗎？請致電415-778-6757。我們要求至少提前三個工作日通知，以便滿足您的請求。對於TDD或聽障人士，請致電711，加州中繼服務，或1-800-735-2929(TTY)，1-800-735-2922(語音)，並要求轉接到415-778-6700。

¿Necesita un intérprete o cualquier otra ayuda para participar? Llame al 415-778-6757. Requerimos un aviso de al menos tres días hábiles para atender las solicitudes de asistencia. Para personas con discapacidad auditiva o TDD, llame al 711, California Relay Service, o al 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) o al 1-800-735-2922 (voz) y pida que lo comuniquen al 415-778-6700.

Michael Dwyane Fritz in DMV photo 2020 (left) and arrest photo from earlier in 2021 (right).

Was hiding inside house; U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force had him surrounded

By Sergeant James Stenger / Lieutenant John Fortner, Antioch Police Investigations Bureau

The Antioch Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Unit has been continuously working on the case of the shooting death of a 12-year-old girl in Antioch, following up on leads, interviewing witnesses, and processing evidence, since the evening of May 12th. The unimaginable violence of this crime, that took away such a young member of the community, pressed into service all the resources the department could bring into play. As the investigation quickly led to the identification of the suspect, Oakland resident Michael Dwyane Fritz, detectives reached out to the Oakland Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.

On May 25th, Antioch’s Investigations Bureau, in collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, developed information that led to the peaceful arrest of Fritz. It was learned Fritz was hiding at a house in Oakland, on the 2300 block of 85th Avenue, which is a dense residential neighborhood near several schools. At about 3:00 pm, Deputy U.S. Marshals surrounded the residence and contacted the occupants. Fritz exited the house peacefully and surrendered to the Deputies. Afterwards, Fritz was turned over to Antioch detectives from the Violent Crimes and Special Operations Units assisting at the scene.

The Antioch PD values the partnerships we have developed with these allied agencies, and we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the U.S. Marshals Service and the Oakland PD, for their support and assistance in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. The Antioch PD would also like to thank the communities for their assistance with this case. The case will be presented to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office later this week.

There are no outstanding suspects in this case and the Antioch Police Department believes this was an isolated incident.

Statement from U.S. Marshals Service

United States Marshal, Don O’Keefe, of the Northern District of California would like all Bay Area residents to know that the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force will continue to work diligently to ensure that violent fugitives in the Bay Area are brought to justice.

The U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who combine resources and work daily to apprehend violent fugitives from justice, such as Michael Fritz, through networking with task forces across the country.

Victim’s car hit head on (left), responsible vehicle (right), and the other victim’s car in distance (right of fire truck) which sustained less damage, at the scene of the collision in the southbound lanes of Somersville Road in Antioch on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. Photos by Allen Payton

She was 68-years-old, driver is 73; drivers of other cars released from hospital with minor injuries

By Sergeant Rick Martin #3343, Antioch Police Field Services Division

Scene of collision on Somersville Road south of Highway 4.

On Tuesday, May 25,2021, at 12:17 pm, Antioch Police Officers were assisting a stranded motorist when they noticed a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed, northbound on Somersville Road from Buchanan Road. The vehicle proceeded through the intersection of Delta Fair Boulevard, crossed over the center median and collided head on into a vehicle travelling south on Somersville Road. The force of the collision caused the responsible vehicle to collide into a second vehicle travelling south.

The driver, a 73-year-old male from Antioch, was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. His passenger, a 68-year-old female from Antioch was pronounced deceased at the scene. A third passenger, 56-year-old female from Antioch, was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The drivers of the two victim vehicles, both from Antioch, a 22-year-old female hit head on, and a 40-year-old male, were transported to local hospitals and later released with minor injuries. The Antioch Police Department Traffic Division took over the investigation. Drugs and/or alcohol do not appear to be a factor in this investigation.

Victim’s car that was hit head on.

The accident had traffic backed up on the eastbound offramp and on the freeway. Both the northbound and the southbound lanes of Somersville Road between Delta Fair Blvd. and the Highway 4 overpass were blocked off during the investigation. A woman on the scene said she lives near Lowe’s and heard the crash from her home.

Names of the drivers are being withheld at this time until proper notifications are made to the next of kin.

No further information will be released at this time. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non- emergency line at (925)778-2441. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Legal Aid at Work and Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch team up to provide free legal services in Contra Costa County

Legal Aid at Work and Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch are pleased to announce the launch of Legal Aid at Work’s newest location of the Workers’ Rights Clinic, devoted to employment law protections for all low-income workers. The clinic will launch on May 25, 2021, providing over-the-phone consultations. Thereafter, the clinic will operate every fourth Tuesday of the month. The Clinic will add in-person services, located at 3415 Oakley Road in Antioch. It will operate in accordance with state and local guidance related to COVID-19. People in need of assistance may call (925) 522-2017 to make an appointment.

“Antioch is one of the largest cities in Contra Costa County and has one of the highest populations of low-income, Black workers in California,” said DeCarol Davis, Legal Aid at Work’s Director of Community Legal Services. “It has gone unseen and underserved for too long. We are trying to change that.”

Grace Bible Fellowship and Legal Aid at Work, two well-respected, service-driven institutions, open the clinic to provide free and confidential legal assistance to low-wage workers who are subjected to illegal practices on the job.

The clinic will help workers with problems such as minimum wage and overtime violations, failure to pay for work performed, or refusal to grant meal and rest breaks. The clinic will also provide counsel to clients regarding workplace discrimination based upon race, national origin, gender, pregnancy, disability, language proficiency and immigration status, and will offer information regarding unemployment compensation filings and appeals. Finally, the clinic will handle inquiries from employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at their workplace.

The institutions that have joined to make this new clinic possible are each committed to providing access to justice to those who are least able to secure it. Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch, a historically Black church, is a central institution in the Antioch community, providing a safe space for community members to gather in fellowship. Through its 27-need-based programs and ministries, the church has served a key role in enriching the Antioch community and providing resources for families to thrive.

“I am glad Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch has the opportunity to partner with Legal Aid and their team of attorneys,” said Pastor Kirkland Smith. “Our community-based focus, and their heart for the least of these is a perfect match for our community residents.”

Legal Aid at Work has represented low-income workers with employment law problems for nearly 50 years, relying on law students and volunteer supervising attorneys who practice in the field of employment law to deliver expert guidance and advice to clients. This is the first time the collaborative model used for Legal Aid at Work’s Clinic will be employed in Contra Costa County.

The new Antioch location of the Workers’ Rights Clinic was made possible by the generous support of the Arthur and Charlotte Zitrin Foundation.