News

Palo Alto police arrest naked man after string of attacks

A young man, showing signs of being under the influence of narcotics, goes on crime spree Friday night

Police arrested an 18-year-old Palo Alto man suspected of being under the influence of narcotics Friday night after he, while naked, allegedly attacked two people in their homes and one woman walking her dog.

On Friday, April 4, at about 8:51 p.m., police received the first 911 call of the evening about the young man, Daiki Glenn Minaki. A resident in the 1100 block of Colorado Avenue told police a naked man had entered his home through an unlocked front door, charged a teenage juvenile inside and punched him at least once, then fled on foot, police said.

As officers were responding to that call, a second call came in about a minute later from a resident in the 1000 block of Colorado Avenue. The caller, a man in his forties, said a naked man had just entered his home through an open front door and attempted to physically attack him. The resident kicked Minaki, who again fled on foot.

Minutes later, officers found Minaki nearby in the 2900 block of Otterson Court. Police said he had a cut on his face and numerous abrasions on his body. Minaki charged the officers when they saw him; after a short struggle, they took him into custody.

After he was handcuffed, Minaki spat blood on an officer, police said. They said he exhibited a number of symptoms of being under the influence of narcotics.

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At the same time officers were taking Minaki into custody, a third 911 call came in from a woman in her fifties who had been walking her dog in the 1000 block of Colorado Avenue when Minaki allegedly tackled her from behind, punched and kicked her numerous times while she lay on the ground.

Police discovered that after Minaki left the first home in the 1100 block of Colorado Avenue, he attacked the woman, who screamed for help. The second 911 caller had heard her screaming, opened his door to investigate and yelled at Minaki to stop. Minaki then charged into that man's house.

Palo Alto Fire Department personnel took the woman to a local hospital, where she was treated for moderate abrasions and bruising to her face, head, chin and knuckles. Police said she also complained of pain in her torso. Neither of the men whose houses Minaki entered sustained any injuries, police said. One police officer scraped his hands during the arrest, but did not require medical attention.

Minaki also had numerous abrasions on his face, legs and hands, as well as a cut on his face from an "unknown source" that both men whose houses he entered described seeing, police said. Minaki received treatment for his injuries at a local hospital before going to jail.

Police booked Minaki into Santa Clara County Main Jail for one count of felony battery for his actions against the woman walking her dog and six misdemeanor charges (resisting arrest, battery on an officer, under the influence of narcotics, battery, and two counts of trespassing).

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Police said neither the two men nor the woman knew Minaki, and they believe all three of the attacks were random in nature.

Anyone with information about this incident or this suspect is asked to call the police department's 24-hourdispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

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Palo Alto police arrest naked man after string of attacks

A young man, showing signs of being under the influence of narcotics, goes on crime spree Friday night

Uploaded: Sun, Apr 6, 2014, 8:16 am
Updated: Mon, Apr 7, 2014, 8:43 am

Police arrested an 18-year-old Palo Alto man suspected of being under the influence of narcotics Friday night after he, while naked, allegedly attacked two people in their homes and one woman walking her dog.

On Friday, April 4, at about 8:51 p.m., police received the first 911 call of the evening about the young man, Daiki Glenn Minaki. A resident in the 1100 block of Colorado Avenue told police a naked man had entered his home through an unlocked front door, charged a teenage juvenile inside and punched him at least once, then fled on foot, police said.

As officers were responding to that call, a second call came in about a minute later from a resident in the 1000 block of Colorado Avenue. The caller, a man in his forties, said a naked man had just entered his home through an open front door and attempted to physically attack him. The resident kicked Minaki, who again fled on foot.

Minutes later, officers found Minaki nearby in the 2900 block of Otterson Court. Police said he had a cut on his face and numerous abrasions on his body. Minaki charged the officers when they saw him; after a short struggle, they took him into custody.

After he was handcuffed, Minaki spat blood on an officer, police said. They said he exhibited a number of symptoms of being under the influence of narcotics.

At the same time officers were taking Minaki into custody, a third 911 call came in from a woman in her fifties who had been walking her dog in the 1000 block of Colorado Avenue when Minaki allegedly tackled her from behind, punched and kicked her numerous times while she lay on the ground.

Police discovered that after Minaki left the first home in the 1100 block of Colorado Avenue, he attacked the woman, who screamed for help. The second 911 caller had heard her screaming, opened his door to investigate and yelled at Minaki to stop. Minaki then charged into that man's house.

Palo Alto Fire Department personnel took the woman to a local hospital, where she was treated for moderate abrasions and bruising to her face, head, chin and knuckles. Police said she also complained of pain in her torso. Neither of the men whose houses Minaki entered sustained any injuries, police said. One police officer scraped his hands during the arrest, but did not require medical attention.

Minaki also had numerous abrasions on his face, legs and hands, as well as a cut on his face from an "unknown source" that both men whose houses he entered described seeing, police said. Minaki received treatment for his injuries at a local hospital before going to jail.

Police booked Minaki into Santa Clara County Main Jail for one count of felony battery for his actions against the woman walking her dog and six misdemeanor charges (resisting arrest, battery on an officer, under the influence of narcotics, battery, and two counts of trespassing).

Police said neither the two men nor the woman knew Minaki, and they believe all three of the attacks were random in nature.

Anyone with information about this incident or this suspect is asked to call the police department's 24-hourdispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

Comments

Anonymous
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 6, 2014 at 8:25 am
Anonymous, Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 6, 2014 at 8:25 am

Thank God he didn't have a gun.


neighbor
Midtown
on Apr 6, 2014 at 8:54 am
neighbor, Midtown
on Apr 6, 2014 at 8:54 am

Senior at Palo Alto High School. At least he didn't burn down someone's home like the stoned kids at Mountain View High School recently did.


Paly Parent
Palo Alto High School
on Apr 6, 2014 at 9:45 am
Paly Parent, Palo Alto High School
on Apr 6, 2014 at 9:45 am

On the one hand I am glad that he was caught before doing anything worse and that all the victims will recover. Well done PAPD.

On the other hand, I can't help feeling for this Paly student who has now ruined whatever future he had planned. I know that drugs and violence can never be acceptable, but I can't help wondering what drove him to this. Was it school pressures, family pressures, peer pressures or a mix of all three? As parents we must take care that our own kids learn from this fellow teens mistakes and give them the support they need as they go back to school tomorrow and finish the school year.


neighbor
Midtown
on Apr 6, 2014 at 10:10 am
neighbor, Midtown
on Apr 6, 2014 at 10:10 am

@Paly Parent - I do not buy your premise that school or family pressure causes drug use. I have never heard anyone claim that drug use is significantly lower at underperforming schools than at high performing schools.

Also not clear that his life is ruined. All the charges are misdemeanors, so he will likely be able to work out a plea deal with the courts if the victims agree to leniency.


I'm Latino
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 6, 2014 at 10:29 am
I'm Latino, Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 6, 2014 at 10:29 am
from Europe
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 6, 2014 at 10:40 am
from Europe, Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 6, 2014 at 10:40 am
Ann
Barron Park
on Apr 6, 2014 at 10:50 am
Ann, Barron Park
on Apr 6, 2014 at 10:50 am
Content of character
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 6, 2014 at 11:28 am
Content of character, Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 6, 2014 at 11:28 am

[Portion removed.] If this man was a Latino or African-American, would Ann or the majority of Palo Altans assume that this was a kid, wealthy, and suffering from academic pressure? Or would she and the others see what he has already done? We don't know that he was on drugs but we do know that he was naked and breaking into homes and attacking innocent folk. I don't think any reader here is going to doubt that it would have been minutes to throw out the word illegal had this been a man with a Spanish surname. This is Palo Alto.


Bru
Registered user
Crescent Park
on Apr 6, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Bru, Crescent Park
Registered user
on Apr 6, 2014 at 4:50 pm

What a weird story. It would be interesting if the story behind this could be published ... I just cannot understand why anyone would want to attack people for no reason. Is this attention seeking, a cry for help, just craziness, too much stress? I am so glad this guy was not really violent, as in having and using some kind of weapon.


True Blue
Registered user
Adobe-Meadow
on Apr 6, 2014 at 5:16 pm
True Blue, Adobe-Meadow
Registered user
on Apr 6, 2014 at 5:16 pm

He was on drugs and not in his right mind. I feel for him and his family who will deal with a great amount of shame over this incident. I don't think his future is ruined, but he has definitely made things a bit tougher for himself.


Big
Registered user
Crescent Park
on Apr 7, 2014 at 5:44 am
Big, Crescent Park
Registered user
on Apr 7, 2014 at 5:44 am

At some point you have to stop forgiving people for truly appalling behavior. If he is a minor then the responsibility rests with his parents. If he is an adult then the responsibility rests with him. And yes were he latino or black he would just be arrested, sent of to a juvenile center and his life would be over. He assaulted that women. Is that a misdemeanor? I dont think so. This young man is perhaps insane, or if he willingly took drugs and then assaulted a woman and broke into peoples houses then he and or his parents should wear the consequences.

What next. Affluenza! Where is the responsibility for their actions. We are raising children to be academic machines and socially irresponsible, immature and dangerous.


Friloner
Registered user
Gunn High School
on Apr 7, 2014 at 9:46 am
Friloner, Gunn High School
Registered user
on Apr 7, 2014 at 9:46 am

What terrifying news - I feel deeply sympathetic to all the victims who were suddenly attacked on the street or even in their own residence.

The cause of all of the violence seems to be drugs, though. The teenage suspect was a mature and well respected student, with absolutely no violent tendency at all. Under the influence, however, we have to admit that he became a completely different being... Many people in this community are in great shock to hear his name and what he did, simply because we know too well what kind of person he himself is - not because of his profile (his school, his family, his ethnicity, etc.)!!!

What is not told in news is HOW the unspecified "narcotics" went into his body, and HOW he got such a big cut on his face. It seems so unlikely to me that the suspect, a rising star in martial art, wanted to take any risk of becoming disqualified before participating in the US Championships. Judging from the circumstances, we cannot exclude the possibility that this teen himself was a victim of some drug dealers or a violent mob. I hope the untold part of the story would be revealed and anybody who changed the healthy, disciplined teen into a villain should be punished as well.


Nora Charles
Registered user
Stanford
on Apr 7, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Nora Charles, Stanford
Registered user
on Apr 7, 2014 at 12:49 pm

How terrifying for those he attacked. I hope everyone will be okay. Good job, PAPD and PAFD. By the way, this was on the local news last night.


JustMe
Registered user
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 7, 2014 at 8:29 pm
JustMe, Duveneck/St. Francis
Registered user
on Apr 7, 2014 at 8:29 pm

Let's get the blood test results before we jump to too many conclusions.

As for this kid's life being ruined, yeah, probably so. If he was on drugs, which drugs? Some of them can ruin a life all by themselves. I understand that this kid is alleged to have committed misdemeanors, but look how many? Any of those on your record are a major problem for a kid, he is going to have a long list.


rick
Registered user
Midtown
on Apr 8, 2014 at 12:58 am
rick, Midtown
Registered user
on Apr 8, 2014 at 12:58 am

A felony and six misdemeanors. None will appear on his record if he is not convicted. No word yet about an arraignment, if any. A land of second chances.


Hmmm
Registered user
East Palo Alto
on Apr 9, 2014 at 12:47 am
Hmmm, East Palo Alto
Registered user
on Apr 9, 2014 at 12:47 am

So what's the update with this teenage felon and his spree of thuggery?


rick
Registered user
Midtown
on Apr 15, 2014 at 4:13 am
rick, Midtown
Registered user
on Apr 15, 2014 at 4:13 am

New update is his Paly classmates gathering a petition to protest PAPD's distribution of the photo which accompanies this article (still here at this moment). Ironically bringing the image back to the front page. One would think they'd just let this case get quietly swept under a rug somewhere amid the general community mayhem rather than antagonize law-enforcement.


Hmmm
Registered user
East Palo Alto
on Apr 16, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Hmmm, East Palo Alto
Registered user
on Apr 16, 2014 at 1:06 pm

Rick - thanks for the update. I wonder why they think that he should receive special treatment?


village fool
Registered user
another community
on Apr 16, 2014 at 7:11 pm
village fool, another community
Registered user
on Apr 16, 2014 at 7:11 pm

@Hmmm - Here's to one answering your question, a "product" of another times, another place - Web Link
Can the reasons for which his "services" were cherished and be the same as here?


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