Shelter-In-Place Advisory Issued As Bomb Squad Works To Detonate Explosive Device

Residents in the area of Central Avenue and MacArthur Avenue near Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg were asked to shelter-in-place as a bomb squad works to detonate an explosive device Sunday night, Contra Costa County officials said.

The shelter-in-place advisory was issued at 9:30 p.m.

Residents are advised to stay indoors, close all windows and doors and only use phones for life-threatening emergencies, county officials said.

No further details were immediately available.

 

Shoplifter Nicknamed ‘El Mustachio The Magician’ Arrested

A man who police nicknamed “El Mustachio the Magician” was arrested in connection with thefts over the summer at a Santa Cruz Costco Wholesale warehouse.

Shawn Fialho, 45, whose last known address was in Boulder Creek, was arrested by Monterey County sheriff’s deputies in Soquel in an unrelated case about two weeks ago, police said last Monday.

Fialho is suspected of stealing electronics from the warehouse at 220 Sylvania Ave. on July 7 and 17 and Aug. 21 and attempting to shoplift on Aug. 26, according to police.

Through video footage from the warehouse’s surveillance system, Fialho was seen in different clothes in each theft, but police linked him to the crimes by his moustache and Ugg-style boots.

Police offered a commemorative beer pint glass with a mustache painted on it signed by Police Chief Kevin Vogel for information on the thefts that would lead to an arrest.

In the first theft on July 7, Fialho allegedly grabbed Bose SoundLink speakers from a shelf then stepped away from the warehouse video security camera to slip the speakers underneath his shirt and jacket before exiting, police said.

Police gave Fialho the nickname after the July 7 theft because of his facial hair and ability to hide the speakers underneath his clothing, according to police.

He then allegedly stole laptops at the same Costco location on July 17 and Aug. 21, police said.

On Aug. 26, Fialho allegedly attempted to steal a Xbox video game console but when a warehouse employee made contact with him, he dropped some of the device’s cables from his pockets and fled, according to police.

An anonymous tipster identified Fialho as the shoplifter after police released information on the thefts earlier this month through the department’s blog.

Fialho, who is on probation, has a history of theft and drug-related arrests, police said.

 

Sunnyvale Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Possessing Narcotics

A Sunnyvale man was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics in Mountain View on Tuesday, police said.

Officers received a call from a resident who reportedly saw a suspicious person in the area of Cuernavaca Circulo on Tuesday, police said.

Arriving officers went to the area and saw a man, identified as Mohammed Kahn, who matched the resident’s description, according to police.

Kahn was arrested without incident and booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Man Believed To Have Slept Inside Home He Burglarized At Large

Police released photos on Friday of a man who they believe broke entry into a Mountain View home where he slept inside and stole property from last week.

The man entered a home in the 200 block of Church Street sometime between 3 p.m. last Monday and noon Tuesday, then slept inside overnight, according to police.

He left the home Tuesday with a coat, ski pants and two sleeping bag straps, police said.

Police believe the same man attempted to enter the same home again shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday, but he was unable to enter because repairs had been made to an interior door.

The residents found images of a man on video footage taken through the home’s surveillance system that police are releasing to the public in an effort to locate him.

The man is described as Hispanic, may be in his mid-20s, is about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs around 150 pounds and has facial hair, police said.

In the images he is seen wearing a white long-sleeved hoodie, white pants with a black belt and white shoes with black stripes, according to police.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Mountain View police at (650) 903-6395.

 Police Investigating Home Burglary That Happened This Afternoon

Police are investigating a burglary at a Hillsborough home that happened Sunday afternoon.

The burglary occurred at a home in the 1000 block of Black Mountain Road near Vista Park around 2:20 p.m., police said.

An unknown suspect or suspects entered the home by removing a bathroom window screen and opening the window, according to police.

The suspect or suspects stole a number of items then fled, police said.

The home’s security system was on at the time of the burglary, according to police.

Anyone with information on the burglary is asked to call Hillsborough police at (650) 375-7470.

To aid in the police investigation, residents in the area are asked to review and submit video footage from their home’s surveillance system that shows Black Mountain and Marlborough roads.

 

Gov. Brown Signs Bill To Give $3 Million To Doctors Medical Center

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill to give $3 million to Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, which has faced closure in recent months due to its ongoing financial problems.

Brown on Saturday signed Senate Bill 883, authored by state Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and state Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, in order to give the hospital funding while hospital and county officials seek long-term funding.

“Doctors Medical Center is the safety net hospital for Richmond, San Pablo and other West Contra County communities, it’s closure would leave a community in need without emergency care, cardio, dialysis and other critical hospital services,” Skinner said in a news release.

“The Governor’s support of this $3 million lifeline expands our window for pursuing solutions to continue to meet these critical healthcare needs,” she said.

The hospital’s ongoing fiscal issues have led the facility to divert emergency ambulances to other Bay Area hospitals and to drastically cut its number of inpatient beds in recent months.

At least one death has been linked to the diversion of ambulance service from DMC, according to the California Nurses’ Association and Skinner’s office.

Hospital executives have prepared for the closure of DMC as community activists, hospital staff and patients have protested against the closure. DMC’s financial problems have persisted over the years due to a patient population that mostly receives Medi-Cal or Medicare, which gives the hospital lower reimbursement rates.

A May parcel tax measure designed to bridge the hospital’s $18 million structural debt failed, accelerating the prospect of DMC’s closure.

A hospital council consisting of health care providers from Contra Costa County and other Bay Area hospitals has been formed to come up with alternate, lower-cost hospital models that would allow DMC to stay open, such as a stand-alone emergency room.

 

Man Suspected Of DUI Crashes Into Backyard

 

A man suspected of driving drunk was arrested early Sunday morning after crashing into the backyard a Concord home where a family of three was sleeping, a police sergeant said.

The crash happened around 3:40 a.m. when a 49-year-old Concord man crashed his car into a fence between a house’s front and backyards in the 4000 block of Concord Boulevard, Concord police Sgt. Jeff Ross said.

The car narrowly missed the house, where two adults and a child were sleeping, according to Ross.

Neighbors heard the crash and came to detain the driver until police arrived, he said.

The driver was taken to a hospital to be treated for moderate injuries and arrested on suspicion of DUI, Ross said.

The man, whose name has not been released, was the only person inside the car. No other injuries were reported.

Police Seek Suspect In Early-Morning Robbery Of 2 Women

Police are attempting to locate a suspect who tried to rob two women walking in Petaluma early Sunday morning.

The robbery happened around 12:45 a.m. near the intersection of North McDowell Boulevard and Palo Verde Way, according to police.

Police said the two women were walking when a man approached from behind, grabbed one of the women around the neck and tried to snatch her purse.

The women started yelling and one pushed the suspect, who then ran from the scene.

He was last seen heading east on Palo Verde Way. Officers were unable to locate him.

The suspect did not use a weapon during the attempted robbery and no property was stolen.

Police said the suspect is described as a clean-shaven black man of unknown age who is about 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs roughly 200 pounds.

He was wearing blue jeans and a black sweatshirt at the time of the crime.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at (707) 778-4372.

4.4-Magnitude Quake Rattles San Benito County, Felt In Monterey County

A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck an area of San Benito County and was felt in some parts of Monterey County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake struck an area of east San Benito County located about 30 miles south of Los Banos and 30 miles east-northeast of Soledad in Monterey County at 1:45 p.m. Sunday, the USGS is reporting.

The temblor had a depth of 4.8 miles.

More than two dozen people in Monterey and Salinas reported feeling the earthquake on the USGS website, as did several respondents in Carmel and Marina.

 

All Lanes Of Highway 4 Reopened After Solo Car Crash

All lanes of state Highway 4 have reopened after a solo car crash blocked part of the roadway and left at least one person with minor injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The one-car crash was reported around 1:10 p.m. Sunday on westbound Highway 4 near the Railroad Avenue exit, according to the CHP.

At least one person suffered minor injuries, and the CHP shut down two right-hand lanes.

A Sig-alert was issued at 1:27 p.m., but all lanes had reopened as of 2:15 p.m.

Homes Evacuated Due To Gas Leak

Homes were evacuated in Antioch on Sunday morning after a construction crew mishap caused a gas leak, according to a Contra Costa County Fire Protection District official.

The ruptured gas line was reported in the 400 block of E Street around 11:40 a.m., according to Fire Marshal Robert Marshall.

PG&E crews were called to repair the leak, which appears to have been happened when a construction crew in the area hit the gas line, Marshall said.

The fire marshal said “a couple of houses” were evacuated due to the leak.

No injuries have been reported.

Three Wounded In Separate West Oakland Shootings

Four people were injured in two simultaneous, separate shootings in West Oakland late Saturday night, police said Sunday.

Three people were wounded in a shooting around midnight in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, according to police.

All three victims were taken to hospitals in stable condition.

At roughly the same time, another person was injured in a shooting in the 1800 block of Market Street, police said.

That victim also went to a hospital in stable condition.

No arrests were made in connection with the two shootings and no further information was immediately available.

Man Found Dead In West Oakland, One Detained For Questioning

A man was murdered in West Oakland on Sunday morning and one person has been detained for questioning in connection with the killing, police said.

Officers responded around 7:15 a.m. to a report of an assault in the 3400 block of San Pablo Avenue, where they found the victim, according to police.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said he was not shot or stabbed, and investigators are still working to determine how he was killed.

Apartment Fire Injures One, Displaces More Than A Dozen

One person was injured and more than a dozen were displaced in a fire at an apartment in Richmond on Saturday night, fire officials said.

Firefighters responded at 10:28 p.m. to the 2400 block of Nevin Avenue in response to an apartment fire.

Richmond fire officials said the fire broke out in the bathroom of a fourth-floor unit.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, but residents of six units were displaced.

Firefighters said about 15 people were displaced.

The American Red Cross responded to the scene to help the displaced residents.

One person was hospitalized due to smoke inhalation.

Two Arrested In Connection With String Of Arson Fires Overnight

Two people suspected of setting a series of fires throughout Alameda overnight have been arrested, public safety officials said Sunday morning.

Police have not yet released the names of the two suspects but said that one is a transient and the other is an Alameda resident.

The pair was arrested in connection with the eight fires set in different locations during a roughly three-hour period early Sunday morning.

An investigation into the arsons is underway.

“There’s a lot of work ahead of us but now that the sun is up we’ll be visiting each and every location,” Alameda police Lt. Jill Ottaviano said at a news conference at one of the city’s fire stations Sunday morning.

The fires damaged or destroyed five businesses on Park Street and displaced multiple residents from their homes, according to Alameda Fire Chief Michael D’Orazi.

Firefighters responded at 12:56 a.m. to the 1300 block of Regent Street to a dumpster fire.

At 1:11 a.m., firefighters responded to the 500 block of Willow Street to a report of a smell of smoke. Firefighters were unable to locate the source of the smell.

At 1:39 a.m., firefighters responded to the 1100 block of Regent Street to a house fire.

Firefighters knocked down the blaze at 2:02 a.m. The fire caused damage to the rear of the house, including one room and the attic, according to fire officials.

Fire crews were dispatched again at 2:22 a.m. to the 2200 block of San Antonio Avenue to a residential and vehicle fire that spread to a neighboring home.

That fire heavily damaged one home and caused minor damage to a neighboring residence. Firefighters extinguished the blaze at 3:14 a.m.

Firefighters responded to a vehicle fire at 2:34 a.m. Firefighters said that fire was possibly an extension from the San Antonio Avenue fire.

At 3:29 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to the 200 block of Encinal Avenue to a garbage can fire.

About 40 minutes later, firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire in the 1600 block of Park Street.

Firefighters said this fire involved five businesses and multiple vehicles.

D’Orazi said that fire caused heavy damage to the businesses, which he did not name. A damage estimate was not yet available, he said.

Berkeley and Oakland fire crews assisted in battling the fire.

Crews responded to an eighth arson fire at 4:39 a.m. in a garbage container in the 1500 block of Park Street.

 

Fatal Crash On State Highway 121 Cleared

The scene of a Saturday night fatal crash on state Highway 121 in Sonoma County was been cleared Sunday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred around 10:25 p.m. between Ramal and Napa roads.

The crash closed all lanes of the highway, and southbound traffic was diverted to Napa Road.

The CHP reported the scene was cleared at 1:51 a.m.

Man Hospitalized After Threatening To Kill Himself Following DUI Stop

San Francisco police have detained a man early Sunday morning in the Park Presidio area after police said he threatened suicide following a DUI stop.

Around midnight, police were asking people to avoid the area of Geary Boulevard and Clement Street due to the incident and heavy police presence.

The incident was concluded around 1 a.m.

Police said the man was pulled over for suspicion of DUI when he threatened to kill himself.

Police said the man was armed with a knife and cut himself.

Responding officers used flash bang grenades to subdue the suspect.

He was detained and transported to the hospital.

No other information was immediately available.

Weather Forecast For The San Francisco Bay Area

Mostly cloudy skies are likely in the Bay Area this morning. Highs are expected to be in the mid-60s to lower 70s, with southwesterly winds of up to 15 mph.

Mostly cloudy skies are likely in the Bay Area this evening. Lows are expected to be in the lower 60s, with westerly winds of up to 20 mph.

Mostly cloudy skies are likely Monday morning. Highs are expected to be near 70 with westerly winds of up to 10 mph.