Spotted in front of the House of Beads in downtown Walnut Creek next to Peet’s on Locust Street. The sign says, “Welcome to the best bead shop! Enjoy every moment!” Not sure if this is for their customers only but it would be a great spot to sit down for a while. I’ve never actually seen anyone sitting there come to think of it.
From the Moraga Police Department:
On Monday, August 6, 2013, at around 6:10 am, Moraga PD officers responded to a reported stolen vehicle report on Camino Peral. A responding officer driving southbound on Moraga Rd. saw the vehicle, a 1997 Honda Civic, driving northbound on Moraga Rd. near the Commons Park. When the officer made a u-turn to stop the stolen vehicle, it sped away. As the officer was still trying to catch up to the fleeing vehicle, it lost control and crashed into a wall at the northeast corner of the Moraga Rd.-Rheem Blvd. intersection. As the officer approached, he saw the suspect kick out the driver door window, exit the vehicle and run from the scene. The suspect ran into the 24 Hour Fitness on Rheem Blvd. and then ran out a back door. The suspect then ran into the Carroll Ranch neighborhood and entered a home on Dolores Ct. through an open garage door. The suspect then entered an occupied child’s bedroom and tried to hide before going back into the garage to hide. The suspect was confronted by the child’s father in the garage and then fled the area. Neither the child nor the father were assaulted or threatened in any way.
The suspect is described as a white male adult, in his mid-twenties, with a shaved head and no facial hair, approximately 5’10” tall with medium build, last seen wearing a white tee shirt and baggy jeans.
Officers from Orinda and Lafayette responded to help search the area and a K-9 from CCCSO also responded, but the suspect was not located.
Property was found in the recovered stolen vehicle, indicating the suspect was in the area burglarizing vehicles.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Moraga Police Department at 925-888-7055 ext. 0.
From the Moraga Police Department:
On Thursday July 11th at approximately 3:10 p.m., a citizen reported a suspicious individual walking slowly in the area on Larch Avenue near Wandel Drive. Moraga officers responded and contacted Hector Mauricio Salazar, a 21-year-old San Pablo resident. Salazar stated he had been painting at a nearby residence. A consensual search of his person and property revealed that Salazar was in possession of jewelry that was found inside his lunch box. Salazar’s explanation for his possession of the jewelry was inconsistent and he was detained for investigation.
Subsequent investigation resulted in officers contacting the homeowner that had employed Salazar to paint at her home. Officers showed the homeowner, an elderly female, the jewelry that Salazar had in his possession, and she identified the jewelry as her property. The homeowner said the jewelry had been stolen from her master bedroom while she was away from the residence. Based on probable cause, Officers placed Salazar under arrest for possession of stolen property, and burglary.
On Monday July 15th, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office issued a criminal complaint against Salazar alleging felony violations of grand theft, possession of stolen property, and financial elder abuse.
Salazar was convicted of robbery in Alameda County on December 14, 2012 and is currently in custody in Contra Costa County.
The City of Walnut Creek has released the confidential investigative report about the Lesher Center employee who was charged with unlawful sexual conduct with children. Read the entire report here.
From the city website:
At the direction of the Walnut Creek City Council, the City today is releasing an independent investigator’s report that examines City employees’ actions, or failure to act, upon learning of alleged improper and/or illegal behavior by part-time employee Jason Pedroza. The report is available on the City’s website.
The report states that on Nov. 3, 2012, certain City staff learned of allegations that Pedroza, 28, sent inappropriate texts and Facebook messages to a 13-year-old Danville girl he met while both were actors in a Contra Costa Musical Theatre production, a non-profit theatrical company that performs at the Lesher Center.
City staff took “proactive steps” to “protect minors at the Lesher Center for the Arts, not to hinder efforts by any law enforcement agency – including the Walnut Creek Police Department – to investigate suspected child abuse,” the report states.
Those steps included terminating Pedroza on Nov. 8, and removing him from the cast of an upcoming Center REP production.
In addition, the report notes that staff knew the Danville Police were investigating the Nov. 3 allegations.
The internal investigation also finds in part that:
- The Danville Police concluded on Nov. 11 that no crime had occurred in relation to Pedroza’s messages to the 13-year-old girl.
- Until Nov. 3, none of the witnesses interviewed was aware of, or suspected, that Jason Pedroza had been acting appropriately in any way with minors.
- No witness interviewed had observed, or was aware of, inappropriate contact between minors and adults at the Lesher Center for the Arts.
The internal investigation also finds that the City Manager and Assistant City Manager knew about the Nov. 3 allegations and did not share that information prior to being interviewed in connection with the internal investigation.
1510 Geary Road, Walnut Creek
From the Walnut Creek Police Department:
On 07/08/13 at approximately 2304 hrs., an employee was robbed by the above described suspect in the parking lot of 1510 Geary Rd. The suspect approached the victim in the parking lot and demanded money. The suspect was armed with a knife. After receiving the money, the suspect fled on foot. A police K9 immediately began a track for the suspect, but did not locate anyone.
No one was injured during the robbery and the investigation continues.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Walnut Creek Police Department at (925) 943-5844.
Suspect(s): White male adult, early 20’s, approx. 5’10”, thin build with a sunken in face, short hair and pale skin. Suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and tan soled shoes. Armed with a knife.
Photo by Flickr user Doug Orleans
From the Walnut Creek Police Department:
On the above date and time [07/07/13 5:53pm], Walnut Creek Police Department received a call of a paraglider accident in the Lime Ridge Open Space. Consolidated Fire Department, AMR and a CHP helicopter responded to extract the victim from the location of the accident. The victim was transported to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek but did not survive the injuries sustained in the fall.
Other paragliders were with the victim and witnessed the fall. Nothing criminal is suspected. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification by the CCC Coroner’s office.
