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Tag: Pleasant Hill

  • Pleasant Hill city council moves forward with rezoning as neighborhood groups balk at proposal

    City leaders in Pleasant Hill moved forward with a proposed rezoning Monday night, as opponents packed a meeting to push back against the plan.

    Leaders said the rezoning needs to be done to align with its newly and already adopted 2040 General Plan and a state-mandate to address regional housing needs, but residents are concerned.

    “It’s going to change the whole dynamic of the city,” said Jeffery Thomas.

    Thomas has lived in Pleasant Hill for 42 years. He raised his son in the city and it’s his home. He says it’s special to him.

    “It’s a little bit more affordable,” said Thomas, describing the city. “It’s got the community feel to it. We have neighborhood block parties, barbeques, cookie exchange at Christmas time. We know everybody.”

    Now part of his street is on the list to be re-zoned, and Thomas feels it could change everything.

    “If somebody wants to sell, they’ll sell to a developer and then the next person will sell to a developer and the next person will do the same thing and then after they get enough land, they’ll build a 500-unit apartment building on it,” Thomas said.

    The city of Pleasant Hill says the rezoning needs to be done to add in more mixed-use and high-density zoned land. It’s required to align with its already adopted 2040 General Plan and with a state-mandated process to address regional housing needs.

    It would re-zone 1,072 parcels throughout the city.

    The city’s Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval. But Thomas worries about the ramifications of the city growing so rapidly.

    “It’s going to bring in more crime, more homeless,” said Thomas.

    And he’s not the only one with concerns, so many people attended the meeting, there were two overflow rooms.

    A member of the community speaks at a Pleasant Hill City Council meeting in which a proposed rezoning plan was discussed, Oct. 20, 2025.

    CBS


    Rochelle Gardiner shared many of Thomas’s sentiments.

    “You go to these new developments, and every house looks the same,” Gardiner explained. “Pleasant Hill is not like that. Real cute, small little houses with good families that have lived there forever. Huge apartments mean more congestion, possibly more crime, just more people. We don’t have enough services for the people who already live here.”

    She’s lived in the city for 23 years, but Gardiner says the new zoning may encourage her to think about moving.

    “Unfortunately, yes,” said Gardiner when asked if she would move. “Everyone in our neighborhood has been talking about how sad that would be, but it might be a possibility that this is not the community we moved to.”

    Thomas is also considering it. His son lives in Tennessee and it’s starting to look more appealing to him.

    “Yeah, absolutely,” said Thomas. “Everybody here is angry.”

    The City Council voted to approve the rezoning by a vote of 3 to 1, with one member of the council abstaining. The council said they need to approve it to keep it consistent with the 2040 General Plan and the 2023-2031 Housing Element.

    Councilors said they will be reviewing the General Plan so they can possibly amend it in the future and then amend the zoning for some of the parcels. 

    Amanda Hari

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  • Map: Starbucks in the Bay Area that are on the closure list

    After Starbucks announced it would be shutting hundreds of stores, its website is listing dozens in the Bay Area as being closed as of Sunday, Sept. 28.

    Bay Area News Group

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  • Winners! 2 Powerball tickets worth $1.16M each sold in the Bay Area

    Two Bay Area lottery players missed the $1 billion Powerball jackpot by one number but still came away with seven-figure winnings in Saturday night’s draw, according to the California Lottery.

    By matching the first five numbers, Powerball tickets sold in Milpitas and Pleasant Hill each are worth $1.16 million. The Milpitas ticket came from a 7-Eleven at 1771 Clearlake Ave., and the Pleasant Hill ticket came from a Mobil gas station at 1616 Oak Park Blvd., the lottery said.

    The winning numbers in the Powerball draw for Saturday, Aug. 30 are 3-18-22-27-33 and the Powerball 17.

    Two other 5/5 tickets worth the same amount were sold in Southern California, one in Ontario in San Bernardino County and one in Duarte in Los Angeles County.

    There were no jackpot winners in Saturday’s multi-state draw, so the Powerball jackpot rises to an estimated $1.1 billion for Monday’s draw.

    Stephen Ellison

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  • Police seek Pleasant Hill retail theft suspect armed with stun gun

    Police seek Pleasant Hill retail theft suspect armed with stun gun

    Pleasant Hill police are looking for a man they say was involved in two recent retail store robberies.

    Police released a photo of the suspect, who appears to be an African American male in his 20s or 30s, wearing a dark sleeveless vest with a hood.

    Pleasant Hill retail theft suspect as seen on surveillance camera image.

    Pleasant Hill Police Department


    The suspect displayed a stun gun-type device he set off when confronted by employees when he was allegedly caught stealing. No injuries were reported.

    Police are seeking public assistance in the identification of the suspect. The man fled the scene, alone, in a dark sedan.

    retail-theft-suspect-vehicle.jpg
    Pleasant Hill retail theft suspect vehicle as seen in a surveillance camera image.

    Pleasant Hill Police Department


    Police said anyone recognizing the suspect shouldn’t confront him but contact police dispatch at (925) 288-4600.

    CBS San Francisco

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  • Juneteenth joy in East Bay muted by death of Willie Mays

    Juneteenth joy in East Bay muted by death of Willie Mays

    PLEASANT HILL — As people celebrate Juneteenth, many are also remembering Willie Mays and what he meant for the Black community.

    In Pleasant Hill Wednesday, people gathered to reflect on those that paved the way for African Americans today.

    It’s only the second annual Juneteenth celebration in Pleasant Hill. QuyNitta McDade was there with her husband and two boys. She was in disbelief when she heard of Mays’ death. “First thing I said was ‘Oh no. Not Willie!”

    McDade not only admired Mays from afar, she works at a law firm that he frequently visited.

    “When he would come, he was so down-to-earth,” she recalled. “He knew the gravity and he carried the weight of his legacy but he wouldn’t treat people like he was above them.”

    While Jackie Robinson was the first, the “Say Hey Kid” continued to keep the playing field open for Black ball players.

    “I play shortstop, second base, center field, pitcher and first base,” said Matthew McDade.

    “When you see Willie and the amazing things that he’s done, it lets my kids — my young boys — know it can be them too,” QuyNitta said.

    On this Juneteenth, the message couldn’t be clearer. Lisa Sanders and her daughter Maliyah are celebrating the progress that’s been made and the work still left to do.

    “I am my ancestors wildest dream,”  Sanders said. “It’s like the stuff that my ancestors was not able to have the opportunity and the freedom … everything they fought for in the past, we’re able to do today.”

    QuyNitta McDade had a message for Mays.

    “Rest in peace, Willie,” she said. “You will always be remembered — never forgotten!”

    Andrea Nakano

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  • Suspect remains at large in Pleasant Hill shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured

    Suspect remains at large in Pleasant Hill shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured

    Search continues for suspect in Pleasant Hill shooting that left 1 dead


    Search continues for suspect in Pleasant Hill shooting that left 1 dead

    01:22

    A 67-year-old man was killed and a second male victim critically wounded in a shooting outside a condominium complex in Pleasant Hill Tuesday, according to authorities.

    Pleasant Hill police said the shooting happened in the area of Twinbridge Circle near Longbrook Way, just west of Interstate Highway 680 near the Walnut Creek city limit. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) said units were at 313 Twinbridge Circle in response to a call reporting a shooting with injuries.  

    Witnesses told police they reported hearing multiple gunshots and when police and medical personnel responded they found two men with multiple gunshot wounds. Both were taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where one victim, a 67-year-old man, was pronounced dead. The second man was being treated for life-threatening injuries. 

    Pleasant Hill shooting victim transported
    Pleasant Hill shooting victim transported

    KPIX


    Aerial video from the scene showed multiple police units at the complex and police tape cordoning off at least one of the residences at the complex. 

    An adult male suspect was outstanding but police provided no additional information on the suspect or motive. The victims were not immediately identified.

    Police urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact investigators at (925) 288-4630.  

    Dave Pehling

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  • Oakley, Pleasant Hill targeted by cyberattacks on same day

    Oakley, Pleasant Hill targeted by cyberattacks on same day

    Two cities in Contra Costa County were on the receiving end of cyberattacks on the same day.

    As city officials in Oakley and Pleasant Hill investigate what took place, cybersecurity experts say it’s a threat that cities must prepare for.

    Professor Levant Artul, the department chair of computer sciences at Cal State East Bay, expressed his concerns following Thursday’s ransomware attack on the city of Oakley.

    “Local governments are pretty small and they lack of resources and they lack of security planning for these systems,” he said.

    There was a local state of emergency is in place for Oakley. While the attack did not impact emergency services, the city said people should expect delays for non-emergency services, while services are restored.

    Danielle Navarro, assistant manager for the city of Oakley released the following statement on Friday:

    “The city of Oakley team continues to perform an extensive analysis of the ransomware attack that began yesterday. The city’s network remains offline at this time as city departments develop plans to continue to provide services safely to the public. We are committed to being as transparent as we can without compromising the investigation.”

    Meanwhile in Pleasant Hill, they were also dealing with a cyberattack on Thursday.

    It’s not clear if the two incidents are related, but police said the one in Pleasant Hill also targeted the city’s infrastructure. They added that it was spotted quickly and isolated and didn’t cause any damage or delay to city services or public safety.

    As for the future of cyberattacks, Artul believes the time is now for cities to get prepared.

    “They have to train people but most importantly before anything else, they have to back up their data. They don’t have to keep data in one place,” he said.

    Pete Suratos

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  • Residents react after park worker found fatally stabbed in Pleasant Hill

    Residents react after park worker found fatally stabbed in Pleasant Hill


    A Bay Area family is in mourning after a Pleasant Hill park worker was found stabbed to death Saturday.

    The incident happened in a normally very quiet neighborhood next to the popular Pleasant Hill Park. Residents in the area say they normally feel very safe.

    “We feel safe on our walks around here,” said Leona Frankel of Pleasant Hill.

    37-year-old Santiago Jacobo worked as a janitor at Pleasant Hill Park. Jacobo, a father of two young children, typically returned home to Pittsburg shortly after his shift.

    But on Saturday, police said Jacobo’s wife waited and was really worried when she didn’t see him return home from his shift Friday night.

    “She became concerned when she hadn’t returned home from working his shift at the park last night, so she drove to the park,” said Capt. Matt Kristic with the Pleasant Hill Police Department.

    Just before 5 a.m. Saturday, police said Jacobo’s wife found him unresponsive in a parking lot next to the park. She called 911 and when paramedics arrived, they determined he had been stabbed but were not able to revive him.

    Pleasant Hill resident Irene Enekov, who was walking her dog early Saturday morning, said she was shocked to hear that she had stumbled onto a homicide investigation in the park of all places.

    “I just asked do you know what happened, and the woman said it’s my brother who is dead,” she said.

    Others were unsettled hearing about how this hardworking father was killed.

    A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help the family pay for funeral and other expenses.

    Pleasant Hill police have not identified a suspect and is asking for anyone with information to call them.



    Thom Jensen

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  • Police investigate after deadly stabbing in Pleasant Hill

    Police investigate after deadly stabbing in Pleasant Hill


    Pleasant Hill police are investigating after a man was found dead near a park early Saturday morning. 

    The department said in a post on social media that the wife of the man, identified as 37-year-old Santiago Jacobo, called to report that she had found him unresponsive in the parking lot of Pleasant Hill Park at around 4:50 a.m. 

    When first responders arrived at the park, they determined that the man had died and had also been stabbed. 

    Police said Jacobo was part of a janitorial staff working in the park the night prior. His wife became concerned when he did not come home and found Jacobo when she went to the park to search for him, the department said. 

    An investigation is now underway, though the department said it had not identified anyone suspected of the stabbing. Anyone with information is asked to call 925-288-4630.





    Cameron Lallana

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