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• Over 300 teens gathered at the Streets of Brentwood mall Friday afternoon in an event organized on social media, leading to chaos with fights and property damage. Five juveniles were arrested and cited, businesses closed early for safety, and multiple law enforcement agencies responded to disperse the crowd. [Bay Area News Group]
• A woman who died after she was found with a gunshot wound in Vallejo on July 5 may have been the victim of a road rage incident. Police are asking for witnesses or surveillance from eastbound I-80 near Tennessee Street and Redwood Parkway between 1:25 and 1:35 a.m. [KPIX]
• Bay Area cities including Fremont, Newark, and Union City have set up temporary trash drop-off sites as the Teamsters strike against Republic Services continues to disrupt regular garbage pickup. With no clear end in sight, the company is bringing in out-of-town workers — “scabs” — to resume limited collection. [Bay Area News Group]
• A paraglider lost control and crash-landed at Mussel Rock Park in Daly City on Saturday, prompting a rope rescue and hospitalization, officials said. [KGO]

• A 25-year-old Sunnyvale man was arrested for allegedly making sexually suggestive gestures toward young children at Eagle Park in Mountain View. [KRON4]
• A man was killed and a woman seriously injured when a speeding car went airborne and rolled off Highway 12 near American Canyon Friday night; CHP says alcohol may have been a factor. [KRON4]
• Around 500 fans turned up to Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara Saturday for the big Hello Kitty Cafe opening, extending from one end of the mall to the other — with more events happening on Sunday. [San Jose Spotlight]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

Two brush fires are burning 30 miles away from each other in Contra Costa County Monday afternoon, one in Rodeo that has reached more than 60 acres, and another near the foot of Mount Diablo for which the evacuation warning has already been lifted.

This past weekend’s wildfire risks have carried through into Monday, and Contra Costa County firefighters are having a troublingly busy Monday afternoon. One fire in the county’s community of Rodeo is at more than 60 acres and growing as of press time for this post, while a separate fire near the base of Mount Diablo prompted an evacuation warning, though that warning was lifted at about 1:30 pm Monday.

The more concerning of the two right now is the Rodeo Fire near Highway 4 and the Phillips 66 refinery, near Hercules, as KGO reports. That fire was listed as having started a little after noon Monday and had burned ten acres not long after 1:30 pm. But by 2 pm, the fire was described as having spread to 62 acres, according to KRON4.

While the fire is spreading quickly, officials say it is fortunately not heading in the direction of residential areas. And the Crockett-Carquinez Fire Department, which is on the scene lending support, said at 2pm that “Rodeo Fire is now contained at 62 acres,” and that “crews will be mopping up into the evening.”

Meanwhile near the base of Mount Diablo, KRON4 reports that another fire called the Diablo Fire broke out around the same time Monday afternoon, and burned an untold number of acres. By 12:28 pm, the Contra Costa County Community Warning System issued an evacuation warning for residents between Blackhawk Road and Diablo’s Green Valley Trail.

But that evacuation warning never turned into an evacuation order. And by 1:30 pm, the evacuation warnings were lifted.

There have been no injuries reported from either of the two fires.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Related: Here We Go Again — PG&E Says First Power Shutoffs of Fire Season ‘Likely’ This Weekend [SFist]

Image via CalFire

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.

It was just before 9 p.m. Monday night when Contra Costa County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of a two-year-old accidentally drowning in a bathtub, in the small town of Rodeo. The child was rushed to the hospital, but pronounced dead there. Though according to the Contra Costa DA’s office, detectives determined the death was not accidental, but the result of “prolonged abuse.” And the couple have since been arrested and jailed on suspicion of murder, child abuse, and torture, according to KPIX.

Per KTVU, the pair are 21-year-old Tyshawn Haywood and 22-year-old Destiny Deboe, and both remain in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility. That station notes that they had a second ten-month-old child in their household, who also had injuries from abuse. It’s unclear whether Haywood and Deboe are the childrens’ parents, or what their relationship is to the two children.

The DA’s office has not clarified who, if anyone, has taken custody of the ten-month-old child.

KRON4 has the additional detail that the two-year-old was a boy, and spoke to some of the neighbors who live near the California Street household.

“The boy was beaten up by the mom to death and they covered it up that he got drowned,” one neighbor told that station. “Cause, to me, no matter what, you’re a mom. You don’t remove your eye when you put your child in the tub.”

It’s not yet announced when Haywood and Deboe will be arraigned. But KPIX reports the couple are being held in $1.7 million bail, on charges of murder, felony infliction of injury to a child, and torture.

"The loss of a young life deeply impacts us all," District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement picked up by KGO. "Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of the victim during this incredibly difficult time. We are committed to seeking justice and holding those responsible accountable for their actions."

Related: North Bay Man Charged as an Accessory In Death of Two-Year-Old Found Buried In Napa County Gets Released on Bail [SFist]

Image: David von Diemar via Unsplash

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.

Ralph Ellsworth White III of Vallejo was arraigned in Contra Costa County on Wednesday afternoon on two counts of murder with enhancements for committing the offenses while on bail. White also faces charges of fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s vehicle and causing serious bodily injury, a hit-and-run resulting in the death or injury to another person, carrying a loaded unregistered firearm, and receiving stolen property.

Hercules police officers, operating on information from sheriff's deputies, attempted to pull White over on the evening of March 23 after spotting him driving a white Mazda SUV that was reported stolen, on eastbound I-80. White allegedly sped away, exited, and then crashed into the car belonging to 31-year-old Ryniqueka Dowell, in the town of Rodeo. Officer said that White attempted to flee the scene on foot, but he was apprehended in a nearby liquor store.

The crash killed Dowell instantly, and injured her six-year-old twin sons – one of whom, Jamari Humble, died on March 27. Her other son, Jamani, suffered a broken leg and other injuries.

Surveillance video obtained by KTVU shows the moment of impact — at the upper right corner of the video around the 1:20 mark — and shows the driver of the white Mazda exit and run down the street, then jump a fence.

Family members have spoken to KTVU about the tragedy, saying that they are facing a lot of pain.

"We're dealing with not only the loss of Ryniqueka but of Jamari," said cousin Ranesha Moore, speaking to KTVU."His brother needs him. But he's no longer here."

A GoFundMe has been set up to help with funeral expenses.

Hercules police may face criticism for having initiated the chase at all, given that high-speed chases — especially over crimes like auto theft — can have tragic consequences for innocent drivers.

Hercules Police Chief Joe Vasquez tells KTVU that the officers only pursued White for a half mile, and "did not have time to weigh whether to abandon the pursuit."

"It's really tragic," Vasquez tells the station. "It's sad in every sense of the word and my heart goes out to the family."

Previously: Mother Killed, Twin Boys Injured In Crash Caused By High-Speed Police Chase In East Bay

An East Bay mother was killed and her six-year-old twin sons were injured when the car was smashed into by a suspect fleeing police at high speed in the town of Rodeo.

The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Ralph Ellsworth White III of Vallejo, was driving an allegedly stolen white Mazda SUV around 7:20 p.m. when he was spotted by Hercules police. As NBC Bay Area reports, police gave chase and then lost sight of the Mazda on I-80 eastbound.

Police then came upon the car at the crash scene at 4th Street and Parker Avenue in Rodeo. The SUV had crashed into a gray Nissan in which a 31-year-old woman was driving with her two twin boys.

It's not clear how fast the car was going, but pictures from the crash scene suggest a pretty horrific impact.

ABC 7 reports that White allegedly fled the crash scene on foot but was quickly apprehended at a nearby liquor store.

The woman in the Nissan was killed instantly, and both boys were taken to Children's Hospital in Oakland to be treated for unknown injuries. NBC Bay Area suggested that one or both of the boys was airlifted to the hospital.

The victim has not yet been publicly identified.

Police departments in multiple jurisdictions, including Oakland, have prohibited such high-speed chases because of the high probability of injuries and fatalities resulting from law enforcement chasing often petty crimes. Just last year, two rookie Oakland cops were accused of chasing a car suspected of being involved in a sideshow, and that chase resulted in a deadly crash on International Boulevard that killed 28-year-old Lolomanaia Soakai.

As Rodeo resident and crash witness Clayton Winfrey tells NBC Bay Area, "The loss of life is just ridiculous. I don’t know whose fault this is. I mean when you have a high-speed pursuit sometimes you let the situation go, so, you don't have situations like this, but that's just my opinion."

The suspect, White, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, possession of a stolen vehicle, and pursuit causing death. He's being held at the Martinez Detention Facility.

Photo: Scott Rodgerson

A couple in the East Bay town of Rodeo has been charged with torturing and abusing an 11-year-old girl over a period of four months, and they may soon be charged with her murder.

30-year-old Rene Diaz, the girl's father, and 29-year-old Crystal McKinsey Diaz, her stepmother, have been charged with torture and aggravated mayhem in the abuse of the girl, identified only in court documents as Jane Doe because of her age. The girl was found dead of apparent severe abuse by Contra Costa Sheriff’s deputies in the couple's home on the 10 block of Railroad Avenue in Rodeo in the early morning hours of March 23, following a 911 call.

As the Mercury News reports, an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death is ongoing. Neither Diaz nor McKinsey Diaz has been charged in the girl's death, but the investigation is ongoing. They are both due back in court to be arraigned on April 14.

District Attorney's Office spokesperson Scott Alonso announced that the bail for each defendant has been set at $1,400,000, and they are currently in custody in Martinez.

Investigators appear to have found evidence of specific acts of abuse on specific dates, as the Mercury News notes, citing that the period of abuse began on November 27, 2020 — the day after Thanksgiving.

Court records allege that the girl was tortured between March 9 and March 23 with "intent to cause cruel and extreme pain and suffering for the purpose of revenge, extortion, persuasion and for a sadistic purpose." Regarding the aggravated mayhem charge, investigators say the girl suffered "permanent disability and disfigurement and deprivation of a limb, organ and body member" during March 9 to 23 time period as well. Further specific details of the abuse have not been made public.

Back in February, another Contra Costa County couple, 35-year-old Ray Ray Darn and 28-year-old Marilyn Northington, were arrested on suspicion of infanticide and child abuse causing great bodily injury after they brought a non-responsive infant into an emergency room in Richmond.

Photo: Google Street View

Refinery fire in Rodeo. pic.twitter.com/ywAheBW8Yz

— Jason Sutton (@510Jason) August 2, 2015

A flare-up at the Phillips 66 refinery in Rodeo prompted health officials to issue a warning this afternoon to residents.

According to KPIX the flare-up was reported just before 3:15 p.m., Sunday afternoon, at the refinery on the 1200 block of San Pablo Avenue. Chief Environmental Health and Hazardous Materials Officer Randy Sawyer of Contra Costa County says that while no shelter-in-place warning has been issued, people with smoke sensitivities may want to stay indoors.

Sawyer says there was smoke in the area, but by the time officials responded to the location there were no flames to be seen. By 5:03 p.m., officials lifted the warning after the fire was put out:

Here's something you didn't know you'd be reading about today: the rights of grown gay men to put panties on a goat. Some animal-rights activists gathered outside the Powerhouse Bar yesterday to protest a fundraising event for the Gay Rodeo Association, citing such practices as "goat dressing" — a standard rodeo event that involves rustling a goat and putting a pair of underwear on it — as cruel and inhumane. As one rodeo person argues, the goats really don't seem to mind the event too much. "They just sort of stand there."

Also at issue is an event called "chute dogging" in which bulls are dragged to the ground by their heads.

Gay rodeo dates back 35 years or so, and the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) was founded in 1985. (You can see some more of the history here.) Unlike at most rodeo events, gay rodeo has always allowed both women and men to ride the bulls, and, as they put it, "Both men and women, regardless of orientation, ride the same rough stock livestock under the same rules and requirements."

We believe there's a fair amount of rough stock who frequent the Powerhouse on an average weeknight or weekend, but maybe that's not what they're talking about.

Anyway, SFist does not have an official position with regard to goat dressings. But cowboy hats are hot.

[Examiner]

So, it's the eleventh hour and you've decided against crushing up a couple of Ambiens into a mug of fume blanc and calling it a year. Instead, you've turned that frown upside down, choosing to see what's happening tonight on New Year's Eve 2008. Good for you. And to help you out, here are some last-minute events for each neighborhood in the San Francisco. Just follow links for more info; they will provide you with more in-depth details.

And remember, we care about you guys, so remember to drink plenty and drink often tonight.

• Haight: Club Deluxe NYE Comedy Extravaganza (Stand up comedy while betting buzzed off of gin martinis.)
• Fisherman's Wharf: New Year's Eve Peace Party at the Wax Museum (NYE at the Wharf? Why not.)
• Bayview-Hunter's Point: Cyclecide Bike Rodeo New Year’s Eve Show at Ace Auto Junkyard (Dear God, run for your life-- um, we mean, this will be a most festive, cyclist-friendly bash.)
• Downtown/Rincon Hill: Diplo (DJ/genius spins at Temple)
• Fillmore-Pacific Heights: Count Basie Orchestra with Ledisi (We love us some Ledisi. And she sings for the imbibed masses at Yoshi's SF.)
• Tenderloin: Bearracuda New Years' Eve (Party in cracktown for large and/or enthusiastically hairy homosexual men.)

Intrepid photographer Matt Cohen went to the Grand National Rodeo over the past week and took these amazing action photo of the event. Posted are some of the best. If you want to see the whole collection, check out his Flickr stream.

It looks like the Chronicle's two BALCO reporters, Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, will not be joining Josh Wolf in prison as they're no longer on the hook. The main reason being the source who they were protecting finally came forward to admit that that he was the leak. The person in question was the lawyer for Victor Conte and BALCO vice president James Valente, Troy Ellerman. Ellerman is being charged for handing court transcripts over to Fainaru-Wade and Wiliams. In a perfectly oily move that gives lawyers the reputation they have (sorry SFist Rita!), Ellerman was busy complaining to the judge about leaks all the while being the one who was leaking. Of course, it could have all been his master plan. After all, who would suspect the guy complaining the most about leaks?

The FBI uncovered who the mole was when a Private Eye Victor Conte hired told the FBI that he suspected Ellerman was the leaker. The PI, Larry McCormack, had some history with Ellerman that went back to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and said he did it mainly because he thought what Ellerman was doing was wrong.

We have to admit feeling ambivalent about all this. On the one hand, we believe in freedom of the press and all that. On the other hand, the whole point of a Grand Jury is that it's all secret. If everything that happens in a Grand Jury were leaked, then nobody would actually say anything to the Grand Jury, thus rendering it pretty much useless. Luckily, now that it's all resolved, we no longer have to ponder such ethical dilemmas, freeing up all that mental capacity to try and figure out last night's episode of "Lost"

Late last night, Yahoo! of all sites was reporting that the leak in the BALCO case was Victor Conte's defense lawyer. Or at least that's what the FBI is thinking as they've launched an investigation.

The lawyer in question is Troy Ellerman who was not only the defense lawyer for Conte but for BALCO VP James Valente too. The snitch in question is a former private dick who worked for Conte, Larry McCormack. Both Ellerman and McCormack have a connection other than working on the BALCO case. Ellerman was at one time the executive director of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and McCormack was the commissioner of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. McCormack was fired about three months ago but he denies it had anything to do with his tattling. Instead, he said he was doing it because he thought what Ellerman was doing was just plain wrong. This hasn't prevented the board of the board of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association from having to issue a statement saying they can't issue a statement on what appears to be alot of inter-office sniping going on there.

What one has to wonder is what kind of lawyer did Conte hire. It sounds like he hired more of a Barry Zuckercorn than a Bob Lablaw (and yes, we've been watching a lot of "Arrested Development" lately). What kind of defense lawyer leaks a whole bunch of stuff that makes your client seem guiltier? The only thing we could figure is that Ellerman probably just thought Conte was one hell of a schmuck and leaked the stuff so he could still get back at the guy even though he defended the guy. Kind of like what happened in High School when someone would go around saying Tiffany was like their bestest friend in the world and didn't go all the way with Biff all the while being the one who said Tiffany totally went all the way with Biff because like Biff was totally hot and they made out with him at some dance but then Tiffany, that ho, made out with him at that party and now they're like totally going steady and how did we get started on this tangent?

This has to be a bit of good news for Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Fog City Journal interviewee Lance Williams because if the FBI finds the leaker without them having to say who the leaker is, they might not have to go to jail.