Two hours ago we heard a lot of yelling and some glass breaking right outside our house (the one we rent). Ran outside and saw two 20-somethings running away. Our neighbor was running/limping into his house. Knocked on his door and found him bleeding profusely from the nose. He said it was broken. Called 911 and then took him to the ER. He said the two guys attacked without warning, just started wailing on him. He didn’t refuse their robbery, but was attacked anyway.
The last two weeks have seen a huge uptick in the number of drug deals going down half a block up; cars pulling up in the middle of the street and idling for five minutes, kettle drum speakers thudding our windows half a block away. We and several other neighbors have been finding hypodermic needles on the sidewalks. No question in my mind this was an attack for drug money. Told the OPD I’m now afraid to leave my house and afraid for my wife and baby and can we please have extra patrols on this stretch. The dispatcher said she would put the word out.
You’d never guess it during the day. We live on a lovely tree-lined street, most neighbors maintain their yards, people like each other. The neighborhood feels good. But always just under the surface this perpetual crap and ugliness.
As we were driving to the ER, my neighbor said through the bloody rags covering his face, “I try so hard not to have racist thoughts.”
Sad story. I feel for your concern over your wife and child. Maybe boring, old suburban El Cerrito’s not looking so bad now, eh ?
There are charming old neighborhoods in Dallas that are blighted the same way. Swiss Ave. is lovely, but that “perpetual crap and ugliness” is sometimes only a block or two away…(and I know, because I used to live at the corner of Swiss Ave. and La Vista :)
http://www.sahd.org/
“The dispatcher said she would put the word out.”
Yeah, well, that and a cup of coffee…..
You need to tell the city that you are
moving out due to the crime. A letter
is best. Tell Jerry Brown. Tell the
Lt. in charge of your area. Take a photo
of your friends nose and post it to
http://sf.indymedia.org/
El Cerrito is close to Richmond. Could be better,
could be worse, we shall see.
Scott,
This really sucks. I think the Tarzan response (“Must protect Jane! Must Protect Boy!”) is very natural. Also it is very good you could be there to help your neighbor and keep alive the threads that bind and protect what there is of a neighborhood. Bur ultimately (and sadly well timed) it sounds like a good advertisement for the “borebom” of June and Wally Cleaverland.