not even out of contra costa county. that's it for the east bay freeways. back to you. >> thank you, mike. >>> overnight two people are dead after a head on crash. a man and a woman in one of the cars died, and the passenger in the other car suffered serious injuries. >>> we have a live look from israel at the gaza border. israel says its military is encircling the last hamas holdout in southern gaza. they believe the leader of hamas is somewhere underground hunkering down there, and it's what is being called a dire lack of supplies. for jews everywhere tonight, a menorah outside of israel will be lit. ginger conejero saab joins us. >> reporter: the backdrop of the year's hanukkah, the backdrop of war. the spirit of hanukkah is still alive and stronger. here in san francisco the oldest public menorah outside of israel now awaits its first light to be turned on later this afternoon. security has been increased for the holidays, and the 2,000 candles will be given out to anybody that wants to participate. this year the tradition, symbolism and powerful messag

abc7 news reporter anser hassan has the details. >> the road to the future is coming to contra costa countyight now. >> first and last mile is one of our biggest challenges here in contra costa county. and so we want to we want we don't want people have to drive to the bart station. tim hill is with contra costa transit authority. >> for the past few years, its been working on the dynamic, personal micro transit system 28 miles th will connect pittsburg, antioch, brentwood and oakley with autonomous vehicles. >> the vehicle is small, the vehicle is only five feet wide, you know, and so that reduces a lot of the infrastructure cost as well as operational costs. and the vehicles also electric. so it's also sustainable. >> zero emissions and using an app, users would show up at an access point similar to a bus stop or bart station get in and off to your destination. the exact pick up and drop off locations are still to be determined. it takes you from, say, pittsburg directly to a bart station or to the downtown community center or to a university or a school like los los medanos college. >> a

this is one of six locations in contra costa county where there's been a lot of activity as the folks at public works department prepare for wet weather ahead. >> the last few weeks we've been stocking the stations with bags and sand especially because we experienced last year with all the storms. people were definitely coming here. >> reporter: senior civil engineer caroline tom says all of the stations were swamped with people needing sandbags last year. this one in bay point was sans shovels this morning, but they try to keep bags and plenty of sand at all six locations. some of them don't have the shovels like that one, so they tell people to make sure they bring a shovel. the bags can run out if it gets very busy once the rain does start coming in and people start flooding to these popular sandbag locations. by the way, marcus and laura, we do have a list of all of the sandbag locations here in the county on our website at nbcwashington.com in the storm coverage area. folks can go there and find the one closest to them. thom jensen, nbc bay area news. >>> if you're heading to the

yashin happen springer is the assistant director of hazardous materials with contra costa county health department. the county is one of several agencies that mandate companies filed a report with their initial findings within 72 hours. springer says that the report reveals several factors, including a summary stating the release was due to a power failure and it breaks down the type and amount of the substance is emitted that, for example. >> patients so find so per day oxide. they showed those numbers for everyone to see. it says, although the reported levels were below state standards, the fact that the plant had any release is concerning for it's it's a big deal wherever these incidents happened, where we always want to work with their district since it is a flaring is under their rule. >> but we also want to make sure community is safe and not being impacted by these types of events. >> we should be living with this contra costa county supervisor and richmond resident john joya has read through the first report. we think of a flare. >> like an air bag, it goes off to protect you fr

. >>> a contra costa county refinery got an inspection. >> they are hoping this inspection will lead to more accountability and prevent futur incidents from happening. >> this is not a regular inspection. >> reporter: contra costa county health officials say today's unannounced inspection of the martinez refining company is far from normal. it is part of a history of incidents dating back to last year including a chemical release thanksgiving weekend that left behind white dust in surrounding areas. so far this year, the county says the site has experienced 21 chemical releases or spills. and flaring on an almost weekly basis. the inspection will be conducted by official withs the county in the bay area quality management district. >> take the deep dive. look at the processes. their policies, procedures, to make sure that our community is not the way it has been the past year. >> all of these accidents really demonstrate there is something going on there in safety culture. >> reporter: john says this inspection is necessary. it takes place two days before he meets face to face with re

. >>> stepbrothers killed in a hit and run crash in contra costa county. what we learn about the young brothers and one moms surprised when she showed up at the police station today. >>> showing up -- >> the first of two storms in the bay area. the timing of the wind and rain ahead and a stronger storm on the way. >>> showing up unannounced. the reason health leaders say a visit to the refinery today. >>> thanks for joining us. >> a grieving mother says she is becoming fed up with antioch police after losing her son and stepbrother during a hit and run crash friday night. she says she can't hit any information about how it happened and whether investigators have any clue who is responsible. jonathan bloom has a story in contra costa county. >> my baby is gone. >> she's trying to make sense of something unimaginable. her 13-year-old son was a three sport athlete, mvp of his basketball team. he was getting good grades and applying to private school for next year. >> we were getting ready for high school. >> he wanted to be one there. >> she spoke outside the

the contra costa county district attorney's office says he is currently on felony probation for a commercial burglary conviction. >> back in june 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail. that same day he was convicted of a misdemeanor shoplifting offense after stealing a gaming controller from a gamestop store in the county in october 2021, the da's office says the taro was prosecuted and convicted 2 separate counts of misdemeanor vandalism. he was sentenced to 28 days in county jail and a year of probation for the vandalism offenses. it's unclear how many days otero has actually spent in jail over the years. but we do know he is behind bars right now. he declined our jailhouse interview request. >> prosecutors can consolidate repeated crimes essentially at their discretion, a move made when certain offenders show no signs of slowing down. >> and in otero is case, the contra costa county district attorney's office recently filed a consolidated 31 count misdemeanor complaint against him combining 31 arrests this year into case, one which if convicted of all counts, could lead to yea

. >>> a tense morning for people in one contra costa county neighborhood. firefighters lined the streets battling that early morning fire. this is just off of bailee road in pittsburgh near the b.a.r.t. station there. redwood city. >> reporter: the road has been reopened for quite some time now between bay point where we're at and south of here in concord after it was shut down overnight because of this. this is a car fire that started around 1:50 this morning. the cause of that is still under investigation. it was a scion that burned on the side of the road. unfortunately, it was right up against the hillside and it was windy last night. the winds pushed the flames up the hillside to three- to five-foot-tall grass where it took off. here we are in december where conditions unfortunately were right where a 50-acre fire occurred. the units associated with one of the alarms dedicated to protecting a neighborhood on the other side of that hill. unfortunately, that neighborhood had defensible space. >> the communities in contra costa county fire's area annually

the contra costa county coroner has identified the victim as 41 year-old haji to re officers arrested the vehicle's owner identified as 55 year-old timmy hudson. but they still haven't been able to find his car a 2015 toyota camry. alameda police are warning holiday shoppers about try to swipe their purchases. police say these thieves are even following some people hold to do for zell sogomonian reports. it's the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be a little bit worrisome. alameda police here say that thieves have been targeting shoppers. >> the south shore shopping center is a popular destination for holiday gifts. but alameda police say malls like this also attract criminals, especially this time of year. they've already reported people being followed home and robbed after trip to the store. because i just hear about more and more violent things happen. you people have kids with them and that to me, like as a mom makes me really nervous. some people we spoke with had heard about the problem. well, it was news to others. alameda police say that there are a few things t

the contra costa county district attorney's office says he is currently on felony probation for a commercial burglary conviction. >> back in june 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail. that same day he was convicted of a misdemeanor shoplifting offense after stealing a gaming controller from a gamestop store in the county in october 2021, the da's office says the taro was prosecuted and convicted. 2 separate counts of misdemeanor vandalism. he was sentenced to 28 days in county jail and a year of probation for the vandalism offenses. it's unclear how many days otero has actually spent in jail over the years. but we do know he is behind bars right now. he declined our jailhouse interview request. >> prosecutors can consolidate repeated crimes essentially at their discretion, a move made when certain offenders show no signs of slowing down. >> and in otero is case, the contra costa county district attorney's office recently filed a consolidated 31 count misdemeanor complaint against him combining 31 arrests this year into way. case one, which if convicted of all counts, could lead

the contra costa county health department says that's because of gases that were released from the martinez refinery during this morning's flaring. >> flaring at the martinez refinery start around 09:00am friday. a level 2 warning was sent out to the public after complaints were made about a strong odor in the air doctor or valley with contra costa county health says sensitive populations were prone to things like headaches as a result. my advice for people who are more sensitive to smell is to stay indoors, close the windows and doors. and if you have a hepa so these drone it can the smells from the air. flaring has become more common at the refinery in the last year. and a statement from them on friday says, quote, we apologize for any inconvenience to our neighbors. flares are an essential part of refineries integrated engineered safety systems designed to safely manage excess combustible gases by burning them off officially and effectively. >> those 2 sentences aren't enough for residents like it. taylor who explained how her health was impacted from the flaring and older. but today i'm

walnut creek interchange, 680 south down through the rest of contra costa county, and alameda countyasmooth and easy drive. 280 as a crew that should be clearing around 87 as well. back to you. >> thank you, mike. >>> happening today the former police officer accused in two separate standoffs, two long and really frightening nights for his neighbors, makes his first court appearance. he's also accused of shooting at responding officers as well as his wife. >> bob redell joins us live in the pleasant hill neighborhood where people that live there are still pretty rattled. and city leaders are taking heat for what happened there. >> reporter: they are defending their decision. you will recall last friday the police left this house on klee apat trau drive without arresting the former police officer that was still inside and armed with a gun, and this was after a lengthy standoff that started the night before when the former officer allegedly shot his wife with a shotgun through a closed door, and she survived with nonlife-threatening injuries. the chief defended his decision to leave the

. >>> later this morning, health inspectors will return to a contra costa county refinery after beginning a sneak inspection, which they say could last a full week. "today in the bay"'s thom jensen joins us live outside the martinez refinery facility, and, tom, county health officials want to know what is causing dozens of incidents we've seen since late last year. >> reporter: good morning, laura. most of those incidents were flaring and the last one lasted several hours. and then there was that one incident that was very publicized where there was a white blanket of dust after a chemical release left on homes and gardens and vehicles in neighborhoods around the rchb refinery on thanksgiving day. health officials hope the latest surprise inspection will encourage the company to be for accountable and prevent future incidents from happening, and they want to look at the refinery's operations and public safety files. the council member plans face-to-face meetings with refinery executives to discuss the ongoing issues. >> the personal visit is important. i think to convey the severity and t

pbf has experienced multiple serious incidents that affected the surrounding community. >> contra costa county health says the refinery has used the community warning system to report flaring at a rate of at least once per week. in the past year. >> flare ups in the last three weeks have just been crazy, so and you can smell it. we smelled it all the time. it's so bad we had to close the windows. authorities also accuse the refinery of not being transparent with some of the flaring. >> i'm very upset about it. >> mark ross is a martinez city council member and director of bay area quality management district. the our our neighbor. >> we have learned to code coexist with previous owners of the refinery, but they have definitely kind of crossed the line a little bit with the recent series of events in the past year, but it seems to be a pattern that is not tolerable to me or the community. >> contra costa county supervisor, federal glover's district includes the refinery he plans to meet with pbf corporate leaders thursday. supervisor glover released a statement today saying, quote, repeated com

despite that contra costa county supervisor john gill out says that he's concerned.nk of a flare. >> like an air bag, it goes off to protect you from something worse happening from getting injured because there was an underlying issue. and i think that's what we want to understand. >> for us, it's a it's it's a big deal wherever these incidents happened, where we always want to work with their district since it is a flaring is under their rule. but we also want to make sure community is safe and not being impacted by these types of events. >> contra costa county is going to have to wait for the next report for roughly a month from now to find out more information. people in san francisco say they're very frustrated with sideshows after one over the weekend stopped all traffic at a busy intersection. kron 4 sarah stinson has details. >> the side show will people up in the middle of the night disturbing. not only them, but the people who are stuck in backed up traffic as the intersection shut down. >> another sideshow leaves a bay area intersection covered in skid mark

how this project could help build a better bay area. >> the road to the future is coming to contra costa county right now. >> first and last mile is one of our biggest challenges here in contra costa county. and so we want to we want we don't want people have to drive to the bart station. >> tim hill is with contra costa transit authority. for the past few years, its been working on the dynamic, personal, micro transit system 28 miles that will connect pittsburg, antioch, brentwood and oakley with autonomous vehicles. >> the vehicles are small. the vehicle is only five feet wide. you know, and so that reduces a lot of the infrastructure cost as well as operational costs. and the vehicles also electric. so it's also sustainable. zero emissions is using an app. >> users would show up at an access point similar to a bus stop or bart station. get in and off to your destination. the exact pickup and drop off locations are still to be determined. it takes you from, say, pittsburg directly to a bart station or to the downtown community center or to a university or a school like los los medanos college

pbf has experienced multiple serious incidents that affected the surrounding community. >> contra costa county health says the refinery has used the community warning system to report flaring at a rate of at least once per week. in the past year. >> flare ups in the last three weeks have just been crazy, so and you can smell it. we smelled it all the time. it's so bad we had to close the windows. authorities also accuse the refinery of not being transparent with some of the flaring. >> i'm very upset about it. >> mark ross is a martinez city council member and director of bay area quality management district. the our our neighbor. >> we have learned to code coexist with previous owners of the refinery, but they have definitely kind of crossed the line a little bit with the recent series of events in the past year, but it seems to be a pattern that is not tolerable to me or the community. >> contra costa county supervisor, federal glover's district includes the refinery he plans to meet with pbf corporate leaders thursday. supervisor glover released a statement today saying, quote, repeated com

the contra costa county district attorney's office says he is currently on felony probation for a commercial burglary conviction back in june 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail. that same day he was convicted of a misdemeanor shoplifting offense after stealing a gaming controller from a gamestop store in the county in october 2021, the da's office says the taro was prosecuted and convicted. 2 separate counts of misdemeanor vandalism. he was sentenced to 28 days in county jail and a year of probation for the vandalism offenses. it's unclear how many days otero has actually spent in jail over the years. but we do know he is behind bars right now. he declined our jailhouse interview request. >> prosecutors can consolidate repeated crimes essentially at their discretion, a move made when certain offenders show no signs of slowing down. >> and in otero is case, the contra costa county district attorney's office recently filed a consolidated 31 count misdemeanor complaint against him combining 31 arrests this year into way. case one, which if convicted of all counts, could lead to y

the contra costa county district attorney's office says he is currently on felony probation for a commercialglary conviction back in june 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail. that same day he was convicted of the misdemeanor. shoplifting offense after stealing a gaming controller from a gamestop store in the county in october 2021, the da's office says the taro was prosecuted and convicted of 2 separate counts of misdemeanor vandalism. he was sentenced to yer of probation for the d a vandalism offenses. it's unclear how many days otero has actually spent in jail over the years. but we do know he is behind bars right now. he declined our jailhouse interview request. >> prosecutors can consolidate repeated crimes essentially at their discretion, a move made when certain offenders show no signs of slowing down >> and in otero is case, the contra costa county district attorney's office recently filed a consolidated 31 count misdemeanor complaint against him combining 31 arrests this year into way. case one, which if convicted of all counts, could lead to years in county jail. he wa

the contra costa county district attorney's office says he is currently on felony probation for a commercialglary conviction back in june 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail. that same day he was convicted of the misdemeanor. shoplifting offense after stealing a gaming controller from a gamestop store in the county in october 2021, the da's office says the taro was prosecuted and convicted 2 separate counts of misdemeanor vandalism. he was sentenced to 28 days in county jail and a year of probation for the vandalism offenses. it's unclear how many days otero has actually spent in jail over the years. but we do know he is behind bars right now. he declined our jailhouse interview request. >> prosecutors can consolidate repeated crimes essentially at their discretion, a move made when certain offenders show no signs of slowing down. >> and in otero is case, the contra costa county district attorney's office recently filed a consolidated 31 count misdemeanor complaint against him combining 31 arrests this year into way. case one, which if convicted of all counts, could lead to yea

holding steady for the rest of contra costa county. through sunol toward fremont. back to you. >> thank you, mike. >>> happening now, families in san francisco will have to wait a little longer before they can hit the ice at chase center. thrive city ice was supposed to open yesterday, but the opening is postponed because the rink is not yet ready. officials say construction of the synthetic ice rink has been slow because of delays in getting the materials that they need. the rink now is set to open on wednesday at 5:00 in the evening. >>> next, a quick look at breaking news we have this morning. a three-alarm fire ripping through a duplex in san francisco. we're going to take you there live at the scene with more on the rescue >>> welcome back. here are the top stories on "today in the bay," including some breaking news. >> there was a massive duplex fire that left people scrambling in san francisco. "today in the bay"'s ginger conejero saab has been at the scene all morning. ginger, we know there was at least one person who had to be

tell you whether we are criminal defense attorney now, as you we're patients, for example, in contra costa county, they take sometimes up to a year if not more, to charge cases. cause is completely out of it and it's happening other counties to cocoa is not the only county people post bail at the end of the year. that bail okay. because the way and then the da files month 15 and then people get rearrested go back into jail and a half to post bail again. oftentimes, i think that's one of the things they've got a clean up and da's offices. that's plain and simply wrong to do it that way. all right. real right away. real quick, jay joseph emerson, alaska airlines pilot. we know what happened with him trying to shut off, allegedly tried to shut off the fuel to the engines threat which could cause a catastrophe. little plane lost power right >> he's been the charges of attempted murder have been dropped. now he's facing charges of federal interference with a flight crew and state charges of reckless endangerment apparently had to drive from portland where he was in jail home to pleasant hill because h

in contra costa county first responders taking a man to the hospital after his car flipped on its side>> ended up running into this telephone pole and slipping onto its side. >> thankfully paul silva with contra costa county fire says he is doing okay. >> slow down. it's really tough at night when it's raining hard and things are piling up and pushing your car. it's hard to see the lines on the road. >> reporter: in sonoma county rushing water flooding roads forcing many to be closed off to traffic. homeowners are not having it any easier. this tree came down in cloverdale smashing into the stack splitting apart. crews are clearing trees that the wind knocked over and commuters are also facing a tough time. clogged drains cause of the tracks on third and mission rock to flood in the rain and wind causing all sorts of problems for drivers along highway 101. >> a little bit just because when there is a lot of rain you can see. >> reporter: omar drove from the central valley to sfo to pick up his mom. he has another long drive back. >> i keep my distance between myself and other cars, mor

the contra costa county district attorney's office filed 6 complaints with the couet against officersnd pittsburgh police departments. >> unjustified shootings, assaults and arrests are among the accusations on thursday. burris and his law firm filed a 3rd civil rights lawsuit related to the scandal. >> against the city of antioch, 2 former police chiefs interim chief and dozens of police officers. burris says, 0, 3 lawsuits will be combined into one. it includes 20 plaintiffs, at least 25 defendants who are or were sworn officers and possibly up to 100 more listed as john doe's micro damage is is is certainly for the individual. that's not that's the i can really looking for is a finding. >> a pattern and practice of constitutional violations that exist.by this department. >> and therefore, we want to have a series of reforms that move much of the misconduct of the matter which misconduct has occurred or intense to prove the police department needs institutional controls put in place to ensure officers are following the law. >> and this could include a signing a federal monitor to ov

. >> pam cook, ktvu, fox two news well, contra costa county health now launching a surprise inspection at a refinery with a history of flaring. >> stay with us. we'll tell you why authorities say this is such unusual ste [narrator] covered california is a free service from the state that's already helped millions of people like you get and pay for health insurance. with financial health to lower the cost of health coverage, you could get a quality health plan for less than $10 a month. every plan covers preventive care, doctor visits, emergency care, and more. if you have questions, we're here to help every step of the way. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31 at coveredca.com. today, the health department held an informational session for the community this afternoon . our tori gaines joins us now live with details on the inspection. tori. >> heather contra costa to health tells us that a lack of transparency from the corporate owner of the refinery, pbf energy, is what spurred the inspection. headed up by contra costa health department and bay area

the road to the future is coming to contra costa county right now . >> first and last mile is one of r biggest challenges here in contra costa county and so we want to we want we don't want people have to drive to the bart station. tim hill is with contra costa transit authority. >> for the past few years, its been working on the dynamic, personal micro transit system 28 miles that will connect pittsburg, antioch, brentwood and oakley with autonomous vehicles. >> the vehicle is small. the vehicle is only five feet wide. know and so that reduces a lot of the infrastructure cost as well as operating costs. and the vehicles also electric. so it's also sustainable zero emissions using an app, users would show up at an access point similar to a bus stop or bart station to get in and off to your destination on the exact pick up and drop off locations are still to be determined. and it takes you from, say, pittsburgh directly to a bart station or to the downtown community center or to a university or a school like los los medanos college. all those really important points of interest to the

contra costa county health department says there have been 21 documented releases or spills of hazardous material, and on average, one flaring incidents per week in 2023. the county is teaming up with the bay area air quality management district to carry out the inspection. county supervisors are scheduled to meet with the corporate leadership later this week. for its part, the refinery just released a statement saying it is cooperating with all agencies and investigations. >>> presents have been unwrapped after what is projected to be the biggest holiday spending year on record. mastercard says sales grew 3.1% over just the last season. a survey from digital personal finance company , achieved, found that around half of american consumers plan to take on debt to pay for those holiday items. 37% say it is going to take them two months or more to get those shopping bills paid off in full. when it comes to holiday gifts, they say, it is the thought that counts. many americans are thinking of taking some unwanted present back, and they might found out that can be a pricey proposition. a sur

solano county, contra costa county, tri-valley.art the day in the upper 30s and move forward into the afternoon, we will see the highs into the low 60s, including that 49ers forecast for the afternoon. temperatures into the 60s with high clouds at times. back to the hour by hour forecast. midday tomorrow, this is kind of interesting. this time of year our high should be in the upper 50s and low 60s. we may not warm-up a whole lot due to the fact that we do have some sunshine and high clouds at times. 60 degrees out there at levi stadium with those overcast skies. there is a look at it hour by hour. it is not great but high-level clouds at times to block the sun a little bit towards the evening. great sunset opportunity for tomorrow. rain chances will stay off to the north. notice how california continues to stay dry. this is really been the story so far. any significant rain we expect through the week and beginning of next week and across the north coast and into the pacific northwest. the next chance we might see better rain chanc

an unusual standoff in contra costa county. police and the s.w.a.t.m closedown and neighborhood and surround one specific home for hours and they leave. the explanation police are giving and how neighbors are reacting. >>> we investigate red flags about a plan to keep a nuclear power plant up and running. if it stays open will it be safe? >>> the world cup is coming to levi about women's workup? could it also be on the way? >>> thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang. >> a lot happening on this saturday. the bay area pilot accused of trying to take down an alaska airlines flight. that pilot is now back at hi

let's bring in contra costa county supervisor john gioia. thanks for being with us. people are not just frustrated but they're angry in the martinez area. about 230 alerts over flaring countywide in the past year. what's the problem? >> raj, thanks for having me. yes, residents around the facility, the county health department, the board of supervisors. we are disappointed in the record at this facility over the last year. this is the most recent in a number of significant flaring incidents at this facility. that is why even prior to today's event, the county, which regulates safety at the facility, has ordered a full safety culture assessment of the refinery because we want to understand what's happening there in the safety culture that is leading to these series of incidents. this should not be happening. this morning there was a power outage that led to steam generation essentially going down at the refinery. and steam is a very important part of the processes there. that is what prompted the need to flare. so think of flaring as a release or control to prevent so

and contra costa county is asking people with respiratory issues to stay inside. the flaring started around 10:00 in the morning and people start reporting a bad smell, we are talking rotten sulfur. those reports came as far as 11 miles away. health officials don't believe today's incident will create major health problems but they want answers. the county has already opened an investigation into what happened. martinez residents also want answers and many are starting to get that up with what is becoming just a reoccurring issue. >> it is not just today, it is the accumulative, here we go again. what kind of damage this might be doing to my house. and my health. >> the health department is very concerned that these incidents are continuing to happen and in a properly functioning refinery, there should not be flaring. >> the worst incident happened last year on thanksgiving, he released 20 tons of burnt material that created a snowfall of chemical test. in the morning, martinez residents found the white powder all over their yards and cars for the county tested so

. >> at least one family member attended kyle whitmore his arraignment tuesday in contra costa county superior court in martinez where whitmore wearing a green jail suit chose to sit next to his criminal defense attorney darryl stallworth in the jury box rather than defendant's table. cameras were not allowed in court when the longtime ddc instructor and track coaches attorney entered a not guilty plea on his client's behalf to all 9 felony counts filed against him. this is a case about somebodys private life. >> about 3 people's private lives. it's about unusual behavior. >> but not unlawful. the contra costa county district attorney's office reinstated the felony pimping count in this case that was initially dismissed by a judge in last month's preliminary hearing because they believe they can they can prove it beyond the reason prosecutors say that last year with more trafficked and sexually abused 2 women listed as jane doe's one and 2 in the complaint and that one of the accusers is a student at the campus in pleasant hill. whittemore has been in custody at the martinez detention

in contra costa county police to call kron 4 >> heavy rain pouring over santa cruz during this morning'sh hour commute. cause some crashes and delays according to chp, the first crash happened shortly before 8 o'clock when a driver lost control in the southbound lanes near the morrissey boulevard. exit chp says the car went up an embankment and flipped, leaving one person dead. just about an hour later, a car crashed in the northbound lanes of one of highway one near morrissey boulevard. the driver, they're suffering some minor injuries. officials are asking everyone drive with caution. stay vigilant on those slick road where roadways, if you see flooded roads saying goes, turn around, don't drown. >> in san mateo county, devil's slide is closed. southbound do too drain cleaning one-way traffic control will be in place to safely guide cars through the northbound tunnel. the closure lasts until tomorrow at 04:00am. and you can keep up-to-date with current conditions and road closures on kron 4 dot com. just scan the qr code there on your screen. >> the sisters of sean monterrosa are calli

springer is the assistant director of hazardous materials with contra costa county health department. >> the county is one of several agencies that mandate companies filed a report with their initial findings within 72 hours. >> springer says that the report reveals several factors, including a summary stating the release was due to a power failure and it breaks down the type and amount of the substance is emitted that, for example. >> haitians so open so per oxide. they showed those numbers for everyone to see. it says, although the reported levels were below state standards, the fact that the plant had any release is concerning for it's it's a big deal for wherever these incidents happened, where we always want to work with their district since it is a flaring is under their rule. >> but we also want to make sure community is safe and not being impacted by these types of events. >> we should be living with this contra costa county supervisor and richmond resident john joya has read through the first report. >> impacts the community and and we want to have more deterrents. we want to

. >> the contra costa county sheriff's office is warning about a new phone scam. they say the scammer is manipulating caller id systems to make it appear. the calls coming from the sheriff's office, a scammer pretends to be a sheriff's office employee and tell us the victim. there's a warrant out for them and that they have to make a payment immediately. the department says the sheriff's office will never demand money over the phone so don't fall for that scam. >> fedex is warning its drivers to be careful after recent uptick in truck robberies, the company sent out a security alert to its nearly 7,000 drivers asking them to put their safety first in the security of their delivery trucks. second, the company provided drivers with tips to remain safe, including ensuring that windows and doors are locked whenever possible and remaining vigilant and alert at all times. >> with the holiday shopping season in full swing now, state officials want to see more action to combat retail theft kron four's capitol correspondent eytan wallace reports from sacramento. >> holiday

as the so wet weather continues, free sandbags have been made available in contra costa county today. all people need to is a shovel and gloves to fill up those bags. if you're planning to pick sandbags up tomorrow ahead of friday's rain. remember, you only need to fill them up about a 3rd of the way and keep the flap of the bag folded away from you from the direction that you expect the water at a 45 degree angle. >> there was some heavy flooding across contra costa county earlier this year. talk about last winter danville. look at this. a state of emergency was declared last january after the san ramon creek overflowed. this is video from the brookside drive neighborhood, which was one of the hardest hit areas. the county is not expecting anything like this this time. but of course, it's reminder to always be prepared. and remember, there's some general rain tips clear out the storm drains. don't wait for public works. they may not show up in time. clean out your gutters. check your car's windshield wipers. and a reminder for the little ones and they're going outside to use. umbrell

. >> contra costa county health is still investigating to confirm the source of the odor. but most likely the refinery is to blame. >> we definitely have been seeing an increase in flaring at our facilities, and this is something that, you know, the hazmat division is taking very seriously. the winds are blowing towards the bay. >> occasionally you can see little plumes of black smoke coming from the refinery, and there is a slight chemical smell in the air. a level two health alert means people with respiratory issues should stay inside. people like cruz. >> i've been avoiding my house all morning. my dogs inside and it was still flaring when i kind of went close to the neighborhood. just a little while ago. >> pbf energy, which owns the refinery, says the flaring happened after an operational incident. in a statement, they apologized for the odor and said flaring is necessary for safety. the flaring in late november lasted hours. friday's elevated health concerns. >> our hazmat team is going to be continuing to monitor the, um, the air for both hydrogen sulfide and sulfu

he's live tonight from contra costa county superior court with the very latest. dan. >> well, dan, the hearing was very quick. >> the passenger attorney said he needed more time to consider the evidence and to speak with his client, pastor victor hernandez. pineda appeared before a contra costa county judge for the first time in the child sexual assault case against him. deputy da greg chiarella is the prosecutor on the case. >> anytime that someone in a position of trust has apparently betrayed that trust, it is a very serious matter. >> the pastor's attorney asked for the arraignment to be continued to january and did not enter a plea on hernandez's behalf. >> i am very new to the case. i just received the formal complaint in court today and i have received no evidence at all . >> i first confronted the 53 year old pastor of iglesia pentecostal movimento da gloria in richmond for our report. last friday. victor. i'm dan noyes from channel seven. i need to talk to you. would you do an interview with me, please, about what? i'd like to talk to you about the accus

. >> at least one family member attended kyle whitmore is arraignment tuesday in contra costa county superior court in martinez where whitmore wearing a green jail suit chose to sit next to his criminal defense attorney darryl stallworth in the jury box rather than defendant's table. cameras were not allowed in court when the longtime dbc instructor and track coaches attorney entered a not guilty plea on his client's behalf to all 9 felony counts filed against him. this is a case about somebody private life. >> about 3 people's private lives. it's about unusual behavior. >> but not unlawful. the contra costa county district attorney's office reinstated the felony pimping count in this case that was initially dismissed by a judge in last month's preliminary hearing because they believe they can they can prove it beyond the prosecutors say that last year with more trafficked and sexually abuse to women listed as jane doe's one and 2 in the complaint and that one of the accusers is a student at the campus in pleasant hill. whittemore has been in custody at the martinez detention facilit

. >>> we begin in contra costa county where flaring at the martinez refining company today prompted yet another public health alert, it is releasing a foul odor that is irritating people that live as far away as crockett. good evening, i'm elizabeth cook. >> and i'm ryan yamamoto . the city is still dealing with a fallout of a similar event last holiday season, when flaring at the same refinery sent toxic dust into nearby neighborhoods. da lin is digging into the latest case. >> reporter: health officials elevated the flaring to the level 2 incident on the community warning system, there are a total of three levels. health officials sent out an advisory to neighbors, asking to please stay inside because of the odor. by now, this is a familiar sight for neighbors, but the smell, it doesn't get easier over time. >> it smelled like rotten eggs, it was like that fulford, rotten egg thing. >> reporter: she noticed more flaring in the last couple of years. >> it felt like a small earthquake, it was like a rumbling and it went for a minute and then it stopped. then it went again. >> reporter:

the public after complaints were made about a strong odor in the air doctor or valley with contra costa county health says sensitive populations were prone to things like headaches as a result. my advice for people who are more sensitive to smell is to stay indoors, close the windows and doors. and if you have a hepa so he's drawn and it can the smells from the air. flaring has become more common at the refinery in the last year. and a statement from them on friday says, quote, we apologize for any inconvenience to our neighbors. flares are an essential part of that refineries integrated engineered safety systems designed to safely manage excess combustible gases by burning them off officially and effectively. >> those 2 sentences aren't enough for residents like it. taylor who explained how her health was impacted from the flaring and older. but today i'm feeling it. it's in my chest. >> i'm coughing. i'm headache. e and i am angry. the martinez refinery and chevron refinery are suing the bay area. quality management district. >> after a call for a wet gas scrubber to be installed to reduce g

her attorney with the contra costa county public defender's office requested that bail be lowered from $400,000 to $100,000. but the judge denied that request. the 32 year-old is charged in connection to this crash that happened around midnight sunday. dominic's 5 year-old daughter was killed in the crash when the car veered off highway 4 in martinez. police say an 11 year-old child was also in the car and had to be hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. we don't know what the relationship is between dominic and the 11 year-old according to the contra costa county da's office, dominic's blood, alcohol level at the time of the crash was between 0.1 6.1, 7. anytime anyone gets behind the wheel and they had too much to drink are impaired. >> whether it's alcohol or another substance that stage that's not only a danger to the public, but that danger occupants in the vehicle in yourself. >> dominic's next court appearance is scheduled for december 29th reporting in martinez. i'm rob nesbitt kron. 4 news. >> and this just the man believed to be responsible for early morning stabbing in

her attorney with the contra costa county public defender's office requested a reduction in bail. >> dominic's lawyer denied a request to be interviewed. but for god to from the contra costa county district attorney's office, explain the result of the request from what it set up now, which is $400,000. >> to $100,000. and the judge denied >> the 32 year-old is charged in connection to this crash that happened around midnight sunday. dominic's 5 year-old daughter was killed in the crash when the car veered off highway 4 in martinez. police say an 11 year-old child was also in the car and had to be hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. we don't know what the relationship is between dominic and the 11 year-old according to the da's office, dominic was driving the car with a blood alcohol level between 0.1 6.1, 7, anytime anyone gets behind the wheel and they had too much to drink are impaired. >> whether it's alcohol or another substance that stage that's not only a danger to the public, but the danger occupants in the vehicle. a nurse off the coroner identified the 5 year-old gir

we see it moving towards inland parts of contra costa county. ands the just now starting to get down into santa clara valley. you're about to see rainfall totals go up in san jose from this. if we look at what happens next from here, it's going to stay like this for the next few hours. this is a high resolution rapid refresh model, our best depiction on what happens over the next 12 hours. you can see it's going to be spotty on again off again showers. it won't be as widespread or steady as it's been throughout the last, say, three hours. there's always going to be a chance for an isolated pop-up shower to stick around, even into early tomorrow morning. but if you just look at the way the rainfall has come together today, what do i mean by lopsided? if san jose is finally seeing the rain, look at your numbers down here. a couple hundredths of an inch of rain. the ground's wet for most of the bay. i can tell you from personal experience walking around the city today, it feels like a lot of rain. look at the number for san francisco, barely anythi

a warning for those living in richmond, the contra costa county department of health says it's found cancer causing chemicals in the soil near a former cleaning business officials are working and taking more samples to see if those chemicals are currently in the air as well. >> kron four's amanda hari has the latest scary news ripa living in a richmond neighborhood per clow road lean or pce a chemical known to cause cancer. >> has been found in their soil. the first sample found near barrett avenue and 20th street across from building that housed multiple dry cleaning businesses between 19, 62,001. >> it we're working as quickly as we can to assess the situation and to take the steps necessary to make sure that they're protected. todd sachs is the deputy director of sight mitigation for the california department of toxic substance control. >> his agency has been investigating 112 former dry cleaning facilities as part of a new initiative to cleanable normal communities. they've collected samples from 5 of those sites so far. the first and only one so far. >> identified chemical conce

contra costa county board of supervisors.ing full access to the martinez refinery following several chemical releases this year. the letter to pbf energy demands contra costa health be provided full access to the facility, documents and data on the refineries operations. it also calls a number of releases and other incidents on acceptable for allegedly putting the safety of nearby communities at risk. cch says they've documented 21 spills of hazardous materials and 46 flaring incidents since november of last year. >> air quality management district is asking bay area residents not to burn wood over the new year's weekend. officials say wood-burning during the holiday weekend can significantly affect the air quality. and now to the race for the white house. there's continued focus on the ballot battles of former president donald trump, both colorado and maine have sought to remove trump from their ballots. kron four's. catherine heenan has the latest, including what california is doing. >> california's lieutenant governor trie

the contra costa county district attorney's office recently filed a consolidated 31 count misdemeanorgainst him combining 31 arrests this year into way. case one, which if convicted of all counts, could lead to years in county jail. he was. >> very present in our stress and worries day-to-day for me in the regular memories. >> who work here every day. virtually richmond pinole elsa walnut creek, conquered pleasant hill. denville albany, wherever burke, those soaking otero. and he's left a long and costly trail. mostly women run toy store in albany, 5 little monkeys. he's had to report in otero theft more than 20 times over the years says manager daisy she says arrow is a big reason. the business invested in a security system. he makes himself. >> has hit and as you can and he goes around the store in state spending, stuffing his pockets and basically anything he can take. he will prior to otero being picked up in pleasant hill this month. he was caught stealing from danville bike on hartz avenue in danville. the day after thanksgiving. >> owner jose gutierrez says he deals with deaths

she made her first court appearance yesterday contra costa county.secutors also charged dominique with 2 counts of child abuse. kron four's rob nesbitt. >> has the details. >> it was a quick court appearance for shaquille a dominic thursday who was barely visible to the courtroom glass. her attorney with the contra costa county public defender's office requested that bail be lowered from $400,000 to $100,000. but the judge denied that request. the 32 year-old is charged in connection to this crash that happened around midnight sunday. dominic's 5 year-old daughter was killed in the crash when the car veered off highway 4 in martinez. police say an 11 year-old child was also in the car and had to be hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. we don't know what the relationship is between dominic and the 11 year-old according to the contra costa county da's office, dominic's blood, alcohol level at the time of the crash was between 0.1 6.1, 7. anytime anyone gets behind the wheel and they've had too much to drink are impaired. >> whether it's alcohol