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A stranger knocks on the door and asks some questions. He visits at least three houses in the neighborhood. Later that night, he returns to one of the houses, where he severely beats a man in his late 60s until the victim's wife confronts the stranger and he is forced to flee.
This incident happened in genteel and sleepy Saratoga on Sept. 11. Even Capt. John Hirokawa of the Santa Clara Sheriff's Department was taken aback by the incident.
"In all my years of working here, this is one of the strangest incidents we have encountered," he said.
Two days later, on Sept. 13, the intruder apparently decided to pay another visit to the same neighborhood near Quito Road, just off Highway 9. It was early in the morning, about 7 a.m. This time he slashed the tires of the two vehicles, removed the electric meter, cut the phone wires to the residence and knocked on the door again.
The occupant of the house called 911 on a cell phone. Sheriff's deputies responded with force, and the intruder was arrested as he attempted to flee the area in his car.
"We responded with force. At least eight deputies rushed to the area," said Hirokawa.
The intruder, 40-year-old Russel Krongard of Cupertino, is being held in the county main jail without bail . The district attorney has charged Krongard with two counts of attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, destruction of phone lines and vandalism.
Deputies say that Krongard is not talking much.
The victim suffered a fractured eye socket, broken nose and contusions all over his body. His wife, who came to his rescue by stabbing the assailant in the back of the neck with a letter opener, also suffered minor injuries.
Deputies who work in the area say that residents should be careful before opening their doors to strangers.
"We always, always recommend that you do not open up the door to a stranger," said Hirokawa. "In this particular case, the victims had a sign saying that they had firewood for sale. It was an open invitation for strangers to come up to their door."
He said that as a general rule, if a person shows up and says that he works for a utility company, he should be in a uniform and have a company truck. Asking to see identification is always a good idea. "If there is any hint of suspicion, residents should call 911 right away," said Hirokawa.
Law enforcement officials say that during emergencies, it might be faster to call 911 on a land line. If a cell phone is used, it might take a little longer for deputies to respond.
"Even if there is a panic alarm in the house, the alarm company has to call a dispatcher and that takes up extra time. It might be easier to just call 911," said Hirokawa. "But sometimes in a situation where someone is attacking a house, victims might not have time to dial 911 but might be able to activate the alarm."
Bolts on the door are recommended and so is a cordless phone at home.
Hirokawa said that the incident was not being classified as a home invasion because it does not seem that the intruder wanted to rob the victims. "We have had similar situations in domestic-violence issues, but usually there is a reason," he said.
Though it has been reported that Krongard inquired about the firewood on sale at the residence that he later attacked, residents who live in the area are sure that the same person went to other houses in the neighborhood, knocking on doors.
"He asked me if my house was on Quito Road. He was looking for someone, but the way he said it I could not understand who he was looking for. He was parked in our driveway," said a homeowner nearby.
"He knocked on our door. He was standing back a little and he was wearing a golf glove on one hand," said another person who lives on the same street. "He also asked my name and was trying to find out if our residence was one homes or two homes."
Area residents believe that Krongard was looking for a soft target and he chose one after visiting a few houses.
Sheriff's deputies advise residents to call 911, 408.299.2311 or 408.299.3233 to report emergencies and any suspicious activity.
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