MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA – Contra Costa County authorities have identified Edward Joseph Garofalo IV, a 38-year-old man from Martinez, as the homicide victim in a fatal shooting reported earlier this week near Bethel Island, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched around 8:49 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, 2026 to the 3200 block of Dutch Slough Road after a report of a shooting, the Sheriff’s Office said.
When deputies arrived, they found Garofalo suffering from a gunshot wound and began life-saving measures until fire personnel arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The case is being investigated as a homicide, and the Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details about what led up to the shooting.
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On Thursday, Feb. 26, KTVU reported that a 40-year-old Pittsburg man, Clayton Dortzbach, was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on a murder charge in connection with Garofalo’s killing, citing the Sheriff’s Office. KTVU said no motive had been released and bail was $1 million
“The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message,” the Sheriff’s office said.
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