Both were Liberty High student-athletes; two others injured, including another Liberty student-athlete

UPDATE: No police chase prior to collision

By Lt. Franco Cesar, Antioch Police Department

ANTIOCH, CA – The Antioch Police Department is deeply saddened to report a fatal traffic collision that occurred early Sunday morning, claiming two lives and leaving others injured.

On September 13, 2026, at 12:11 AM, APD Dispatch received a report of a major vehicle collision in the area of Deer Valley Road and Balfour Road. Officers arrived on scene at 12:21 AM and located two vehicles involved: a white BMW and a silver Infiniti.

Tragically, two occupants inside the Infiniti died at the scene. A third individual from the Infiniti sustained injuries and was promptly transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. The driver of the BMW also sustained injuries as a result of the collision.  

According to Sgt. Rob Green the two deceased were 17-year-old males from Discovery Bay. According to a report by The Press, they were “Liberty High School student-athletes” and one of the injured was another current Liberty student and athlete from the Brentwood school.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under active investigation by the Antioch Police Department Traffic Unit. Out of respect for the families and loved ones involved, law enforcement is working to confirm the identity of one victim and complete next-of-kin notifications before releasing additional information.

UPDATE 1 (9/14/26): One of the two boys has been identified by his mother. In posts on her Facebook page and the Instagram account for her photography business Monday morning, Sept. 14th, Stephanie Starkenberg-Ferrari shared her son’s name, Dominic Anthony Starkenberg Ferrari, and his birthdate, March 21, 2009, along with his photo.

UPDATE 2 (9/15/26): The other boy was identified in an online fundraiser on AngeLink, as Caden Kyle. That was organized by Lynne Mile on behalf of Chris Kyle and Shannon Boyle. As of Tuesday afternoon, $32,244 of $35,000 Goal had been contributed. In addition, a GoFundMe account has been set up to benefit Starkenberg Ferrari’s family, listed as Stephanie, Gino and Sophia. As of Tuesday evening, $39,548 of the $47,000 goal had been raised.

UPDATE 3 (9/15/26): Not a Police Chase

To dispel one of the rumors on social media that a police chase had occurred prior to the collision, Sgt. Green, “It was not a police chase. The BMW involved, did flee from East Bay Regional Park Police a week before the crash. But there is no indication the driver of the BMW was the one who fled. That car was entered as a felony vehicle on the CHP log. That’s how that rumor started.”

Asked about the driver of the other vehicle with the three boys inside he said, “Neither of the boys who died was the driver. The boy who survived was.”

“That is all we have right now. We are just determining if there was any negligence involved,” Green added.

As investigators work to piece together the events leading up to the collision, the Antioch Police Department asks anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or who has surveillance or dashcam footage from the area around the time of the crash, to please come forward. If you have any information, please contact Sgt. Green of the Traffic Unit at (925) 779-6864. Anonymous tips may also be submitted directly to the department. Case No.: 26-8743.

Please check back later for any additional updates to this report.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By City of Antioch Youth Services Network, Community Services Department

About the Antioch Council of Teens (ACT) – ACT is comprised of youth ages 12-18 who cultivate change through community service, social activities for youth, and civic leadership. Our members are dedicated to strengthening their community and amplifying youth voices. ACT is driven by a vision in which youth have the opportunities, supports and resources to develop their full potential.

It operates with the staff of the City of Antioch Youth Services Network in the Community Services Department.

Reasons to Join

• You will be able to socialize and meet with other youths within the community
• Participate in community service events
• Participate in the planning of youth events
• Safe and fun environment for you to be yourself
• Play a role in your community by participating in civic engagement opportunities

Meeting Times: 

ACT meets every 2nd and 4th day of each month from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Antioch Water Park, 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch. Dinner and snacks are always provided!

How to Join

1. Fill out form.
2. You will receive an email with an application.
3. Please return a completed packet via email to youth@antiochca.gov or in person at the Antioch Community Center, 4703 Lone Tree Way, Antioch.

Contact Us

Email Antioch Council of Teens for more information at youth@antiochca.gov. Follow us on Instagram @AntiochYouthServices to keep up with what’s happening next. For more information visit Antioch Council of Teens.

Thanks to witness info, technology and detective work

Both held on $100,000 bail

By Lt. Michael Mellone, Antioch Police Department

ANTIOCH, Calif. — The Antioch Police Department has arrested two 18-year-old Antioch residents following an investigation into the August 31 robbery of Antioch Jewelers on Wild Horse Road off Hillcrest Avenue.

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on August 31, Antioch Police officers responded to Antioch Jewelers after two masked suspects entered the business. One suspect sprayed the store owner with pepper spray while the second used a hammer to smash a glass jewelry display case. The suspects removed trays of jewelry and fled from the business.

An important break in the case came from witnesses who observed the suspects and their getaway vehicle. One witness was able to obtain the vehicle’s license plate and provide that information to police. That information, combined with investigative work by responding officers and the Antioch Police Department’s automated license plate reader system, helped investigators quickly develop leads associated with the suspect vehicle.

Later that day, officers and detectives located the suspect vehicle parked and unoccupied in Antioch. The vehicle was seized as evidence as detectives continued working to identify those responsible.

The following morning, September 1, Antioch Police detectives continued pursuing leads developed during the investigation and located 18-year-old Adrian Ramel Cortez in Antioch (born 11/22/2007). Detectives conducted surveillance as Cortez traveled through the city before coordinating with uniformed officers to take him into custody near West 4th and K streets.

At the time of Cortez’s arrest, officers recovered a significant amount of jewelry from a bag he was carrying. The store owner later identified the recovered jewelry as property taken during the robbery. Officers also discovered a concealed .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun in Cortez’s possession following his arrest.

Detectives continued working the case after the first arrest. Additional investigative efforts led them to identify 18-year-old Zaimarri Tylann Williams of Antioch (born 3/16/2008) as the second suspect. On September 10, Antioch Police detectives served a search warrant at an Antioch residence as part of the continuing robbery investigation. Williams was located during the operation and taken into custody. Detectives also collected additional evidence associated with the investigation.

Cortez and Williams were arrested in connection with the robbery and are accused of violations including robbery (PC 211) and felony vandalism (PC 594(b)(1)).

This investigation highlights the value of community cooperation, technology, and persistent investigative work. The witness who recognized the importance of obtaining the suspect vehicle’s license plate provided officers with a critical piece of information at the very beginning of the investigation. APD’s automated license plate reader system helped detectives build upon that information, and investigators continued developing evidence that led to the identification and arrests of both suspects.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Arturo Becerra at (925) 779-6937 or email abecerra@antiochca.gov.

All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Case No.: 26-8297

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, eight-inch tall, 145-pound Cortez is non-Hispanic, but also listed as unknown, and is being held in a Custody Alternative Facility on $100,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m. in Dep’t. 5 in Martinez.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, 11-inch tall 160-pound Williams is non-Hispanic, but also listed as Black, and is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility also on $100,000 bail.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

DA Investigators searching for additional victims in multi-state case

Held on $600k bail, has history of arrests

2nd Antioch man arrested for human trafficking this year

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

Martinez, CA – Investigators with the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office are asking the public for help identifying and contacting victims in a years-long human trafficking investigation.

Raymond Jamar Brooks, 32, of Antioch, (born 5/28/1994) is being held at the Martinez Detention Facility on $600,000 bail, facing multiple charges related to human trafficking. The investigation into Brooks’ alleged offenses found that he engaged in commercial sex acts with minors and adult woman through force, fraud, coercion and other means associated with sex trafficking.

The investigation has already identified several victims, whose accounts have uncovered evidence of trafficking activity spanning multiple states. To protect their privacy and safety, their identities are being withheld as the investigation continues.

Anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Brooks, or who has additional information about his alleged involvement in sex trafficking in California or elsewhere, is urged to contact Senior Inspector Ann Shiraishi of the Contra Costa County Major Crimes Task Force at (925) 917-6857 or ann.shiraishi@contracostada.org.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may call the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Tip Line at *69 (925) 957-8658 to leave a tip for law enforcement. Confidential support and resources are also available through Community Violence Solutions at 1 (800) 670-7273.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, eight-inch tall Brooks is non-Hispanic but also listed as Black, he was booked into custody on July 22, 2026, at 8:17 p.m.  and his next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11 at 8:30 a.m. in Dep’t. 5 in Martinez.

According to localcrimenews.com, Brooks has a history of arrests dating back to 2017, including by Antioch Police on April 7 this year for disobeying a domestic relations court order and for warrants or holds only on Jan. 3, 2019. He was also arrested in 2020 by Contra Costa Sheriff’s Deputies for receiving stolen property – motor vehicle and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, and by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for procuring another person for purpose of prostitution on Jan. 5, 2019, and for pimping in 2017.

He’s the second Antioch man arrested this year for human trafficking. It was announced in February, the arrest of 38-year-old Keith Earnest Haywood. He was arrested again on July 30th and according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Haywood is charged with pandering, pimping, carrying a loaded firearm in public, and carrying a concealed firearm without a permit. He is now being held on remand at the Marsh Creek Detention Facility with bail set at $100,000. Haywood’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Dept. 5 in Martinez.

Asregadoo was asked where Brooks was arrested and by what agency. He responded, “Brooks was arrested in Antioch on April 9, 2026, by the Contra Costa County Probation Department for a probation violation. The Contra Costa DA’s Office leads the investigation in this case, since it runs the Human Trafficking Task Force in partnership with local police, the FBI, and community groups.

“Brooks’s next court date is 9/11/26 at 8:30 am in Department 29 (Judge Glenn Kim) at the A.F. Bray Courts Building in Martinez. This is a setting date, where the judge, prosecutor and defense attorney schedule future court dates. It’s typically a brief, administrative hearing.”

As co-chair of the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force, the District Attorney’s Office is committed to a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach in its work with survivors of human trafficking and all other victims of crime. Any victim who comes forward in response to this request will be offered supportive services and resources.

UPDATE 1: According to records of the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa, Brooks had an Arraignment on Complaint Hearing/ Minute Order on July 21st before Judge David E. Goldstein at which he was presented with the charges and pled not guilty to each of them.

001	PC266h(a)-F: PIMPING AND SOLICITING FOR PROSTITUTE 0002529265	Not Guilty
002	PC236.1(b)-F: HUMAN TRAFFICKING 0002532647	Not Guilty
003	PC266h(a)-F: PIMPING AND SOLICITING FOR PROSTITUTE 0002532648	Not Guilty
004	PC266i(a)(2)-F: PANDERING BY ENCOURAGING 0002532649	Not Guilty
005	PC266i(a)(2)-F: PANDERING BY ENCOURAGING 0002532650	Not Guilty
006	PC266h(a)-F: PIMPING AND SOLICITING FOR PROSTITUTE 0002532659	Not Guilty
007	PC266i(a)(2)-F: PANDERING BY ENCOURAGING 0002532651	Not Guilty
008	PC266i(a)(2)-F: PANDERING BY ENCOURAGING 0002532652	Not Guilty
009	PC236.1(b)-F: HUMAN TRAFFICKING 0002529266	Not Guilty
010	PC266i(a)(2)-F: PANDERING BY ENCOURAGING 0002529264	Not Guilty

His court hearing on Friday, Sept. 11th, before Judge Glenn Kim, was held “To Set Hearing/ Minute Order” and for a “Criminal Protective Order”. Brooks is represented by private Lead Attorney Vincent R. Maher and has also retained Sarah Shafer.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, as of Saturday, Sept. 12th, Brooks is now being held in the West County Detention Facility and his next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 12 at 8:30 a.m. in Martinez, Department 5.

Please check back later for any additional updates to this report.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Now through November 3, 2026

By City of Antioch Youth Services Network

The Antioch Council of Teens is collecting gently used coats during their 5th Annual Coat Drive from Sept. 1 through Nov. 3, 2026. Gloves, scarves and boots are also accepted.

Donation Locations:

• Community Resources Department inside the Antioch Community Center at Prewett Community Park – 4703 Lone Tree Way, Antioch

• Antioch City Hall – 200 H Street, Antioch

For more information visit Antioch Council of Teens.

For AUSD and Antioch youth only ages 12-18 during two sessions; register by Sept. 8th

By City of Antioch Youth Services Network

Get ready to roll! You’re invited to Teen Skate Night at Paradise Skate in Antioch. This event is open to ages 12-18 and includes free skate rentals, food, and admission. Rest assured, adult supervision will be provided throughout the event.

Ages 12-15 will skate from 4:30 pm-6:00 pm

Ages 16-18 will skate from 6:00 pm-7:30 pm

Make new friends and connect with others in your community!

Please be advised: A parent/guardian signature is required for sign-out at the conclusion of the event. Please come to the front entrance to sign out. Should you have any inquiries or concerns, please contact youth@antiochca.gov.  

See Registration Form.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Paradise Skate is located in Antioch at 1201 West 10th Street, off the O Street entrance.

For more information about roller rink visit Paradise Skate Roller Rink.

By Alicia Taylor

On Friday, September 18, the Antioch Police Activities League Board of Directors will host a fundraiser at Dutch Bros at 3280 Hillcrest Avenue. They will donate $1 from every drink purchased when customers mention Antioch PAL to support activities for Antioch youth.

Please stop by, purchase a drink and help us spread the word by sharing the attached flyer with your friends, colleagues and community networks. Every drink helps Antioch PAL continue supporting local youth through athletic and enrichment programs.

One drink. One dollar. All for Antioch youth.

Mark your calendars and thank you for helping us make this day count!

For more information about Antioch PAL visit antiochpal.org, our Facebook page or Instagram account.

Female student issued citation

Pepper spray is legal in CA but not for minors to possess

Could face up to $1,000 fine and/or up to 3 years in prison for misuse, up to $2,000 fine and/or 6 months in county jail for battery

By Lt. Franco Cesar, Antioch Police Department

On August 21, 2026, at approximately 1:47 p.m., Antioch Police Department officers responded to Antioch High School following reports of multiple students exposed to pepper spray. The incident occurred in a school hallway during a passing period.

A preliminary investigation revealed the incident stemmed from an ongoing dispute between two students. During the altercation, pepper spray was deployed, inadvertently affecting several nearby students.

Officers identified seven students affected by the spray. Emergency medical personnel evaluated the victims on scene and transported three students to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment. No serious injuries were reported.

Responding officers located the juvenile responsible for deploying the pepper spray. She was issued a citation for Possession/Use of Tear Gas by a Minor and Battery, then released to her parents. Due to the suspect’s age, her identity will not be released.

The Antioch Police Department remains committed to campus safety and continues to work in close partnership with Antioch Unified School District administrators during school incidents.

Case No.: 26-7951

According to the Antioch Police CitizenRIMS Map, the incident occurred at 1:38 PM and is listed as a misdemeanor possession of a weapon at school K-12 626.10(A)(1) PC and 243(A) PC – battery. Incident Number:2608210130.

Pepper Spray is Legal in CA But Not for Minors to Possess

According to Zarc International, “Pepper spray in CA is Legal. Subject to certain restrictions, Section 12403.7 of the Penal Code provides ‘any person may purchase, possess or use tear gas and tear gas weapons for the projection or release of tear gas if the tear gas and tear gas weapons are used solely for self-defense purposes.’

“The definition of tear gas also includes pepper spray. The restrictions include a prohibition against selling such a unit to a minor, and a provision limiting the size to 2.5 ounces by weight.

“The misuse of tear gas in California comes with state penalties of up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to three years in prison, not to mention a possible felony conviction on record. Some examples of misuse include: using tear gas on people in anger, spraying it as a joke, possession of tear gas by prohibited persons, minors, drug addicts or persons convicted of felonies.

“To be legally purchased, possessed or used in California, any canister must have a label that says ‘WARNING: The use of this substance or device for any purpose other than self-defense is a crime under the law. The contents are dangerous–use with care.’ The maximum legal net weight for a canister is 2.5 ounces, or 70 grams of OC, CS or CN. CR is not legal for civilian use.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.