By Corporal Steve McElroy #2500, Antioch Police Field Services Burea

On Wednesday, March 27 at approximately 3:45 p.m., Antioch Police officers responded to the 4500 block of Delta Fair Blvd. regarding a 35-year-old male who had reportedly been shot or shot at. The victim then reported the incident himself to the police and indicated that he was following the responsible party in his vehicle into the City of Pittsburg.

While the victim was still on the phone with Antioch Police Dispatch, he reported the responsible party was shooting at him again in the City of Pittsburg. Pittsburg police officers arrived in the area and were flagged down by the victim, who pointed out the responsible vehicle to them. While trying to stop this subject, the driver fled and ultimately led Pittsburg police on a vehicle pursuit into the City of Richmond, where he eventually pulled over and was arrested without incident.

The victim was found to be suffering from non-life-threatening injuries and was treated and released from an area hospital. Evidence of a shooting and a firearm were discovered at the Pittsburg shooting scene. The responsible party, a 39-year-old male, was transported back to the City of Pittsburg where Antioch police officers took custody of him. He was later booked into the county jail in Martinez on multiple felony charges.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441 or text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

By Rio Vista Police Department

At around 1:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon RVPD officers responded to a report of an armed robbery that occurred in the parking lot of the Family Dollar store on Highway 12.  The victims had agreed to meet the suspect to sell him a cellular phone. The suspect used a handgun to rob the victims of an Apple iPhone.

Earlier in the morning the suspect, Vandrick Jones, age 22, from Antioch, a parolee with a lengthy history of robbery and gun charges forced a female he met online to drive him around the Bay Area at gunpoint where we know he committed at least one other armed robbery in El Cerrito.

As the suspect and his victim attempted to flee Rio Vista, they were spotted on Highway 12 by Chief Dailey.  A pursuit ensued through downtown with Jones forcing the female to keep driving until they hit a dead end in the school bus corporation yard.  The female was rescued unharmed and evaluated by Rio Vista Fire and Medic Ambulance.  Jones jumped fences and hid in a back yard on Tahoe Drive.  RVPD worked with the Rio Vista High School and a lockdown was implemented to insure the safety of the students due to the proximity to the school.  The Alert system work very well.

Solano County Sheriff’s K9 and patrol deputies showed up in force along with a CHP helicopter to assist RVPD and a perimeter was secured, keeping the suspect confined until the Sheriff’s K9 team found him hiding under a children’s swimming pool.  Jones was taken into custody and booked for kidnapping, armed robbery, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and a parole hold.  The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Solano County will be joining our investigation.

RVPD wishes to give our thanks to Solano County for their assistance today!  The teamwork between both agencies was outstanding.

Rocketship supporters attend the Antioch School Board meeting, Friday, March 20, 2019.

Rocketship Delta Prep supporters ask District to work with them and open a dialogue to serve Antioch’s kids

Friday night, more than 350 Rocketship Delta Prep parents, teachers and community supporters packed Lone Tree Elementary to capacity at the Antioch Unified School Board’s meeting. Rocketship Delta Prep was not on the agenda, but parents engaged the board in a constructive dialogue about their experience at Delta Prep during public comment.

“I have been a member of this Antioch community since 2005, and I want to emphasize that Antioch is my home,” said Cynthia Cathey, parent of a student at Rocketship Delta Prep. “At Rocketship Delta Prep, my daughter is receiving a high quality education, she has academically reached the 90th percentile amongst other Kindergarteners nationwide. If I had not I won a spot in the Delta Prep lottery, I would have moved to Oakland. I am glad that my tax dollars can continue to contribute to my community.”

Friday’s board meeting was a continuation of the scheduled Wednesday, March 20th meeting, which was moved to a larger venue when more than 250 Rocketship supporters showed up for public comment on Wednesday night.

“Thank you board for moving this meeting to a larger venue. Our parents wanted to engage the Board directly and demonstrate their support for their school and commitment to work with AUSD in collaborative manner,” said Rocketship Bay Area Regional Director Marie Issa Gil. “We are here tonight because we simply want to participate in the public process at tonight’s hearing. We appreciate the opportunity to engage in a positive and constructive dialogue about how to best serve all students and families in Antioch.”

“My daughter has grown tremendously in such a short amount of time at Rocketship Delta Prep, and I can see this through the ownership she takes over her own learning,” said Rocketship Delta Prep parent Sandra Torres. “They are constantly holding me accountable as a parent by providing me with resources to ensure her learning continues beyond the school walls. Rocketship pushes my daughter towards the greatest extent of her potential, and I am exceedingly grateful to have them as part of my Antioch community.”

About Rocketship Public Schools

Rocketship Public Schools is a nonprofit public charter network of 19 elementary schools serving low-income communities with limited access to excellent schools. Founded in 2007 in San Jose, California, Rocketship has since expanded to Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Nashville, Tennessee; and Washington, D.C. By building a scalable and sustainable school model that propels student achievement in underserved communities, Rocketship is working to eliminate the achievement gap in our lifetime. Visit http://www.rocketshipschools.org/ to learn more.

Antioch school librarians and library technicians mount a protest outside the Antioch School Board meeting Wed. night, March 20, 2019.

Rocketship supporters and others talk outside of the school district offices and board room, after the meeting was cancelled.

By Allen Payton

Wednesday night’s Antioch School Board meeting had to be cancelled and postponed until Friday night due to a large turnout of district staff and Rocketship charter school supporters. The over capacity crowd for the small school board meeting room at the district office, included school librarians and library technicians who face possible budget cuts, and staged a small protest with signs. Plus, it included an estimated 250 parents and supporters of the Rocketship Delta Prep elementary school in Antioch whose charter is being threatened with possible revocation.

The Rocketship supporters were there to speak during public comments in support of the school.

“The meeting was continued to Friday at 7:00 p.m. due to the number of people in attendance,” Superintendent Stephanie Anello told the Herald. “Rocketship was not on the agenda but many (district) employees showed up due to pending expenditure reductions in addition to Rocketship.”

“Additionally, Rocketship did not notify us that they would be attending the meeting until Friday, March 15,” Anello continued. “Two public hearings that required a 10-day notification were on the agenda, so it was too late to change the venue. Friday’s meeting will take place at Lone Tree Elementary.”

The Fire Marshall was called, who in turn called the Antioch Police, and determined the meeting had to be cancelled.

Lone Tree Elementary is located at 1931 Mokelumne Drive in Antioch.

Other two from Concord, Pittsburg

By CHP-Contra Costa

Recently, three HWY-4 shooting suspects from 2016, were found guilty in a Contra Costa County Courtroom; two suspects received 13 years and the third received 12 years and 8 months in state prison. These were the results after a long and thorough investigation process and additionally long and thorough judicial process until final adjudication.

It takes quite a while for these shooting suspects to be brought to justice and finally sentenced but the effort and long hours are worth it, for the public to know that these criminals were tried and convicted and also for the families of the victims of these freeway shootings.

This specific case occurred on Feb. 1, 2016 and involved the three suspects traveling in a Nissan sedan on westbound HWY-4 when they shot their firearm out of their moving vehicle at the victim’s vehicle, which was all witnessed by an off-duty police officer. Then the suspects’ vehicle drove at a high rate of speed off the freeway to the Port Chicago Hwy off-ramp and subsequently was involved in a major collision within the intersection and caused injuries to all parties involved.

All three suspects were charged and convicted of the following:

-246 PC – Shooting at an occupied vehicle.

-186.22(a) PC – Participation in Criminal Street Gang

-29800 PC – Possession of Firearm by a Felon. (Oscar Torres)

– 11359 H&S – Possession for Sale of Marijuana

SENTENCES
-Zachery Paul Lopez (24 years old from Concord) was sentenced to 12 years and 8 months in State Prison.

-Oscar Osbaldo Torres (25 years old from Pittsburg) was sentenced to 13 years in State Prison.

-Antonio Ramirez Navarro (22 years old from Antioch) was also sentenced to 13 years in State Prison.

Public Safety and the preservation of life is always our #1 goal and although we cannot predict when criminals are going to commit these heinous crimes, what we can do is put together our very best investigation that will bring these criminals to justice and have them answer for their crimes.

Dupree Straughter from his Facebook page posted April 11, 2018.

By Sgt. Rick Smith, Antioch Police Field Services – Patrol

On Monday, March 18, 2019, at 8:44 A.M. an Antioch Officer located an occupied reported stolen vehicle parked in an apartment complex near Cavallo Road and East 18th Street. As the officer was approaching the vehicle, the driver fled on foot through the back of the complex and into an adjacent field. The subject was last seen entering a nearby business, but never seen exiting. It was determined he was hiding on the roof of the business. Officers in the area were quick to setup up a perimeter.

A loaded handgun was recovered from the vehicle the subject had fled from. Officers were able to identify the subject as 34-year-old Dupree Straughter. Straughter is known to Antioch PD for prior weapons arrests and had an active Felony Warrant for his arrest. A witness in the business believed he had seen Straughter holding a possible weapon in his hand. Due to this, officers evacuated and secured the business.

Officers were able to get a visual of Straughter on the roof and after a short time, he surrendered peacefully. Straughter climbed down and was taken into custody without incident. A search of the roof and the suspect did not locate any additional weapons. Straughter was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on his warrant and other Felony Charges. No one was injured during this incident.

This preliminary information is made available by the Community Policing Division. 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.

Destinee Hillery from her Facebook page posted on June 8, 2017.

By CHP-Golden Gate Division

At approximately 2:25 PM on Saturday, March 16, 2019, CHP – Contra Costa Area was advised of a silver Honda that collided into the guard rail on Highway 4 eastbound at Port Chicago Highway. While units were in route another caller advised the vehicle ended up on the Willow Pass Road off-ramp from eastbound Highway 4.

Upon emergency personnel and CHP arrival, it was determined the vehicle drove off the roadway and collided with the guardrail. The solo 25-year-old female driver, Destinee Shaharisha – Jenae Hillery, a resident of Antioch was pronounced deceased on scene.

While units were investigating the scene, bullet holes were located on the driver side door. This investigation is ongoing, any further details will be released at a later time.

If anyone has information regarding this incident or witnessed it take place, they are encouraged to contact CHP investigators at 707-917-449.

Illegal guns confiscated from suspect. Photo by APD

By Lieutenant Powell Meads #3917, Antioch Police Department Field Services

On March 16, 2019 at approximately 6:00 AM, the Antioch Police Department served a search warrant in the 200 block of J Street. The search warrant was related to an investigation into a subject named Terry Ferguson, who was suspected of possessing, manufacturing, and selling illegal firearms from the location. The Antioch Police Department SWAT Team assisted in serving the search warrant due to the nature of the investigation.

During the service of the search warrant, several subjects, including Ferguson were detained at the residence. Detectives conducted a search of the residence and Ferguson’s bedroom, where they located the various firearms pictured below. Detectives located additional evidence indicating Ferguson was manufacturing unregistered, fully automatic handguns and rifles.

Ferguson is a convicted felon, currently on CDC parole for robbery, and on county probation for possession of narcotics while armed with a firearm. Additionally, Ferguson had a felony warrant for his arrest. Ferguson was booked at County Jail for a variety of weapons related charges including being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of prohibited firearms, and illegally manufacturing and selling firearms.

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.