Faces, Facts Emerge As Swatting, Organized Burglary Rings Cracked
We report them as they happen: a disembodied voice on the phone telling school officials gunmen are on the way to shoot students or plant explosives; a group of stealthy burglars in black who rush wealthy homeowners, disable their security systems and loot the home of items few people knew were there. Our stories cover…
“Ma’am, What’s The Midget Wearing?” – The X Files
Back in the day of battling dailies and copy boys and clickety-clacking wire machines the bleary-eyed Über Cognescenti of our Night Copy Desk kept an electronic archive of oddities and story scraps we reporter-types had delivered to them over the course of the day. The collection was known informally as “the Bondage File,” and was…
Hit-And-Run Crash At Walnut Creek Farmers Market; At Least One Injured, One Arrested
The investigation into a devastating early morning hit-and-run crash during vendor setup at the Walnut Creek Farmer’s Market Sunday is underway. The crash was reported at approximately 5:15 a.m. Sunday with first responders arriving to find two people down, one with critical injuries, and obvious damage to the vendor area. Police were quickly alerted that…
Three Arrested For “Planned, Coordinated” Murder Of Santiago Jacobo
Co-workers of a 37-year-old Pittsburg man murdered in Pleasant Hill Park in February were arrested Friday in connection with the killing. Investigators arrested Pablo Gutierrez-Morales, 31, of Concord; Vanessa Vera-Aguilar, 24, and Jazmin Ruiz, 25, both of Antioch for a “planned, coordinated” attack on Santiago Jacobo, 37, found stabbed to death following his janitorial shift…
Massachusetts Rapist Found Living In Diablo; Arrested Tuesday
A Chinese national who disappeared prior to sentencing for the rape of a young co-worker in Massachusetts in 2005 was found living at a home in Diablo and re-arrested Tuesday by a task force of local and federal investigators. Tuen Kit “Dickie” Lee, 55, was found guilty at a 2007 trial of the kidnapping and…
Hacienda Wedding March Too Long, Too Noisy – Moraga Neighbors Say
We didn’t have to be much of a soothsayer to see where this one was headed: take a picturesque local landmark, turn it into a wedding venue, add a generous mix of loudspeakers, amplified music, “enthusiastic” DJs and bridesmaids with their Chardonnay on and whaddaya get? If you said “lawsuit” – you win. Because, it…
Concord Man Arrested After Shots Fired In Neighborhood Standoff Monday
A 47-year-old Concord man was arrested following a lengthy Memorial Day standoff with police in the 3600 block of Rosebrook Court Monday evening. Concord police, supported by officers from neighboring agencies, responded to the area at approximately 6 pm after a man later identified as Christian Stuart allegedly confronted neighbors before returning to his home…
Armed Robbery Rocks County Fair; $90k Loss Raising Questions
Workers carrying an estimated $90,000 in gate and parking receipts from the Contra Costa County Fair were reportedly confronted and robbed at gunpoint while attempting to make a bank deposit early Monday morning. The incident occurred after the fair ended its last day on Sunday and during an attempted deposit of receipts at the BMO…
DA’s Office Issues Use of Force Report On Richmond Man Shot While Holding Assault Rifle
Use of Force Report on Kevin McDonald: Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office’s report on the use of force death of 66-year-old Kevin James McDonald in Richmond is now publicly available. Law Enforcement Involved Fatality Incidents (LEIFI) reports summarizes the results of the District Attorney’s Office’s independent criminal investigation, including a summary…
Watch, Jewelry, Other Items Taken In Concord Armed Robbery Friday
Four men, at least two of them reportedly armed with handguns, assaulted and robbed a victim in the 1800 block of Willow Pass Road in Concord on Friday before escaping in a late-model Mercedes sedan. The incident was reported at 4:40 p.m. with the group making off with a watch, necklaces and electronics. An ambulance…