These monsters did not have to hit this man--I hope he'll be okay. Let's hope they're found soon and off the streets. It's sad we have to worry about opening out doors in the daytime.

I have always had a loaded gun in my home, as is my individual right, according to the Constitution. It hasn't hurt me yet, in fact it makes feel more secure. An armed citizenry is a safer citizenry. If you oppose that concept, just put up a sign on the front of your house or appartment that says, "We Do Not Own Guns".

Freedom of choice.

hear hear, a well armed Palo Alto is a safer Palo Alto.

qq

Sheesh, how awful! The poor man. Those sawed off, short little losers need to get caught. Their behavior is amoral, brazen & stupid. As bad as this was, it could've been much worse if he'd fallen & hit his head or if they'd been even more aggressive. I hope they left evidence which may lead to them getting caught.

And a Fremont police officer, serving a drug arrest warrant in Oakland, is near death and may be paralyzed after being shot twice in Oakland by a creep who then hijacked two other vehicles - and he is still on the loose. The last car is a green car. See the TV news for license #.

Lets not get bent out of shape here until we get more facts. For some reason, after reading this story. I'm reminded of the story a few years ago about a elderly man who fell down while jogging in the palo alto foot hills. He had fallen down and got hurt pretty bad. He blamed his injuries on a mountain lion attack. He had police and park rangers working over time for 48hrs before he finally came clean with what really happened.

Kate, not sure why you wrote your post - because both incidents are upsetting?

I hope to live to be at least 78 & not be a victim of a home invasion. At least the cop has body armor, was armed, trained & knew to expect the unexpected in his line of work - very different from being beaten & robbed in your own home.

I caught a man trying to steal a bike from my apartments a few weeks ago in a hooded sweatshirt, reminds us to be very vigilant about suspicious looking characters and activity.

Good to look out the window or peephole before answering the door. Best to have a window so you can talk to the person through the window instead of answering the door. A kid could ring the doorbell and once you open the door, the felons come busting in.

Danny, given that this victim was tied up by the bad guys, he may have still been so when his wife came home. If so, wouldn't that mean he was robbed by a mountain lion? Seriously, if the poor guy was still tied up when his wife came home, wouldn't you think he was telling the truth?

This fits the description of the two Hispanic men and the young boy, right? Could it be the same wicked men?

Lock your doors, my friends. You never know who might be lurking on the other side.

:-\

My thoughts and prayers are with this family.

I think it's a fairly misconceived to think that owning a handgun is going to prevent a home invasion. If you're a responsible gun owner you keep the handgun in a locked safe that can be opened in an emergency. But if that's the case, you won't be able to get to it when three guys RUSH YOUR DOOR.

Door chains and door bars should NOT be trusted to hold back intruders. Take a look at how easy it is to circumvent a door bar:
Web Link

The emphasis here is to use your peephole and not to open the door - even a crack - when you don't recognize who is on the other side. Some people will velcro a small bottle of pepper spray/mace by the door frame to quickly access if someone tries to rush the door.

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Oh yes, guns, they will solve the problem of home invasion. You carry your gun with you each time you open the door or hear a squirrel running across your fence sounding suspiciously like someone trying to break in, which means it needs to be nearby and handy at all times, which means that young children or teenagers have access to it too, which also means that if anybody in your household, including you, goes into a rage, the gun is right within reach. It also means that criminals breaking into your house will assume you have a gun and just shoot or stab you instead of keep you alive. Guns certainly solve crime issues, after all, we are the most armed nation in the world and we have no crime.

for years palo alto police have patrolled our neighborhoods. Not just driving up and down large busy streets. They used to drive through the neighborhoods, stop at the parks, walk around and say hi to everyone. This presence help deter criminals who saw the police "everywhere" or at least in our neighborhoods. Over the last 5 years this has stopped. Its not a staffing issue but rather there has been a lack of training and a lack of leadership.

After the incident where officer stopped and talked to a suspicious personal and a fight ensued, the officers were arrested and administration did not support them. The policy now is cause no waves. I would much rather have the police stop and talk to a person who is parked in a dark are that has been having burglaries and acting suspicious.

How often do you see police slowly driving in your neighborhood? Not driving from point A to point B but driving 10 -15 mph "patrolling". Having lived here for over 35 years I have seen the change. Lets get the police back into our neighborhoods, get them to walk around and be seen.

In Elenore park there is gang graffiti, drinking and gambling every weekend and I have never seen the police do anything bu drive by at 25 mph. The thugs have taken over the park and for 3 years now I have been unable to go for walks in the evenings on warm or summer days.

To the police: get out of your cars, into our neighborhoods and helps save this wonderful town.

So sorry to hear this happened to one of our neighbors. Gun politics aside, this probably could have been avoided by not opening the door in the first place. Use the peephole, the windows and be prepared to dial 911 if something looks fishy. Same advice I give to my kid.

The police is too busy "working" the downtown area (University and surroundings) and show very little presence anywhere else in town. The result is that the rest of Palo Alto becomes heaven to illegal and criminal activity and eventually exposes the residents to events such as the one described. The fact is that the police department owns the safety of the residents. When did you last see a police officer patrolling your street??

I come down on the side of not needing a gun. If the 78 year old had a gun, it would have been useless to protect him from three thugs breaking through a door unless he had it in hand and loaded, not a generally good practice when answering the door. There are far more stories of people being killed or maimed by guns than stories of "I saved my life by having a gun."

I fear that this was a crime which probably could not have been prevented if the criminals were determined to get in. From what appears on the surface, this home was either targeted or else was very unlucky to have been the one chosen. In other words, had the criminals been trying every home in the neighborhood one at a time to see if they could get in?

At mid afternoon I think many of us if at home are not suspicious at a knock or ring of the doorbell. In fact, many of us don't even have our doors locked at this time if we are in. At mid afternoon, anyone coming to the door could have a legitimate reason for being there and how many of us are going to talk through the door to someone we don't know?

Realistically, this was a brazen crime. If the home was targeted for some reason we know nothing about, it was still brazen. If the home was just the unlucky choice of wreckless opportunist criminals, it was even more brazen. In this case, it could have been any of us and that is really scary. Morris is not the type of area where criminals would expect great pickings, and if the home belonged to an elderly couple whose homes tend to look the same as they have for many, many years, then doubly so.

If such crime is happening to elderly people in the so called poorer end of town, then we are all potential victims in the future. PAPD, good luck.

Bryan, I just read your post with great alarm. I thought the gang problems at Eleanor Park had been taken care of by the cops. I was privy to some conversations between EPA & PA cops about these gang members at the park, some years ago. I have seen graffiti in different parts of PA, no far from the park, that indicate the declaration of turf taking. Have you been able to get some assistance from the police? If not, it may be helpful to call EPA PD & talk to whoever is in the gang unit & see what they advise. Or, you can call Chief Burns & tell him this HAS to be taken care of.

The City Council just got rid of police positions...how are they supposed to get out on foot and do that? There could be as little as 5, yes 5, officers out there to cover the whole city. And that is provided that they are not already on a call.

There are LESS officers now than there were in the 70's...I'm pretty sure the population of this City grown the past 40 years.

The City Council has made their priorities well known.....

Having a dog is still one of the best ways to keep one's home safe. But I know a lot of older people who don't want the responsibility of pet ownership or aren't strong enough to handle a dog. That's frustrating because the elderly can easily be crime targets.

Be alert, lock your door, and develop a "neighborhood watch" by recruiting a block preparedness coordinator (next class Saturday October 2 - 10am at Cubberley - Foothill Auditorium). Protect your neighborhood and report suspicious activity.

Here are suggestions from the Palo Alto Police crime prevention brochure "Who is knocking on Your door?".

There's always a chance that it is a legitimate solicitor. There's also a chance that it is sometime trying to SCAM you or is scouting the neighborhood to commit a crime. Protect yourself and your property.

When someone knocks at your door, acknowledge you're home. Talk through the door without opening it. If you don't answer, and it happens to be a criminal type, s/he may attempt to break into your home while you are there.

DON'T
You are not obligated to open the door to anyone. Always ask to see identification to verify who they are before opening the door, A wide angle viewer is an absolute must if visibility of callers is not possible.

Service representatives should have an appointment and not just show up at your door. Do not rely on a name tag or a uniform. Ask for identification.

Do not rely on a door chain for security. A partially open door that is equipped with a door chain is a practice which is not effective. The chain does not secure the door, because the chain cannot withstand physical force.

Many criminals will travel through residential areas looking for easy targets. Don't make it a crime of opportunity. Make it difficult; deter crime.

Don't leave valuables in your car, remove portable GPS and other multi-media players, don't leave money,laptops, purses, gym bags or anything else.

DO
1) talk to the person though the door. You don't know the person, so don't open the door.
2) Determine the purpose of their visit. If it is a Solicitor of any kind, they must have a permit issued by the Palo Alto Police Department with them. They must present it upon request.
3) Make a decision to end the visit or to continue the conversation. If you wish to end the visit, state you are not interested and say "goodbye." You may also ask them to leave literature and you will look over later.
4) If you decide to continue the conversation with the solicitor, and you have checked the permit, and you feel comfortable, you can step outside to talk rather than inviting them into your home. This is not recommended and could put you at risk.
5) If someone comes to your door asking for help or says they have an emergency, have them stay outside while you offer to call 911. Police will gladly provide assistance. Do not take potential risk of your own safety. Do not let them into your home!!

SUGGESTIONS
1) Be a good witness. Take a good look at the face, clothing and distinguishing features (mustache, facial hair, acne, tattoos etc), direction of travel, another person with them, a vehicle etc. This may be useful information when you call the police.
2) lock doors at all times, even when you are home.
3) A "no-Solicitor" sign may deter door-to-door solicitors. Post it in a visible location.
4) If the person leaves quickly, it is considered suspicious, and it would be best to call the police immediately to report it. Call 911 or 329-2413.
5) When in doubt, call. In many cases, it is the information provided by victims & witnesses that leads to the arrest of a criminal. So tell law enforcement as much as you can; no fact is too trivial.
Police need the eyes and ears of all citizens.

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

There is no Morris Avenue in Palo Alto, at least not according to Google Maps. There is a Morris Drive. I wonder if the incident occured there?

It was on Morris Drive.

I live only a few blocks from this location. Two German Shepherds would have prevented this. Cheaper than a home security system, good company for the elderly and plenty of exercise!! It's time to be proactive - the police are not going to protect you and in this economy things will just get worse.

Guns are largely useless as protection against this sort of crime and historically end up harming the gun owners and their family members through negligent handling and failure to keep out of reach of children as well as causing the loss of innocent lives through fits of rage and insanity. Guard type dogs are by far the best protectors from crime and deterrent to it. Some older people, among the most vulnerable to home invasions, are reluctant to keep dogs because of the time, effort and expense involved, but the alternative is far worse, as this victim has surely found out and dogs actually make wonderful companions and have been proven to extend life and enhance its quality.

How would Daniel know if guns are largely useless -- no statistics are kept on the crimes that guns prevent. Daniel, cite your source.

Criminals do know one thing -- Palo Altans are easy marks with lots of money. That's why our downtown is overrun with beggars, why muggers come here from other towns to rob people, and why we're hit by so many burglaries. Notice that the burglary rate is much higher in neighborhoods like Crescent Park along the edges of town. The PA police will tell you that more than half the crimes they handle were committed by people from out of town.

Police cars stationed 24/7 at the entrances to town would stop a lot of this.

Some training in self-defense/martial arts can go a long way... The elderly may not be able to kick an attacker in the face, outpower him or quickly sidestep a tackle maneuver. But there are plenty of tricks anyone can learn that could help them in this sort of situation...

I answer the door with my gun all the time and I live in a semi-decent area. I know when somebody is coming over so any other visitors present red flags to me. I refuse to open my door most of the time I just ignore them and I always look out the window before I even approach the door to see who im dealing with. Also watch out for those magazine salesmen that look like teenagers. Why are they out at 8-9pm knocking on doors? Casing the area. Im not paranoid im prepared. Also I was born and raised in EPA so I always expect the unexpected.

> I'm pretty sure the population of this City grown the
> past 40 years.

The Census data shows about 3K increased head count, or something in that range, for the difference in population over the past 40 years. This is one of the reasons that PA maintains that it is "full" when it comes to being forced to provide for more dwelling units by higher governmental edict.

Policing in the Digital Age

At the moment, home invasions rarely happens in PA. There have been a number of home robberies over the past few years, but the largest number of them seemed to have been the work of a very small "team" of "professionals" who drove into PA and robbed homes and cars.

However, there is the future to consider. One of the approaches that "big city" police departments are trying is to outsource some of the police work to security companies that simply provide "eyes" for the police. The employees of these companies would be in clearly marked cars, and would be in radio contact with the dispatcher, so that if they did see something, sworn officers would be notified and (presumably) available to converge on the scene within a few minutes.

There is also the matter of home surveillance. These days digital cameras with large memories are on the market for very few dollars. Palo Altans need to recognize that the police are not going to be able to "stop crime", unless PA becomes a gated community. The city is open on every boundary, and robbers can be sixty miles away in about an hour's time. So, having some sort of home-based surveillance system might well be a requirement in the future.

So far, there does not seem to be at least an artist's sketch of the perps that is available for public consumption. Having a home surveillance system that provides accurate visuals of people who invade/rob homes would no doubt be of great value to the police.

Also, having some sort of "panic button" that alerts the 911 dispatcher that there is trouble in a home would also be something that might help older people in the future. It's a shame that the PA Police seems to be devoid of ideas when it comes to the future of policing in a digital world.

Where are the patrols? This crime might not have been preventable, but we just don't see the police in our neighborhoods. Like Bryan said, Elenore park now belongs to the gangs. The flood sign has been tagged, the picnic tables and concrete tagged and there is always large groups drinking in the park. This weekend I walked the park, during the day of course, and there were approx 75 beer bottle tops throughout. At night the racing and loud tires are non-stop.

We here about community policing but never see it. The police can't be everywhere and cant be on foot patrol evrywhere, but get out and talk to people. Drive slowly through the neighborhoods, wave to the citizens and stop and talk. We will feel safe, the bad guys will see the police and the police will learn things form informed citizens.

Karen, I urge you to go to your police chief w/your concerns about Eleanor Park. It is wrong and dangerous for gangs to take over parks & destroy the peace & quiet to which you are entitled.

Whenever I encounter gang graffiti, I call the police. The gangs mostly come from Mt View, EPA & east Menlo, & even when they don't reside in your town they can obviously cause problems.

Palo Alto is so full of bureaucracy, you have to break right through it to get the help you need. Life's already hard enough w/out letting the gangsters have their way.

Gun Free Zone: Web Link

I never leave my door unlocked when I am in the house. And I never EVER answer the door when I don't expect company. Anyone who knows me can call my cell if they are at the door and want to speak with me without making arrangements ahead of time. I'm not paranoid and I don't fear others . . . I just don't take those kinds of risks.

In addition, I always have at least 1/2 tank of gas and a fully charged cellphone when I drive. Most roadside assaults of women occur when they have run out of gas somewhere.

I am sorry this man was attacked and I hope the cowards who did this are caught and SOON!!!

I too live near Eleanore Park and hear the creeps racing through the neighborhood at very high speeds, and doing burnouts. We called the police a few times, but as it's also usually at closing time for the bars, no one can respond quickly. They also set off all sorts of loud fireworks, one was so big it sounded like an industrial grade explosion.

I remember the old days when kids partied at the park...we had huge gatherings there, sure, but we cleaned up after ourselves and didn't get too out of hand. Back then though, kids were raised to have more respect.

and, GET A DOG. Landlords should be more open to renters with dogs (that have good references) too. Dogs are a good deterrant.

not everyone should have children. most people would be better off with just living a simple life. less people ,less problems. investigate ''spiritual'' pursuits.

"Elenore park now belongs to the gangs. The flood sign has been tagged, the picnic tables and concrete tagged and there is always large groups drinking in the park. This weekend I walked the park, during the day of course, and there were approx 75 beer bottle tops throughout. At night the racing and loud tires are non-stop." -Karen

You must be one of the most, ignorant and oblivious commenters i've encountered on palo alto online... First off unless it says x3 x4 xiv 13 or 14, or anything in spanish, then it is not 'gang graffiti'. Your estimation of the quantity of beer bottles seems very exaggerated, and i would like to tell you that it is a fact that Pardee Park does not in fact belong to ANY gang. If you are new to diversity, well all i can say to you is that you sound very ignorant and borderline racist. I have noticed that groups of minorities do come to the park to bbq etc., but they have the right to just as much as you do. The night time 'racing' is in fact, teenagers having a little fun which cannot be monitored... And what makes you sound really really really dumb is 'loud tires' which are non-existant made up in your fairytale imagination. I would like to ensure everyone that they are not in fact 'non-stop', maybe once in a while from someone pressing the gas to accelerate...

"I remember the old days when kids partied at the park...we had huge gatherings there, sure, but we cleaned up after ourselves and didn't get too out of hand. Back then though, kids were raised to have more respect."-YSK

Back then kids were raised to be exactly like their parents. Also they were raised misinformed about things like marijuana, and lied to about many other things as well. Teenagers like me don't have respect for people in Palo Alto, because they are 90% yuppies. I don't care for rude and smug individuals who feel like they are entitled to respect, just because they live in Palo Alto and work an 'important' job. Respect is not something that is defaulted, it is something that is earned, there is no reason for me to respect someone that does not respect me for the individual that i am...

"I never leave my door unlocked when I am in the house. And I never EVER answer the door when I don't expect company. Anyone who knows me can call my cell if they are at the door and want to speak with me without making arrangements ahead of time. I'm not paranoid and I don't fear others . . . I just don't take those kinds of risks." -Local Gurl

I feel bad for you, because what you said at first contradicts what you said at the end... Sheltered individuals like you are in abundance in Palo Alto, and end up living in fear and being mildly antisocial. What if your neighbor came over and there was an emergency? Would you not even go to check who is at the door? If so, you are definitely showing signs of paranoia and of being antisocial. Palo Alto is in fact full of too many 'pussies', that are unable to fend for themselves and deal with their problems without lawsuits and involving the police. Good luck, i guess?

to: too much nonsense to take in at once,

you have WAY too much time on your hands.

Idiot, use some common sense...

How exactly does Too Much Nonsense know about who hangs out in Eleanor Park & what the graffiti says? Even I know that what s/he writes means Nortenos or Surenos. Spin, spin, spin.

Leave the park alone.

PA residents who want the park peaceful & clean, I urge you to go to the cops w/your concerns & observations.

@Too much nonsense to take in at once wrote"

"You must be one of the most, ignorant and oblivious commenters i've encountered on palo alto online... First off unless it says x3 x4 xiv 13 or 14, or anything in spanish, then it is not 'gang graffiti'."

Damn you're stupid. What do you think those dots on the sidewalk are? You'll find out if they are in front of your residence.

I cannot believe that people in town still leave their car and home doors unlocked. What is the purpose? It takes a second to turn a lock or press a button. The neighboring town has one of the highest crime rates in the nation and whether or not you have something to steal, they see Palo Alto as million-dollar homes.

As for owning dogs, not everyone wants to care for one!

A burglar alarm is maintenance-free.

Quit pointing the finger at EPA residents. You clearly have plenty of criminals in your town. While I doubt the gang members hanging out in the park live in EPA, you have your share of burglars, thieves & violent criminals. PA has had plenty of residents who commit burglaries of residences & cars, committing arson & vandalism.

Dogs vs. burglar alarm - what good does a burglar alarm do when people rush you after you've opened the door? Nothing. But a dog might scare them away so that they didn't even knock on the door. Dogs aren't 100% protective, either, but when it comes to home invasions, unless it's a group of pros, dogs keep most losers at bay. I certainly understand an older person not wanting the responsibility of a dog. What happened wasn't his fault. Why would he think someone would invade his home, especially if he'd lived there any number of years?