Public Safety
Moraga police win $166K state grant as DUI arrests double
Moraga Police received a $165,998 CHP grant for a DUI enforcement vehicle, officer training and additional patrols after local DUI arrests nearly doubled between 2022 and 2025.
Public Safety
Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
Heat advisory extended through Monday in Lamorinda
A National Weather Service Heat Advisory takes effect Saturday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m. and runs through Monday, Oct. 5, at 10 p.m., with inland temperatures forecast to reach 103 degrees and warm overnight lows limiting recovery for Lamorinda residents.
Public Safety
Martinez man arrested in string of Lafayette burglaries
Lafayette police arrested Kohlton Kumnick, 34, of Martinez on charges tied to three residential burglaries after a two-day, multi-agency operation that ended with his capture in a stolen vehicle in Walnut Creek.
Public Safety
Bail ruling released Martinez murder suspect twice before killing
New reporting reveals the man charged with murdering a Martinez resident one day after his release on Orinda burglary charges had a January 2025 domestic violence report in Lafayette and was placed in a diversion program, raising questions about the bail decisions that freed him under California's Kowalczyk ruling.
Public Safety
Orinda burglary suspect charged with murder after release
The Contra Costa County DA charged Marcos Iriarte-Valdez with murder and a special circumstance in the Aug. 6 stabbing death of Todd Stewart in Martinez; Iriarte-Valdez had been released on his own recognizance just one day earlier while awaiting trial for two April burglaries in Orinda's Orinda Downs neighborhood.
Public Safety
Orinda police catch runaway tortoise on Camino Pablo
Orinda Police officers recovered a large tortoise found wandering on Camino Pablo and returned the reptile safely to its family, the department said in a social media post on Aug. 11.
Public Safety
Air quality advisory issued for Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette
The Bay Area Air District issued an air quality advisory through Thursday, Aug. 13, as smoke from the Timber Fire in Monterey County drifts into the East Bay, pushing Lamorinda air quality to "Moderate" levels.
Public Safety
Orinda adds drop-off traffic rules near Ivy Drive
The City of Orinda installed new no-left-turn and no-right-turn signs near Ivy Drive and Moraga Way on Aug. 10, restricting turns during morning school drop-off hours one day before students return for the 2026–27 school year.
Public Safety
Chef convicted in Orinda heist faces new robbery plea
Valentino Luchin, who robbed an Orinda Citibank in 2018 and was caught within hours by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, will plead guilty in late August to federal charges for robbing San Francisco banks in September 2025.
Public Safety
Alameda man charged in Orinda fentanyl death
A 26-year-old Alameda man has been charged with murder for allegedly selling fentanyl-laced drugs that killed a 20-year-old Orinda resident in September 2024, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday.
Public Safety
Orinda's fire crew battles Washington wildfires amid heat wave
Contra Costa County Fire has sent its Crew 12 Handcrew and four additional personnel to five wildfires in Washington and Oregon, leaving the team that maintains Orinda fuel breaks deployed out of state as the East Bay faces temperatures near 105°F and elevated fire danger through the weekend.
Public Safety
Orinda heat hits 94°F as fire danger climbs into weekend
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the East Bay hills with highs of 95 to 105°F, and forecasts offshore winds will sustain elevated fire risk across Lamorinda through the weekend of Aug. 8–9.
Public Safety
Therapist at Martinez juvenile hall charged with abusing teen
The Contra Costa DA charged former juvenile hall therapist Sofia Ann-Buitron Drotts with seven felonies for allegedly sexually abusing a 17-year-old former client; the victim's family has also filed a civil claim against the county alleging years of grooming and failed oversight.
Public Safety
Fire weather risk climbs in Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette starting Thursday
The National Weather Service warned Tuesday, July 28, that moderate heat risk and elevated fire weather conditions will build across Lamorinda's inland communities beginning Thursday and continuing into the weekend, prompting reminders about defensible space and emergency alert signups.
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