Crime

Opinion: Send Cards to Incarcerated Moms for Mother’s Day

Published

8 years ago

May 3, 2017

Oakland Post

By Simone Thelemaque, President – BWOPA Oakland/Berkeley Chapter

This past month has felt very heavy, as I found myself deeply triggered by the violent attacks on women from estranged lovers and spouses.

Say Her Name: Rashanda Franklin in Richmond and Karen Smith in San Bernardino. These are two of the women whose deaths left me wondering: “How?”

Following this strange wave of violence, the Huffington Post posted an article “Five Women Black Women Open Up About Being in Abusive Relationships” (Trigger Warning)

I learned that many women end up in jail for self-defense from an abuser. This should not have been a surprise to me, but for some reason, the reality has left a deep burning hole in my heart.

I thought of those women, their children, friends and family and how our system continues to participate in victim blaming.

Enough is enough.

Although I cannot change the entire world, what I can do, what we can do, is uplift those mothers behind bars.

We may not know how all of them arrived in that space, but many of them are mothers.

I would love to personally invite you to join me, and the women of Black Women Organized for Political Action in our efforts of distributing 400 cards by May 9.

What to include: messages of love, hope, unity, encouragement, and solidarity. We cannot live in this world of borders, walls and separation. Our sisters need us just as badly as we need them. We are doing this for our children, their children and our collective futures.

Who are we serving?

1. Elmwood Complex Women’s Facility in Santa Clara County, which is a 500-person institution, 300 of whom are mothers. There are two mothers in juvenile detention, who will also receive cards.
2. West County Detention Facility in Richmond. We are not sure the numbers at this time, but we are expecting at least 100.

In Oakland Simone Thelemaque is the contact person. The Oakland drop off location is AU Lounge, 2430 Broadway. You may come in and make cards anytime between 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. and drop off ANYTIME between 6:30 p.m. and 2 a.m.

In Richmond Kathleen Sullivan, president of the Richmond BWOPA chapter, is the contact person. She can be reached at ksullivanwill2@gmail.com to arrange to drop off.

In the South Bay Shanta Franco-Clausen is your contact person. She can be reached at shanta.franco.clausen@gmail.com

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Bay Area

Alameda County Judge Blasts Defendants Over Delay in West Oakland Fire Trial

Judge Kimberly Lowell excoriated the RadiusRecycling/SchnitzerSteel defendants in court for causing delays in prosecuting this case. Since the defendants first appeared in court on July 23, they have obtained three extensions of the arraignment date.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Criminal charges announced this week are related to the August 2023 scrap metal fire at Radius Recycling Inc., formerly Schnitzer Steel. Photo courtesy of Oaklandside.

Special to The Post

District Attorney Pamela Price announced that a hearing was held on October 30 in the criminal prosecution of the Radius Recycling/Schnitzer Steel involving a fire at the West Oakland facility on Aug. 9-10, 2023.

The Alameda County criminal Grand Jury indicted radius Recycling and two of its corporate managers in June 2024.

The court clarified that the defendants will not receive more extensions on their arraignment and plea.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price agreed with the court that defendants should not get preferential treatment. Price and her team appreciated the court for clarifying that future delays by Radius will not be tolerated.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) public data shows that during and after the fire, the smoke plume traveled across Alameda County with high levels of PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) detected around Laney College in Oakland, Livermore, Pleasanton, and West Oakland.

PM2.5 is particularly harmful to infants and children, the elderly, and people with asthma or heart disease.

“This fire posed a great health hazard to the people of Alameda County,” said Price. “High, short-term exposures to a toxic smoke plume have been shown to cause significant danger to human health.

“Additionally, in this case, Oakland firefighters battled the blaze under extremely dangerous conditions for 15 hours with assistance from a San Francisco Fire Department fireboat and a fireboat from the City of Alameda Fire Department,” Price observed.

The team prosecuting the case from the DA’s Consumer Justice Bureau looks forward to resolving any future motions and having the defendants arraigned in court on Dec. 9.

The media relations office of the Alameda County District Attorney’s office is the source of this report.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

D.A. Price Charges Coliseum Flea Market Vendors in Organized Retail Theft Case

The charges against Octavio Ambriz Valle, 52, Devora Ambriz Valle, 49, and Felipe Del Toro Trejo, 54, include multiple felony counts of possessing stolen property and organized retail theft in concert. It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Alameda County courthouse. Courtesy photo.

Alameda County Courthouse File photo.

Special to The Post

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced today that her office charged three people in connection with multiple organized retail theft crimes stemming from a sophisticated criminal enterprise operating at the Oakland Coliseum Flea Market from March 26, 2023, through April 17, 2024.

It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Last year, the District Attorney’s Office successfully competed and received a $2 million grant from the California Department of Justice to combat organized retail theft. Price added another $2 million to bolster the Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) unit which is fully operational and collaborating with numerous law enforcement agencies.

“For over a year, this enterprise supported criminal networks by requesting and buying specific products from brazen boosters who repeatedly terrorized retailers,” said Price. “I want to acknowledge our Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) Vertical Prosecution Unit for its great work and the role they played in this multi-jurisdiction investigation, which included the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and San Ramon Police Department.”

If convicted and sentenced on all charges, Octavio Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of nine years in County jail; Devora Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of five years in County jail; and Felipe Del Toro Trejo faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in County jail.