I think the MVPD needs to concentrate on this general area of Mountain View more than it has in the past, as it is where the majority of these kinds of crimes (and various others) are occurring, as reflected in other recent stories.

Apparently, the criminal denizens of this particular region feel they can act with impunity, fearing little to no reprisal at all from law enforcement.

Well, MVPD...is this true? Prove me wrong.

Feeling less and less safe every day in Mountain View...so many burglaries and assaults lately. One of the big reasons I moved here was because it was safe...sigh.

"Women suffers minor injuries"? Oh, and here I thought this was something serious.

I like how this paper tends to diminish this crime with the headline. Very irresponsible writing by amateur journalists. One gets minor injuries when one falls off a bike, not when one is violently assaulted and abattered with the possible intent to commit a sexual assault followed by possible homicide. The psychological trauma of this event will likely scar her for the rest of her life. But I guess the people in that part of town are just tougher than the rest of us.

This is no doubt part of The Voice's effort to diminish the seriousness of crimes committed in an area with many illegal immigrants, some of which are the source of the recent crime wave.

I'm just surprised the editor's actually printed a somewhat decent description of the perpetrator. Normally they are hesitant to provide a race-based description.

"Feeling less and less safe every day in Mountain View...so many burglaries and assaults lately"

But wait, there's more!

Two women were mugged close to 2am on Castro/Moffett Saturday night near Central Expwy.

Multiple shots fired on Moffett Blvd last night (Sunday)

What's going on, people?

Indeed. We all know what cultural extraction these criminals come from, but it seems no one has the huevos to just come out and say it, without fear of appearing non-PC.

You know what else is non-PC? Seeing people robbed, attacked and otherwise traumatized, when the local law enforcement is helpless to do anything about it, in this region of town.

When was it last safe to walk in that area past 10 at night?
1960? It wasn't safe when I ran into trouble there in 1979 and
to my knowledge, has never been safe. I wish I saw swirling black and whites, 2 and 3 at a time patrolling these historically troubled spots.
I bet the people who live there would like to see that as well.

Good Point McGruff! I have only lived in the area for a few years. If that has been a troubled spot as far back as the 80's it shouldn't be a surprise to most people. I wish more "old school" MV residents would educate the community about where it's been and what existed before as local history is probably the BEST way to avoid repeated mistakes, but also to gain the most complete perspective on your community. But I also understand people have to ask for this info rather than sit back and expect to be educated. On that note, what happened back in 79? And do you have any good St James Infirmary stories?

@Observer:

I hate to shake a good conspiracy theory, but the headline and story accurately report the police department's description of the crime and of the gravity of the woman's injuries. Because of the victim's right to privacy, there's no ethical way Voice reporters can conduct an independent inquiry into whether the injuries are truly minor, and we certainly don't care to speculate on any future mental health issues the victim may or may not suffer as a result.

There's no agenda other than to let the community know a violent crime has occurred and that the police are seeking tips from any witnesses.

What's troubling are the ridiculously racist assertions on this and other threads that anyone who appears to be Latino is an illegal immigrant, and that they are the only people committing any crimes in Mountain View.

Well said Andrea. Thanks for smacking the hate out of his mouth...figuratively speaking of course.

again....where is ICE when you need them.

Trevea, the ice is next to the exit door in the grocery store. Don't let it hit you on the way out.

This is a violent crime . I think MV PD needs to do a better job of protecting its citizens.We all know that the police can't be everywhere. But one thing we all need to know how much patrolling the police do on this side of MV where the middle class live as opposed to the other side of El Camino real where the rich and richer live.

I really doubt anyone from the city will have the guts to say if the police really spend enough time and resources where it is needed because they are under pressure from certain lobby to protect and safeguard the ruling class neighborhoods more at the expense of the working class.
Welcome to America, folks.

For the record, I never mentioned anything about Latinos, only illegal immigrants. But I guess it's easier to haul out a double standard and label me a racist. My main point was that this was far from a minor crime when the victim was "dragged about 20 feet into an empty dirt lot just off of Rengstorff Avenue and punched multiple times in the face." Those are the Voice's words, not mine. But I guess there is no way to ethically or rationally judge the act as serious or violent by this paper.

@Observer:

The term "minor injuries" is an official term used by hospital staff when responding to media requests for info. It describes the severity of the injuries (minor, moderate, severe), not the severity of the crime.

As for the race question, well, it *is* true these kind of crimes against the person in the Mountain View area tend to be attributed by police to Latinos or African Americans. Typically the suspects are men, and typically they wear dark jackets/hoodies. We know this because the Mountain Voice has described suspects as being such in the past, contrary to your assertion that they rarely provide ethnic-based descriptions. Sadly, these vague descriptions do little to help catch the guilty. It's too bad there isn't something more distinctive (like a scar or an odd birthmark) to go on. But what is not clear is whether or not they are, as you describe, "illegal immigrants." For all you know, they could be citizens.

Please don't unfairly malign our city's journalists. They may not work for the San Jose Mercury or some other big outfit, and some of their articles could use a few more sources, but it's clear they care and they try their best -- and that counts for something. They are the ones who attend the tedious city council and other similar meetings time after time to keep tabs on things so that the rest of us don't have to do this (though we can -- and should). Quite often, they are the best source for news of local interest.

In fact, we in Mountain View should consider ourselves lucky that we have such an active newspaper. I've lived in towns where the newspaper has gone under, and let me tell you, democracy takes a big hit when that happens.

And no, I don't work for the Voice -- but I bet some will think I do! :)

BRUTALLY ATTACKED/ATTEMPTED RAPE

Web Link

Sensationalist or Accurate? And how to determine which (Voice or Merc) is exaggerating and which is downplaying? Anyone?

Cyrus,

I heard those gun shots sunday night but can not find any information about it. Also no info on the mugging on Castro.

Do you have any info? or a source?

Thanks

@Cyrus:
My husband heard the shots too. I can't find any info online about it.

Let's see, the MERC writes the following:

Authorities are searching for a man who brutally assaulted and attempted to rape a Mountain View woman Saturday night.

Wylie said, but "since he dragged her off the sidewalk into a dirt lot and didn't rob her and just started punching her, we're just going to go with the assumption that he was intending to do some sort of sexual assault."

Funny how The Voice leaves out the part that, MVPD is going "with the assumption that he was intending to do some sort of sexual assault."

John, maybe the illegal alien you hired for a housekeeper knows where the "ICE" is. ooops, so sorry to leak out your dirty little secret.