Suspect arrested in Concord sexual assault case

CONCORD, CA (Apr. 11, 2024) — On April 8, 2024, at 6:25 PM, Concord Police officers responded to a sexual assault report. The incident had just occurred on the BART Linear Park trail in the area of Port Chicago Highway and the North Concord BART Station. An unknown male attacked a female victim while she walked alone on the trail. The man forced her to the ground and sexually assaulted her.

The victim fought with the suspect, and he fled toward the BART station. The victim and a witness followed the suspect and called the police. Multiple officers from the Concord and BART Police Departments responded to the scene, resulting in the suspect’s detention by BART officers at the BART station. He was identified as the responsible and arrested.

The suspect was identified as Larry Ridge Jr. (40 years old, resident of Berkeley). Yesterday afternoon, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed several felony charges against Ridge related to this assault. He remains in custody.

The Concord Police Department has no prior contacts with Ridge. He has a previous conviction for murder in 2005 and is not on parole or probation.