The Police Department is proud to announce the following new promotions, assignments, and employees:

Homicide Investigation
In early April, officers responded to a homicide on Park Vista. The suspect in that case sustained injuries from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and spent over a month recuperating from his injuries, under ECPD and medical supervision. In May, Detectives successfully secured a filing for murder against the suspect and transferred him to the County Jail in Martinez.

Elder Abuse Investigation
On May 14, patrol officers responded to an elder abuse incident in which a 68 year old woman was attacked by her 55 year old brother, in their shared home. The victim escaped her attacker by fleeing to her bedroom where she called police. The victim suffered life threatening head injuries and is currently on life support, as a result of the attack. The suspect is in county jail on charges of attempted murder and elder abuse.

Barks and Bells Burglary Prevention Expo
On Saturday May 13, the ECPD held the Barks and Bells Expo. This year, the event was coordinated by Officers Chris Purdy and Sarah Perez. The officers arranged for home security and dog adoption vendors to staff booths in the El Cerrito Plaza. The event was a big hit with a consistent flow of people visiting booths and learning about pet adoption.

Public Safety Open House
On Saturday May 20, the ECPD participated in the Public Safety Open House as part of the Centennial celebration. Officers showed off department vehicles, equipment and an historical police related slideshow to the families that came to check out the Police and Fire Departments.

DUI Checkpoint
On May 27, the ECPD hosted a DUI checkpoint on Richmond Street, near Portola Dr. A total of 218 vehicles passed through the checkpoint over the course of 6 hours. Although some drivers had been drinking, officers did not detect any drunk drivers. After the checkpoint ended and while officers were cleaning up, a confused motorist pulled up and called to one of the officers. When officers talked with the motorist, they discovered that he was under the influence of a controlled substance and arrested him.

Home Invasion Robbery Investigation
In January, ECPD Officers investigated a home invasion style robbery during which the suspect confronted a homeowner and stole money through the threat of force. During the investigation, officers determined that the suspect lost his wallet, while fleeing the scene of the crime through a neighbor’s yard. Investigators obtained a warrant for the suspect’s arrest and the San Pablo Police Department arrested him in February. Detectives undertook a search warrant at the suspect’s house and located the sweatshirt he wore during the robbery. The District Attorney’s Office filed charges against the suspect.

Felony Assault
In January, a patron at Nation’s Hamburgers was assaulted by two suspects. During the attack, he was kicked in the head numerous times, resulting in him losing consciousness and suffering significant facial injuries. Through January and February, Investigators identified the suspects and obtained warrants for their arrest. An alert patrol team located one of the suspects walking by his apartment, in a neighborhood near Nation’s Restaurant, in January. The Alameda Police Department located the second suspect hiding in a vacant house in their jurisdiction, in February. The District Attorney is proceeding with criminal cases against both suspects.

Cold Case Work
The investigations unit has been working closely with the District Attorney’s Office and other agencies to bring closure to cold homicide cases. Investigators are reopening an investigation from 1975 to try to definitively solve a case of murder of a resident, linked to a suspect known to commit similar crimes. Investigators have also worked with criminalists to identify other possible items of evidence in a homicide case and a rape case from the early 2000’s. Investigators have been speaking with Dateline about the possibility of doing an episode that includes a review of a homicide from 2015 that occurred on Leneve Place. Investigators are working with the US Marshalls Service to locate the suspect in that homicide.