Contra Costa Crime Rampage: Woman, Young Son Found Safe Following Intense Search
ANTIOCH (CBS SF) -- A 31-year-old Discovery Bay woman and her 4-year-old son were found safe Tuesday morning after an intense regional search in the wake of a weekend rampage that left one man dead and two Contra Costa County first responders wounded.
The 4-year-old is the child of Kimberly Meeks and the suspect in the violent crime spree -- 26-year-old Darryon Williams of Stockton. Aside from being parents of the child, investigators have not said what the current relationship is between Williams and Meeks.
Williams was being held Tuesday in the Contra Costa County jail on one homicide count and 10 counts of attempted murder.
According to investigators, the spree began with the murder of 64-year-old Michael Iliff. The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office said Iliff was found shot multiple times inside his Discovery Bay home on Saturday, but there was no sign of Meeks or her son.
Authorities believe he was allowing Meeks and her son to stay with him.
"He tried to help people, probably a little too much," said his sister Joan. "You know, he's the kind of person that just wouldn't hurt a fly. Probably not afraid of people that he should've been."
A search was launched throughout Northern California for Meeks and her son. Aside was saying they had been found safe, the Contra Costa deputies have not released any other details as of Tuesday morning.
After allegedly killing Iliff, authorities said Williams stole an SUV and is believed to have robbed a Brentwood Quik Stop.
Shortly before 9 p.m., Contra Costa firefighters and an ambulance from American Medical Response responded to a call reporting someone requiring medical attention in a parking lot in the 1900 block of Auto Center Drive in Antioch.
Employees of a Panda Express made the 911 call after a man walked into the restaurant, complaining of stomach pain.
"The ambulance came, the firefighters were already here, they were getting him settled in a way," said Maura, who works at the restaurant. "Then you just hear gunshots and then one of the paramedics fell ... We just ran inside because none of us wanted to get hurt...There were about six shots."
Investigators said that while the first responders were caring for the patient, a silver SUV drove by and someone inside fired shots at them. The vehicle drove by a second time and someone inside fired a second series of shots.
"It was continuous shooting," a bystander told KPIX. "Bam, bam, bam -- like that. I felt nervous because you hear shots but you couldn't tell where they were coming from... I just saw all the police coming. It was terrible."
The bullets struck the side of a police car and the hood of an ambulance.
A 31-year-old firefighter was shot in the foot and a 58-year-old paramedic was shot in the leg. Both men were treated for injuries at local hospitals and later released.
"It's always in the back of our minds ... things can always happen at any scene. I believe this is our first incident where a firefighter has actually been struck by a bullet," said ConFire prevention captain Joe Ottolini.
The SUV fled the scene westbound on Highway 4 toward Pittsburg, police said, pursued by Antioch officers on a chase that went through Contra Costa and Alameda counties and finally to Richmond, when the suspect's SUV collided with a parked car.
Police said Williams then attempted to flee on foot but was quickly taken into custody by Richmond Police and CHP officers. A firearm was also found at the scene.
Antioch police detectives are continuing to investigate and ask that anyone with information about the incident call the department at (925) 778-2441, call Det. Brogdon at (925) 779-6895, or text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword ANTIOCH.
