Lonnie Ray Decker and Steven Robert Kelly convicted of the January 2024 murder of Roberto Gonzalez-Lamas and the attempted murder of Richard O’Mary

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, CA – Separate juries in Contra Costa County returned guilty verdicts in three murder trials this week.

On February 18th, a jury convicted Lonnie Ray Decker and Steven Robert Kelly of the murder of Roberto Gonzalez-Lamas and the attempted murder of Richard O’Mary. The shooting occurred on January 23, 2024, in Antioch.

Police responded to multiple gunshots on Bryan Avenue, where both victims were shot several times. Gonzalez-Lamas later died at a hospital, while O’Mary sustained severe injuries but survived. (See related article)

Both defendants will remain in custody without bail. They will be sentenced by Judge Christopher Bowen in Martinez on June 6th, 2025.

In The People v. Phuc Hong Vo, jurors convicted Vo of the first-degree murder of his 75-year-old mother-in-law, Que Thi Tran, and the second-degree murder of his wife, 40-year-old Tho Ngoc Ly. The verdict was reached on February 18th.

The victims were murdered by Vo on or about September 5th, 2023, in Contra Costa County.

While the body of Ms. Tran was recovered in the Oakland estuary on September 30th, police have been unable to locate Ms. Ly. Initially, Vo reported to San Pablo Police that his wife and mother-in-law had willingly left their home after he and Ly argued over family finances.

San Pablo Police became suspicious of Vo after receiving information that the disappearance was likely a double homicide. Moreover, actions by Vo like remodeling his home, hiding his wife’s car, lying to the police, and leaving the United States for Vietnam to meet a woman he had been seeing and wanted to marry, added to the circumstantial evidence that Vo was the only suspect in this case.

Vo will be sentenced at a future date by Judge Charles Burch in Martinez. He faces a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for the double murders.

On February 19th, in The People v. Lawyer Dushan McBride, a jury found McBride guilty of murdering Rashanda Franklin in 2017.

McBride, then 43, was waiting for Franklin, 30, in the church’s parking lot where she took her children to school. He had been following her and harassing her for weeks after she ended their 2-year relationship. Concerned for her safety, she called 911 as she fled the parking lot with her children. As both vehicles approached 29th Street and Rheem Avenue, McBride blocked Franklin’s car, exited his vehicle, and confronted her. The 911 recording captured Franklin pleading, “I’ve got my kids in the car.” McBride responded, “I ain’t playing with you,” before fatally shooting her.

In addition to the murder conviction, the jury found McBride guilty of shooting into an occupied vehicle, stalking, personally using a firearm to cause death, and inflicting great bodily injury in circumstances involving domestic violence.

Judge Mary Ann O’Malley will sentence McBride in Martinez at a date and time determined by the court.

Two of these homicide trials involved family violence. For anyone experiencing domestic violence or elder abuse, help is available at Contra Costa’s Family Justice Centers www.cocofamilyjustice.org or 24-7 through the crisis line at STAND! for Families free from Violence 1-888-215-5555.

Has history of arrests dating to 2017 and twice last year, including for child endangerment and cruelty to a child

“After conducting several tests, Con Fire HAZMAT determined the home to be uninhabitable.”

By Allen D. Payton

Four children were found unconscious in an Antioch home on Thursday, February 20, 2025, after a call came in from a passerby at 4:51 p.m. who stopped to check on them, and their mother was later arrested for child abuse. The children, ages 2, 2, 5 and 8, have been placed in the custody of Child and Family Services.

“We got a call from someone driving by who stopped and checked on the kids,” said Antioch Police Lt. Njoroge while at the scene. “When we got here, we checked on the welfare of the children. We’ve contacted the parents.”

Contra Costa Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Bob Atlas said, “We got the call about 5:15 pm that there were four children unconscious in the home. We arrived on scene, Antioch PD retrieved all the children and brought them outside. Con Fire provided medical care and transported all four children to area hospitals for evaluation. No adults were in the home.”

“We don’t know what it was. But we know a lot of things it wasn’t,” he explained. “When it’s a mystery like this we start by ruling out what it isn’t.”

At about 6:30 p.m. Con Fire placed a blower outside the home facing the open front door. “We are currently blowing out the environment for anything that could be potentially harmful,” Atlas added.

The following press release with additional details about the incident was issued Friday afternoon:

According to. Lt. Njoroge of the Field Services Division, “just before 5:00 p.m., officers responded to a welfare check regarding a 2-year-old child who was found alone and outside a home on the 2100 block of Spruce Way by a passerby. Upon arrival, officers discovered the front door of the residence was unsecured. Officers knocked and announced themselves, however nobody responded.

To ensure the child’s safety, officers entered the home and found three additional young children, with no adults present. The children appeared to require medical attention, and Con Fire, along with paramedics, was requested to the scene. All four children were transported to nearby hospitals for further evaluation.

UPDATE: To clarify matters, Lt. Njoroge later said, “Three of the four children were unconscious. The two-year-old seen outside was back in the house by the time officers arrived. But I can’t say which of the four was not unconscious.”

The children’s mother, 36-year-old Shante Alberty, later arrived at the residence and was placed under arrest on child abuse-related charges. She was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

After conducting several tests, Con Fire HAZMAT determined the home to be uninhabitable. All four children were medically cleared and placed into the custody of Child and Family Services (CFS).

This information was made available by the Field Services Bureau. Any further inquiries into the status of this case should be done via the Media Access Telephone Line 925-779-6874. Any further information or additional press releases will be provided by the Investigations Bureau.”

According to localcrimenews.com, Alberty has a history of arrests dating back to 2017 including twice last year by Antioch PD and San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department for crimes including battery on a spouse, cohabitant or former spouse, and on Sept. 5, 2024, for possession of a narcotic controlled substance, child endangerment and cruelty to a child by inflicting injury.

According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, she is Black. Also, according to the Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, eight-inch tall, 175 lb. Alberty was born on March 22, 1988, and is being held on $425,000 bail. She’s being held in the West County Detention Facility.

See exclusive Antioch Herald video of the scene, here.

Has history of arrests; APD Drone Team, CHP Air Support, Oakley Police K-9 assist

By Lt. Joe Njoroge #7052, Antioch Police Field Services Division

On February 20, 2025, just after 9:00 a.m., officers were around E. 18th Street and Cavallo Road performing proactive patrols during their shift. Their attention was drawn to an Infiniti on the roadway with several vehicle code violations. An officer made a traffic stop on the vehicle. As soon as the officer stepped out of his patrol vehicle, the Infiniti, driven by 40-year-old Terrance Lee Benjamin (born 11/6/1984), sped off southbound on Cavallo Road.

Due to public safety concerns, officers did not pursue the Infiniti. In the area of Garrow Drive and E. Tregallas Road, the Infiniti lost control and collided into an occupied home. Benjamin ran through several neighboring yards. After an extensive search of the neighborhood with resources from the APD Drone Team, CHP Air Support, and Oakley Police K-9, Benjamin was located in a nearby yard and taken into custody by patrol officers.

No one was injured inside the home that was struck. Con Fire, Antioch Code Enforcement, and representatives from the Antioch Public Works Department responded to evaluate the structural integrity of the residence that was struck.

Benjamin was transported to an area hospital where he was treated and later booked into MDF for the arrest warrant and the following additional charges:
CVC 2800.2(a) – Reckless Evading a Police Officer
PC 29800(a) – Felon In Possession of a Firearm
PC 25850(a) – Possession of a Loaded Firearm in Public
PC 25400(a) – Concealed Carry of a Firearm in Vehicle
PC 30305(a) – Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition
CVC 20002(a) – Hit and Run

According to localcrimenews.com, Benjamin has a history of arrests dating to 2019 by Antioch PD and the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department for crimes including vehicle theft, receiving/etc. known stolen property over $200, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge.

According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, 11-inch suspect is Black and being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on no bail. Benjamin’s next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21 at 1:30 p.m. in Superior Court in Martinez.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Already out of custody

By Brentwood Police Department

Last Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, around midnight, a Brentwood officer conducted a traffic stop near Lone Tree Way and Williamson Ranch for expired registration.

The driver, 33-year-old Deontae Markell Alexander of Antioch, was found to be unlicensed. Further investigation revealed that Alexander, a convicted felon, was in possession of a loaded firearm, which he is legally prohibited from owning or carrying. Officers also determined the firearm had been reported stolen.

This marks the officer’s fourth gun-related arrest this year, reinforcing the department’s commitment to keeping illegal firearms out of the community.

According to localcrimenews.com, Alexander was charged with Receiving or Concealing Stolen Property, Addict in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Ammunition, Carrying a Loaded Firearm on Person or in Vehicle while in a Public Place, and Carrying a Concealed Weapon in a Vehicle. He also has a history of arrests dating back to before 2014 by multiple agencies including Antioch PD and Oakland PD for crimes including vehicle theft, possession of marijuana over 28.5 grams, DUI alcohol with BAC over .08 and battery on a spouse, cohabitant or former spouse.

According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, as of Friday, Feb. 14, he is out of custody and on his own recognizance.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

One of 74 out of 429 in California

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced today that 74 schools throughout the state were recognized as Model Continuation High Schools (MCHS) for 2025. These schools provide comprehensive services to at-risk youth through exemplary instructional strategies, flexible scheduling, and guidance and counseling services. Continuation schools provide a high school diploma program for students who have not graduated from high school, are required to attend school, and are at risk of not completing their education.

Four of those schools are located in Contra Costa County:
• Antioch Unified School District, Bidwell High School in Antioch
• Mount Diablo Unified School District, Olympic High School in Concord
• San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Del Amigo High in San Ramon
• West Contra Costa School District, Sylvester Greenwood Academy in Richmond

“Today, we celebrate 74 commendable schools for their tremendous efforts as alternative campuses of learning,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “The priority of our Model Continuation High Schools is to give students more than a diploma. The teachers and administrators aim to provide students with a student-centered approach that meets their diverse academic, social, and emotional needs and opportunities to explore options beyond high school, preparing students for the future whether they choose to pursue further education or join the workforce.”

Currently, there are 429 continuation high schools who serve close to 49,000 students throughout the state. MCHSs excel and provide exceptional opportunities for their students to pursue academic and social success.

The Model Continuation High School Recognition Program is a collaborative partnership between the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Continuation Education Association Plus (CCEA Plus). Schools operate their own exemplary programs, but Model Continuation High School–recognized educators commit to supporting and mentoring their peers in other local educational agencies.

The 74 schools selected as Model Continuation High Schools retain their designation for three years. They will be recognized at the CCEA Plus 2025 State Conference in April. For more information on continuation education, please visit the CDE Continuation Education web page.

UPDATE: In a post on the Antioch Unified School District’s Facebook page on Thursday, Feb. 20, AUSD Director of Secondary Schools Lindsay Wisely was quoted as saying, “Bidwell High School has an array of programs that provide students with academic support, college/career exposure, and mental health resources. The educators and outstanding principal provide students with an exceptional small school experience. Students who attend there are proud of their campus.”

The post also included, “Big congrats to Principal LaTanya Williams and staff for continuing to serve their students so well.”

About Bidwell High School
Bidwell High School is one of two continuation high schools in the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD), serving students in grades 10 through 12, ages 16-18 years old. The purpose of Bidwell is to provide students who are deficient in credits with an alternative opportunity to improve their academic skills as they work toward graduating with their class.

Students typically have a four-period day, but more periods can be added based on a student’s proven commitment to quality work and a student’s particular graduation status. Grades and credits are issued on a quarterly basis. Almost all schoolwork is completed in small classes under the direction of the instructor. A high school diploma may be earned by meeting the Antioch Unified School District’s credit requirement of 180 credits for continuation schools.

Bidwell works continuously to develop programs that offer a unique and nurturing environment that includes a small community setting, an individualized graduation plan developed and monitored for each student, staff with a high level of experience, and a diverse student population. To learn more visit www.antiochschools.net/o/bhs.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Thomas Gaines Virtual Academy’s Crystal Berry had a 25-year career in education

By Allen D. Payton

On Thursday, February 13, 2025, the Antioch Unified School District informed the families of students at Thomas Gaines Virtual Academy that Principal Crystal Berry had passed. Classes at the school were not held on Friday.

A post on the district’s Facebook page on Friday offered more details:
It is with extreme sadness we share that longtime educator Crystal Berry has passed away.
In her 25-year career, she taught, guided, helped and cheered on countless students and staff members.
She graced the campuses of Diablo Vista, Marsh and Lone Tree elementary schools, Park Middle and, most recently, was the principal of Thomas Gaines Virtual Academy.
In a 2019 district Facebook article, Crystal said one of the funniest things that happened in her teaching career was when her students told her she was Superwoman.
“It’s because I could run and play basketball in high heels!”
Over the years, Crystal would say schools were her happy place.
“I love being in a role where I can implement changes … and provide guidance and support to students, staff and families.
“I love children. I believe they are unique, resilient and talented.”
The family requests privacy during this heartbreaking time. We send them comforting thoughts.

The letter to families from the district’s Director of Secondary Support, Lindsay Lopez-Wisely, read as follows:

February 13, 2025

Dear TGVA Families,

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Principal, Crystal Berry. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Berry family and the entire TGVA and AUSD community. Ms. Berry dedicated over twenty-five years to serving our students, staff, and families, and her passing is a profound loss for all who knew her.

During this difficult time, our crisis team will be available to support students, staff, and parents as we navigate this loss together. Counselors, mental health clinicians, and restorative facilitators will be on-site and available virtually for those in need of support. To connect with a support provider, please contact the TGVA office. We can arrange either a virtual session or an in-person meeting.

Schedule Update for Friday, February 14th

Out of respect for our community and to allow time for processing this loss, teachers will not hold classes on Friday, February 14th. Instead, students will receive asynchronous assignments with extended time for completion.

Coping with Loss

A loss like this can affect each of us differently. Some may grieve personally, others may feel deep sympathy, and some may be reminded of past losses. No matter how you are experiencing this, please know that you are not alone. Support is available both on campus and within our community.

On-Campus Support

•Visit the TGVA office – counseling staff will be available in Room 501
•Call the TGVA office at 925-779-7640 to sign up for support with a counselor
•Email Kathryn Coyle Youker, Coordinator of Counseling Services at KathrynCoyle-Youker@antiochschools.net

Community Support

Antioch Unified School District has partnered with Care Solace to provide confidential, complimentary mental health support for students, staff, and their families. If you or a family member need assistance, you can use Care Solace to connect with therapists or treatment programs, regardless of circumstances.
•Call: 888-515-0595 (Available 24/7/365, any language)
•Visit: www.caresolace.com/antiochschools to search for providers or book an appointment viavideo chat, email, or phone.

Emergency Resources

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek immediate support:
•Call 911 and request a Crisis Intervention Trained (C.I.T.) response
•Go to the nearest emergency room
•Text “Hello” or “Home” to 741741 for crisis support
•Trevor Lifeline (LGBTQ+ Crisis Support): 1-866-488-7386
•National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 (Online chat)

We appreciate your support for one another during this time of grief. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance.

With deepest sympathy,

Lindsay Lopez-Wisely
Director of Secondary Support

—————-

Area 3 Trustee Dee Brown offered her thoughts on Berry’s passing. In a post on her official Facebook page on Saturday she wrote, “My deepest condolences and prayers are with the Beautiful Principal Crystal Berry family. May her family and everyone connected to her be comforted as her memories are always cherished and her legacy continues.
Rest well Ms. Berry.”

Home of the Contra Costa County Fair

ANTIOCH – The Board of Director of the Contra Costa Event Park, Home of the Contra Costa County Fair announce their search for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Current CEO Joe Brengle announced that he would be retiring at the end of June 2025.

Under the Board’s guidance, the CEO plans, executes and manages the annual Contra Costa County Fair. In addition to the Annual Fair, the CEO leads the planning, organization, recruitment, and management of the Contra Costa Event Parks facility rental program (Interim Events), along with negotiating and facilitating long term rental agreements.

The Monthly Salary Range for the position is $8,630 – $10,567. The salary will be based on the successful candidate’s qualifications with CalHR approval. An example of additional benefits include: State of California, Public Employment Retirement System (PERS), Vacation & Sick Leave, Health Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan and State Holidays.

A full description of the position and application process is available on the Fairs website CEO-Flyer.pdf, or can be picked up at the Fair Administration Office, 1201 W. 10th Street, Antioch.

Mark your calendars for the 2025 Contra Costa County Fair May 15 – 18, with the theme “Let’s Go Country”.

City’s second fatal shooting this year

By Antioch Police Department

On February 12, 2025, at approximately 10:24 p.m., Antioch police officers responded to the area of Hillcrest Avenue and Larkspur Drive for reports of shots fired in the area. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a victim who had been shot at least once. Antioch police officers provided aid to the victim who was transported to a local hospital.

The 22-year-old male victim later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

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. This is an active investigation, and no further information will be released at this time.

Any further information or additional press releases will be provided by the Investigations Bureau. Any tips or other information can be directed to Antioch Police Detective Cox at (925) 481-8147 or by email at jcox@antiochca.gov.

It was the second fatal shooting in Antioch this year.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.