On March 27, 2024, at about 5:22 a.m., Antioch officers responded to the 600 block of East 18th Street after the fire district reported a deceased male with an apparent gunshot wound. Officers found 36-year-old Frank James inside a parked vehicle with at least one fatal gunshot wound. The Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau, including Crime Scene Investigators and the Violent Crimes Unit, took the case and used technological tools and city surveillance to identify 29-year-old Jacob L. Crooks as the primary suspect.

An arrest warrant was issued and Crooks was arrested during a traffic stop by Walnut Creek officers on April 8, 2024. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on suspicion of murder with bail set at $1.35 million. Crooks, an Antioch resident, was on probation and has a criminal history including firearm and assault convictions and multiple arrests since 2021. The case has been presented to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office; authorities say the shooting appears isolated.

If anyone has additional information about the shooting or knows Frank James, please contact the Antioch Police Department.