In Your Town for Jan. 22, 2026

NOVATO

Suspect accused
of sexual abuse

Police arrested a Novato man on allegations of sexual abuse and drug offenses.

Jacob Tobiaslee Ezekiel, 25, made an initial appearance Wednesday in Marin County Superior Court. The prosecution charged him with lewd acts on a child younger than 14, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin.

Judge Kevin Murphy assigned his case to a public defender, who asked for the arraignment and plea to be delayed. The attorney also plans to contest the bail amount, which totals $310,000. Murphy set the next hearing for Friday.

Police arrested Ezekiel on Monday night in the downtown area. The Novato Police Department declined to release information about the case.

SAUSALITO

City plans to add
security cameras

The City Council authorized a 10-year contract for up to $137,000 on Tuesday for extra security cameras at City Hall and the corporation yard.

City staffers have been contending with “ongoing issues” of trespassing and damage on public properties, according to a report by the city manager’s office.

“Such incidents have been reported in City Hall restrooms, parking areas, and Robin Sweeney Park, as well as instances of vehicle damage and unauthorized long-term parking in City lots,” the report said. “The city also has an obligation to safeguard valuable public assets located at City Hall and the Corporation Yard at 530 Nevada Street, where staff have reported repeated unauthorized entry into secured areas containing equipment, vehicles, and materials essential to City operations.”

The new Verkada surveillance system is intended to complement security cameras used by police. The contractor is Marin Information Technology of Novato.

THE COUNTY

Funds offered for
ecological projects

The Marin County Fish and Wildlife Commission is accepting grant proposals for environmental projects.

Nonprofit organizations can apply for grants of up to $5,000 for educational and habitat restoration projects, the county said. The commission also is offering a scholarship of up to $3,500 for students seeking careers in fields such as natural resource management, wildlife conservation, restoration ecology or oceanography.

The application deadline is March 2. Applications and additional details are online at shorturl.at/d7117.

The commission is staffed by the Marin County office of the University of California Cooperative Extension.

MILL VALLEY

Paving program
nears bid phase

The City Council approved a pavement replacement plan for the year on Tuesday and authorized an expenditure of about $1.94 million.

The work will constitute the first year in a five-year pavement program. The plan for this year includes about 40 street segments, including parts of Miller Avenue from Almonte Boulevard to downtown, according to a report by the public works office.

The city plans to advertise the job for about four weeks and aims to have work start in the summer.