Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos real estate, neighborhoods, condos, houses, homes, market trends, history, events, lifestyle, parks, events, businesses, home, Mary Pope-Handy
Site Feed
 RSS Feed
|
Mar. 15, 2008
Categorized in: Los Gatos Events
The Los Gatos Observer was the first to break the news that yesterday, just before noon, a man was killed at a townhome complex (Rancho de Los Gatos) on Overlook Drive, which is walking distance to downtown Los Gatos. Within a few hours, other news sources picked up on the story and we learned that the victim was a former bar tender and bar owner, the much beloved Mark Achilli.
Apparently a man dressed all in black had been hanging around this normally sleepy neighborhood for a few hours. He shot Mr. Achilli at close range with a number of bullets. Experts believe this is not a random shooting.
Right now, there are more questions than answers. Police are seeking any information. Please call (408) 354-8600 if you can help with this case. The suspect is still at large.
Mark Achilli is a former owner of Mountain Charley's Saloon and 180 Degree Restaurant and Lounge, and prior to that was a bartender at Carry Nation's - all three in Los Gatos.
Crime in Los Gatos
Los Gatos enjoys a very, very low crime rate, so this is particularly shocking for the townsfolk. The type of crime found here can be read in the local papers or online, and usually consists of things like drunk in public, domestic dispute, theft (often from or of autos), burglary, and so on. More serious offenses include rape, drunk driving and assault - but they are not too common.
A visit to CrimeReports.com enables the visitor to plug in the address and see, on a map, the types of crime there. You can see for yourself that this murder is an abberation for the otherwise ultra-safe part of Silicon Valley.
Link to CrimeReports.com's page for 18400 Overlook Road, Los Gatos, CA 95030
The police has a volunteer group, Volunteers in Policing, and these 150 or so goodly folks assist in a lot of ways around the town. Residents here experience good rapport with the police as well and it's hoped that together, we can assist our peace officers in solving this crime, bringing answers to Mark Achilli's loved ones, and again making our town peaceful and safe. If you know anything that might assist in this investigation, please call the police at (408) 354-8600, or phone the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Tip Line at (408) 399-7531.
For more on the investigation of this crime, please see these articles in the Los Gatos Observer: Los Gatos Police Investigate Shooting
Los Gatos Police Seek Murder Suspect
Sep. 26, 2007
Los Gatos Had a Cross-Dressing Crook Captured in
1895Thanks to Google Alerts, "Live in Los Gatos" doesn't have an excuse for missing much that comes
online about the Town. This morning I was directed to an article in the San Jose
Mercury News that discussed a bit about life in the 1890s. A photo of women with enormously poofy sleeves was
displayed, along with a discussion about their clothes generally. It wasn't all that interesting.
But...
At the bottom of this article is a section titled "112 Years Ago" and that's where the interesting stuff
was buried.
Apparently Charley Parkhurst (who was a female dressed as a male her whole adult life), a stagecoach
driver discussed in this blog previously in "Surprises of the WIld
West", wasn't the only one back in the wild west days with a secret! Charley Parkhurst, though, was an
honest worker, a teamster who couldn't have worked in her chosen profession without some deception. (She was also
the first woman to vote in the US!)
In the case of Louise Elizabeth Myrtle Blaxland Murton Matson, though, it may have been work that
motivated her, but not honest work. Imagine her jailmates' surprise when she was thrown in with them in January
of 1895 and they realized that the guy passing bad checks on Main Street in Los Gatos was no man at all. Apparently it was
her mother who thought up the idea that if she dressed like a man, she could get away with her crime (what a family!). The
judge must have been baffled as to what to do with this case.
Instead of sentencing her to serve time in the jail (perhaps there were no women's facilities?), he released her with an
order to dress like a woman.
Some would argue, both then and now, that this would be quite punishment enough.
Aug. 24, 2007
Categorized in: LG Lifestyle
Los Gatos enjoys a tremendously low crime rate overall. Sometimes I chuckle to read The
Weekly's blurb on the police reports. It usually includes a few drunk-in-publics, a DUI, theft out of an unlocked car, and a
domestic dispute or two.
Usually, crime in Los Gatos is very minor. It's not nice, it's disheartening, but it's normally very small.
 In the past, I have mulled over
discussing some of the seedier things that happen in Los Gatos but didn't think there was anything to learn from the topic.
It's obvious to me that drunk driving is wreckless and innately immoral, and I didn't think I had anything new to add
to the topic.
Los Gatos IS a safe place to live. Probably one of the safest. But that doesn't make The Cats immune, and it doesn't mean we
should be so casual as to invite trouble. And I think the latter point is something that should be addressed as many of us are
complacent as we relax in the safety of our town.
Today is a case in point. Sadly, early this morning, on the Los Gatos-San Jose border (right near where I just sold a
duplex) a man attempted
to kidnap a senior woman as she was walking close to the Los Gatos Memorial Park on Los Gatos-Almaden
Road. One side of Los Gatos-Almaden Road is San Jose and the other is Los Gatos.
Luckily, this woman refused to comply with the jerk's command that she get in his pickup truck. She did end up getting hit or
slapped, but of course it could have been much worse.
What can we learn from this?
No matter where you live, no matter how safe your zip code or area might be, it pays to pay attention, to have your wits
about you. It's a good idea to be able to defend yourself too - this is particularly true for those of us in real estate, who
may sometimes be in homes with folks we don't know too well.
Even if you live in Los Gatos, Almaden Valley, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Los Altos or any other "high end" (low crime) area,
don't invite trouble. Lock your homes and cars. Don't leave bicycles, scooters or other valuables out in the driveway. Pay
attention to your surroundings. Keep your eyes open. Tell your neighbors if you see something unusual or suspicious. You're
not being nosy, you're being a neighbor.
|
Blogs Homepage
Featured Entries
Recent Entries
Recent Comments
Vendor Blogs
Tags
My Starred Entries
Create A Blog