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ICE Presence at Bay Area Immigration Courts Alarms Advocates

ICE agents were seen in the hallways and waiting areas of courthouses in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Concord throughout the past week. One man was reportedly arrested outside the Concord court on Wednesday.

Contra Costa DA Diana Becton Faces the Latest Bay Area Effort to Recall a District Attorney

Recall-mania has spread to Contra Costa County, where District Attorney Diana Becton has a recall effort in effect against her, though she’s been elected twice and may be better able to beat it than Chesa Boudin or Pamela Price were.

Kidnapping and Assault Victim Denise Huskins Helped Law Enforcement Find More Victims of Matthew Muller

New revelations about a previously unknown kidnapping for ransom in Contra Costa County allegedly committed by Matthew Muller, the culprit in the 'American Nightmare' kidnapping and assault of a Vallejo woman in 2015, came in part due to that woman's advocacy.

Scientists Discover East Bay Squirrels Preying on Other Mammals for the First Time

Researchers have found a population of California ground squirrels in an East Bay park that are actively hunting and eating voles, a behavior that has shocked squirrel experts.

Invasive, 20-Pound ‘Swamp Rat’ Rodents Spreading Across Bay Area, Definitely Pose a Threat

Rodents of unusual size are no longer just something from the movies. These swamp rats known as nutria are a scourge spreading across Contra Costa and Solano counties, and they’re a risk to our crops, livestock, and water supply.

It's a Boomer vs. Boomer Battle Over Political Speech In One Small East Bay Retirement Community

Out in eastern Contra Costa County, there have been political battles being waged in the pages of the community newspaper and in small demonstrations, and tensions this election year even boiled into a physical fight on a pickleball court.

Road Rage Incident Leads to Fatal Shooting in Upscale Orinda

An SUV driver had some reason to be so upset with a Tesla driver in Orinda that he reportedly punched the Tesla driver, who then allegedly shot and killed the SUV driver, bringing a rare gun homicide to the wealthy suburb of Orinda.

San Pablo Police Warrant Turns Up 700 Catalytic Converters, More Than a Thousand Pounds of Copper Wire

A Tuesday search warrant on two East Bay homes in Richmond and San Pablo resulted in the discovery of more than 700 apparently stolen catalytic converters, as well as 1,100 pounds of copper wire, and $113,000 in cash.

Now the Bay Area Has Its Own Fire, as Point Fire in Contra Costa County Grows to Nearly 500 Acres

There were evacuations Friday in Bay Point and Concord, as the Point Fire in Contra Costa County grew to more than 470 acres, but was 40% contained as of Saturday.

Antioch Passes a Ban on Encouraging or Even Watching Sideshows

The East Bay city of Antioch is struggling with too few cops and too many sideshows, but its city council just unanimously passed a ban on advertising, promoting, encouraging, or even watching a sideshow.

Oakland Man Allegedly Stabs His Own Attorney, Then Attacks His Prosecutor, In Courtroom Outburst

It was a wild scene at a Contra Costa County courthouse Monday, as a man on trial for murder allegedly busted his restraints, stabbed his own attorney with a pen, and attacked his prosecutor for good measure too.

Library Patrons Gone Wild: Antioch Library Temporarily Closes After Reports of Sex, Drugs, Car Break-Ins

The Antioch Public Library was temporarily closed this weekend after reports of on-site drug use and sex, plus the discovery of pools of blood and bullet casings, though the library is expected to reopen Tuesday with beefed-up security.

Retired East Bay Cop Pleads Not Guilty After Two-Day Pleasant Hill Standoff and Shooting That Injured Wife

Attorneys for retired Pittsburg police detective Chunliam Saechao are arguing that he suffered severe post-traumatic stress in retirement and didn't receive adequate support from his former employer.

Martinez Refinery Flaring Again, Town Currently Reeks of Sulfur Dioxide

Yet another flare-up at the oil refinery in Martinez has homes reportedly shaking, and as of Friday afternoon, the refinery is still spewing sulfur dioxide into the air of Martinez and Pacheco.

At Least One Dead in Bay Point Halloween Night Shooting That Involved ‘30 to 40 Gunshots’

Halloween night went tragically wrong in the Contra Costa County community of Bay Point Tuesday night, with at least one person dead after an incident where neighbors reported hearing “30 to 40 gunshots.”

Richmond Couple Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter In Death of Five-Month-Old Son

A 2021 incident at a Richmond hotel saw the death of a five-month-old boy, but the parents were just found guilty of manslaughter after the infant turned out to have broken bones, burns, and methamphetamine in his system.

Rodeo Couple Charged With Murder, Torture After Bathtub Death of Two-Year-Old

A Contra Costa County couple claimed their toddler had accidentally drowned in a bathtub, but authorities found signs of "prolonged abuse," and arrested them on charges of murder, child abuse, and torture.

First Flock of California Condors In 100 Years Spotted In Contra Costa County

It’s a small but sure sign that the California condor population is rebounding after near-extinction, as six California condors were recently tracked in Contra Costa County, the first flock of these birds to fly through the county in 100 years.

Danville Man, Two Daughters Found Dead in Suspected Murder-Suicide

An 11-year-old and a 13-year-old girl were found dead from gunshot wounds, along with their 44-year-old father, in what authorities suspect was a murder-suicide in Danville Wednesday afternoon.

9 Arrested, 21 Victims Rescued In East Bay In Nationwide Human Trafficking Crackdown

The district attorneys' offices of Alameda and Contra Costa c0unties held a joint press conference Wednesday with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to announce nine arrests in the last two weeks as part of a national anti-human trafficking operation.

20-Year-Old Vallejo Man Arraigned on Murder Charges Stemming From High-Speed Crash That Killed Mother and Son

A 20-year-old man from Vallejo has been charged with murder after an allegedly stolen SUV he was driving crashed into a woman's car in Rodeo last week, killing her and one of her twin sons, and injuring the other.

Brentwood Man Arrested for Bizarre Rash of BB Gun Attacks On Cars

A 31-year-old Brentwood man is in Contra Costa County Jail and charged with a shooting spree, albeit a BB gun shooting spree — and he is suspected of shooting at at least seven cars in a 20-hour period.

Health Officials Urge Contra Costa DA To Investigate Martinez Refinery’s Unreported Hazardous Chemical Release

Contra Costa Health Services is demanding the investigation of a release of hazardous metals into the air from a Thanksgiving weekend flare-up at the Martinez Refining Company, which left neighborhoods covered in “mysterious white ash.”

Bizarrely, Clarence Thomas’s Wife Is Pumping Money Into an East Bay School Board Race

Three candidates for the Acalanes Union High School District Governing Board have pulled in more than $10,000 in campaign contributions, much of it from the insurrectionist wing of the Republican party.

Two Men Escape From Clayton Correctional Facility, Despite Having Only a Few More Months to Serve

Two men serving time at a minimum-security detention facility in Clayton sprung the place Sunday morning and remain at large, though one of them only had four more months to serve.