By JULIE MEHTA
The gunshots that rang out in the early morning of Jan. 11 were a rude awakening for many residents in southwest Sunnyvale, some of whom thought their neighborhoods were immune to violent crime.
Although the man who fired at least five shots at a deputy sheriff missed his mark, he still managed to disrupt the lives of hundreds of people.
Police closed Homestead Road between Hollenbeck/Stelling Road and Mary Avenue after Kristin Ray Himmelberger, 21, eluded the deputy's initial attempts to capture him. The manhunt and road closure, which lasted from about 4:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., gave 1,750 Homestead High School students an unexpected holiday, confused motorists during the morning commute, interrupted business in Loehmann's Plaza, and confined residents of the sealed-off area to their homes.
More than nine hours after the shooting, police found Himmelberger under the cover of a hot tub at a residence on Olympus Court. He was arraigned yesterday on charges of attempted murder of a police officer, armed robbery, auto theft and possession of an illegal or modified weapon, said Sgt. Jim Arata of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department.
Arata said Himmelberger, originally from Redlands in Southern California, is wanted for vehicular manslaughter in Kings County and for several misdemeanors in Santa Clara County. Authorities found pipe bombs and bomb-making materials in the car Himmelberger was driving. They also found Nazi literature and a Ku Klux Klan membership application. In addition, a picture of him in a Marine uniform was discovered, but it has not yet been determined whether he served in the military.
Although no one was injured during the incident, many residents said their peace of mind was at least temporarily shattered.
Homemaker Nhung Nguyen, who declined to give her address, said she hid under her bed sheets after hearing several shots fired. "I felt safe only because I was in my own apartment," Nguyen said. "When I saw police checking people, I became even more afraid."
Connie Resendez also was awakened by the shots and was later questioned as she drove away from her home on Noranda Drive to drop off her boyfriend and son. Officers wouldn't allow her to return home at 7:45 a.m., so she waited at the police command post in Loehmann's Plaza at Hollenbeck and Homestead roads, exchanging stories with other bystanders.
"I'm sort of glad I'm locked out because I'd be scared being home alone," Resendez said.
The incident began just before 4:30 last Thursday morning, when Himmelberger tied up Hiroyuki Chinone. Himmelberger was staying with Chinone at a residence on Hanford Drive. Himmelberger stole Chinone's wallet and two-door, white Toyota, Arata said. He fled north on Stelling Road, passing Deputy Mark Garcia, a 14-year veteran of the sheriff's department.
According to Arata, Garcia pursued the vehicle, which was traveling erratically and at a high rate of speed, to the parking lot of the Valley Church, 10885 Stelling Road in Cupertino. Himmelberger emerged from the car with a rifle and fired at least five shots. Several struck the deputy's vehicle, including one that hit the headrest of the driver's seat as Garcia was getting out of the vehicle. Garcia fired at least 10 shots in return before the suspect fled on foot into the residential area west of Stelling Road between Homestead Road and Highway 280.
Within minutes, police surrounded the area and set up a command post in Loehmann's Plaza at Homestead and Hollenbeck roads. Deputy Steve Dennis, who was stationed there, said his primary concern was for the safety of students who attend Homestead High School. Officers searched the school and closed it shortly after 6 a.m.
The situation shocked Kate Thomas, a 14-year-old Homestead freshman. "Things like this aren't supposed to happen here. This is a nice place," she said.
Officers allowed many people to cross the closed parking lot to reach Starbucks, House of Bagels and other businesses as the manhunt continued down the street.
More than 70 officers from the sheriff's department, Sunnyvale Public Safety, Los Altos Police Department, California Highway Patrol and East Bay Regional Parks assisted in the search. Two SWAT teams, two helicopters and several K-9 units helped officers scrutinize every house and yard.
But it was a bloodhound named Sahho who discovered the suspect after a nearby resident informed authorities that someone fitting the suspect's description had asked her to call him a cab, Arata said.
At 1:40 p.m., officers arrested Himmelberger at a residence just west of Homestead High School. Arata said the suspect had to be wrestled to the ground and was uncooperative during questioning. He was taken to the sheriff's detective bureau and then transported to the county jail. At press time, the weapon fired at the deputy had not been found, Arata said.
Homestead students returned to school on Friday in a rush to prepare for final exams, which began yesterday. Principal David Payne briefly explained the previous day's events during the school's morning announcements and gave staff members detailed information about the incident so they could answer students' questions.
Stores in Loehmann's Plaza were back to business as usual on Jan. 12, but some complained they were hit hard by the incident.
House of Bagels reported a 75 percent decrease in business on Jan. 11, although the store was never officially closed. Store manager Sharon Wilkie said many customers could not access the store, and she wasn't sure whether police needed to shut off the entire area.
Starbucks store manager Dow Tunis declined to say how much business he lost, but acknowledged the events had a negative effect on sales. He said many customers were shocked that something like this could happen here.
Lester Chang contributed to this report.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 17, 1996
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.