Posts by NEWS24-680
Garage Fire In Orinda Sunday
Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District firefighters responded to reports of a garage fire at 81 Hillcrest Drive Friday, arriving to find the garage fully engulfed and turning their attention to stopping the spread of flames to the residence itself. Three occupants were able to flee the home shortly after the fire was reported at 11:22 p.m.…
Read MoreSwarm Raiders Steal Cigarettes, Cash From 7Eleven Stores In Lafayette, Pleasant Hill Friday
A carload of masked youths appear to be making the rounds of local convenience stores Friday, jumping counters at stores in Pleasant Hill and Lafayette and making off with cash and cigarettes. The group, believed to be about six black males wearing COVID-style masks and hoodies, first swarmed an employee at the 7Eleven store on…
Read MoreBank Trip Ends With Attempted Robbery In Moraga; Second Incident In Two Days
A routine trip to the bank ended in a moment of terror for a Moraga woman who returned home from the local Bank of America branch to find herself hemmed in by two men in a Mercedes, one of whom reached into her car in an attempt to take her purse, jewels and other items.…
Read MorePublic Assistance Grifters Charged After Hercules Arrest
From the Office of the District Attorney: Martinez, Calif. – Two fly-by-night individuals have been charged with multiple felonies and face misdemeanor charges in a sophisticated financial criminal scheme that defrauded hundreds of Californians receiving public assistance. Florin Tanasa, 27, and 30-year-old Adam Nilsson each face seven felony counts that includes second degree commercial burglary,…
Read MoreScreenShots: “The Man Who Wasn’t There”
As movie-lovers whose taste runs to the Coen, we’re not sure how we missed this one over the years, but we did. This black-and-white sonnet to film noir is lovingly crafted and executed, driven and narrated by a chain-smoking Billy Bob Thornton – second chair in a three-chair barber shop in Santa Rosa during the…
Read MoreIt’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – For Thieves
Christmas is ramping up in the 24/680 and as fresh trees go up in our living rooms and shoppers scurry to and fro another segment of society emerges – apparently to rip off the to and fro people. Pleasant Hill PD managed to corral two of three women allegedly trying to make off with several…
Read MoreTrial Of Former FCI Dublin Warden Details Sordid Tales Of Inmate Abuse
UPDATE: Ray Garcia was found guilty of eight charges in court today, Thursday, Dec. 8, and faces up to 15 years in prison. He was among five workers charged with abusing inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin. ORIGINAL POST: The ongoing trial of a former warden at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin is…
Read MoreObvious? Better Safe Than Sorry, We Say…
The son of a local reader is lucky enough to live on the Big Island of Hawaii, a beautiful place but especially newsworthy lately as its trademark volcano – Mauna Loa – has been actively spewing voluminous streams of superheated magma and gas. Used to the mountain’s occasional displays of pyroclastic fury the locals have…
Read More“Take Me Off Your List!”
We’ll spare you the military references but there’s a popular series out depicting a small squad action against a larger, entrenched force where the attackers use surprise to their advantage. “Look,” the squad leader shouts over the crescendo of a firefight. “We must be doing something right, they’re firing on each other…” That resonated this…
Read MoreTree Eats Cars In Pleasant Hill
Residents in the 400 block of Roberta Avenue in Pleasant Hill thought they were hearing lightning when cracking noises outside their homes brought them outside on the run Saturday. A tree, estimated to be at 80 feet tall, came down and caused “significant” damage to at least two cars and other property. No one was…
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