Facebook Feed
STORMY WEATHER AHEAD !
The Police Department received an alert from the National Weather Service (NWS) and County OES regarding the incoming storm that is set to arrive tomorrow. The NWS advises that there will be light rain on Wednesday morning, but it will significantly pick up Wednesday afternoon. The heavy rains are expected to last overnight until early Thursday morning. Because of several days of rain, the NWS predicts there may be some minor flooding of small streams and creeks. The NWS also predicts that there will be some strong winds during this same time period which may topple trees and power lines. The NWS advises the Wednesday evening commute will be significantly impacted by the storm.
So it appears we are in for between 1 and 3 inches of rain on Wednesday. Not the call to break out the Ark, but a good reminder for all of us that we need to plan on a little longer drive in the morning and afternoon tomorrow. All of us hate the person who drives too fast or tailgates in bad weather – don’t be that person. We will have some extra public works crews available tomorrow, so if you see pooled water or a blocked storm drain, please let us know. If you are near a school, expect there to be a little more traffic than normal. Just a reminder that we do have sand and sandbags available at the Ironhouse Sanitary District Facility (Main near Rose). The station is open from 8 am to 5 pm throughout the rainy season. If you need sandbags, it is self-service so be prepared.
THE SPRING REC GUIDE IS NOW AVAILABLE
The City of Oakley's Spring 2019 Recreation Guide is here. Check out a variety of classes and events for all ages. It should be in your mailbox this week or see it online at bit.ly/2VTKE26
GROCERY THIEF CAUGHT
On Sunday at 12:22 pm, OPD Officers were dispatched to a business in the 3100 Block of Main Street. Upon their arrival, officers learned that a subject had entered the store, loaded a shopping cart with merchandise and then fled the store without paying for any of the merchandise. The business owner provided officers with a description of the suspect, a description of their vehicle, and the license plate number of the vehicle. The business owner also had a list of the property that had been stolen. After a quick records check on the vehicle, officers learned the vehicle was registered to a nearby address in Antioch. When officers arrived at the home, they found the suspect vehicle in the driveway with the car door open. The front door of the home was also open - just like we all do when it's time to unload the groceries. Officers looked inside the car and there was the merchandise described by the business owner. As officers approached the front door of the home, the door slammed shut and whomever was inside the house refused to open the door or speak with officers. That'll make them go away...
Believing the car had been used in a crime and that the vehicle literally contained the "fruits" (and vegetables) of the crime, officers had only one choice - to take the vehicle as evidence. A short time later, a tow truck arrived and the vehicle was transported to our tow yard for evidence processing. After a couple of hours, the owner of the vehicle brought the suspect to the station, along with the property that had not yet been recovered. The merchandise was returned to the merchant and the case will now be filed with the District Attorney's Office.
Our officers work closely with many of our downtown businesses to ensure that thieves are arrested and prosecuted for their crimes. For those that are wondering, when a vehicle is towed by the police department it often results in several hundreds of dollars of fees that have to be paid by the vehicle owner to retrieve their car. In this case, it would already have been much cheaper to have just paid for the merchandise in the first place.
Burglary Arrest
This weekend, OPD Officers were able to locate and arrest a suspect in a series of residential burglaries within our community. The crimes were originally reported early this week to OPD. In one of the crimes, the suspect entered an unlocked vehicle and found a garage door opener for the home. The suspect took the opener and returned to the home later, opening and entering the garage. In the second crime, the suspect was able to gain entry to a home, searching the interior of the home and removing property. Both homes were equipped with surveillance systems which significantly aided investigators in solving the cases. Unfortunately, in both cases the suspect was able to remove unsecured firearms - putting more guns on our streets. OPD Officers are now searching locations that have been associated with the suspect. In one of those searches, OPD Officers located several of the stolen weapons and narcotics (photo).
Daniel Zaragoza, 23 years old, an Oakley transient, was booked at the jail where he remains in custody. Investigators will be meeting with the DA's Office on Monday to keep him in custody.
Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact OPD Investigators at OPD@ci.oakley.ca.us
Read More: bit.ly/2SUpMWy
O’Hara Park Middle School Lockdown
This afternoon at 12:19 pm, OPD Dispatch received a number of calls from neighbors reporting that they heard 7-8 gunshots on the trail to the east of O’Hara Park Middle School. As Officers responded, the school was placed into lockdown until we were able to assess exactly what had occurred. Fortunately, the school staff had already begun this process, once they heard the shots. The campus was completely locked down before the arrival of officers. The School Principal, the District Superintendent, and the Chief of Police all arrived at the campus and were present during the incident. Officers searched the perimeter of the school and the area where the gunshots had been reported from. The East Bay Regional Parks Helicopter (Eagle 6) was brought in to assist with the search. Officers were unable to locate any active threats in the area and the school was allowed to unlock. Officers will remain in the area throughout the day.
A tip of the hat to our O’Hara Park School Staff. They recognized a problem and immediately secured the campus and the children. Thank you for your quick action.
Neighbors who may have seen anything during this time period are asked to contact OPD through our tip line at OPD@ci.oakley.ca.us.