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Published on 05/12/1999 All articles from this issue

Attempted kidnapping at Los Altos Hills home

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

Shock continues rippling throughout this normally quiet community as word spreads of an attempted kidnapping.

About 5 p.m. on May 5, a mother "stepped out for a few minutes" from her home in the area of Robleda Road and West Fremont Avenue in Los Altos Hills, said Sgt. Luther Pugh of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's office.

Her 11-year-old daughter, a student at Bullis-Purissima School, stayed at home. Just after the mother left the house, a woman came to the door and told the girl her mother had sent her to pick her up, Pugh said.

"The suspect held up a teddy bear wearing blue jeans and a red bandanna as an enticement," said Bullis principal Joan Pierce, in a Thursday flier to parents.

"The victim spoke to the suspect but did not open the door," Pugh said. "The suspect drove away when the victim stopped talking to her," he said.

The student then called her father who came home and called 911, officials said.

"It sounds like she handled it very well," said Marge Gratiot, superintendent of the eight-school Los Altos School District that includes Bullis. "Her parents can be very proud."

Pierce said she first heard of the attempted kidnapping when two sheriff's deputies came to Bullis School early Thursday morning.

She asked them to do an assembly for the school, "right away," and they did, talking to grades four, five and six about 8:30 a.m. and with K-grade three students at 9:15 a.m.

Many parents also attended.

"The minute something like this happens - police, sheriff's cars in front - parents saw them, were interested and stayed" for the assembly, Pierce said.

She sent a flier home with students that day and faxed a copy of it to the school district's office.

"We notified all the schools," Gratiot said. "Some sent a notice home Thursday, others on Friday.

"The important thing is to notify parents and to reinforce safety teachings for the children," Gratiot said.

Two things she hopes all parents will do: "If a child is home alone, have them keep the door locked and don't open it; and never, ever get into a car with someone you don't know."

Some close to the situation are speculating that the alleged kidnapper may have been watching the house to know the girl was home alone.

The suspect is described as 5 feet 8 inches, heavy build, with long dirty-blond hair. Officer's described her car as a small, tan four-door sedan.

Three weeks ago, the schools did "a major notification of parents and held assemblies to share basic safety tips," Gratiot said.

There had been reports of a blonde woman hanging about schools in Fremont and Palo Alto. Los Altos Police Chief Lucy Carlton notified local schools for a "heads up" and to allow students and parents to be particularly cautious.

Officials have not commented on whether or not they think this incident may be related.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Sgt. Dennis Bacon or Detective Larry St. Denis at the Sheriff's office, (408) 299-2211.