January 8, 2009

Hit-and-runs plague Almaden

A series of three hit-and-run accidents over the past three weeks have plagued Alm-aden residents. No one has stepped up and admitted they were involved.

The latest accident occurred about 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s morning when Shelli and Jessica Shortt were driving south on Almaden Expressway ap-proaching McAbee. They were hit from behind by a late model silver Range Rover Utility 4D, whose driver did not stop. The Shortt’s car sustained significant damage and probably will be totaled. The Range Rover should have considerable damage to its front bumper on the driver side at the very least. The Shortts were injured and the long-term physical prognosis is not known.

If you have seen this vehicle, please call the San Jose Police Department at (408) 277-8900 or 311 or the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office at (408) 686-3658.

On or about Dec. 18, on Almaden Road in New Almaden, John Slenter’s truck was struck from behind and totaled while parked in front of his home. No one stopped to tell him about the accident.

Just south of Brown’s in New Almaden, also on Almaden Road and about the same time someone hit Slenter’s truck, a vehicle smashed into a privacy fence where horses are boarded damaging about 30 feet of fence and leaving the scene without filing a report.

Anyone with knowledge of these accidents is asked to call the police or the sheriff’s office at the above numbers.

Bachman found not guilty of kidnapping charges
In late December, a Santa Clara County judge found Donald Bachman not guilty of assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping for sexual purposes and forcibly committing a lewd act on a child.

Bachman, who was arrested two days after running down a 12-year-old Willow Glen girl, putting her into his car and driving around with her before she escaped, pleaded guilty to two counts of auto theft, and Judge Jerome Brock found him guilty of felony hit and run. He will be sentenced on Feb. 20 likely to nearly eight years in jail. Had the judge convicted him of the other charges, he would have been subject to a 35-year sentence.

As the bailiffs led Bachman from the courtroom, the defendant, who had been stoic throughout the trail, had a large smile on his face.

Deputy District Attorney Ray Mendoza appeared shocked by the verdict and told the judge he disagreed with the ruling. However, the defendant’s father, Lance Bachman, was smiling and later told newsmen that he was relieved and hoped his son will get off drugs and turn his life around while in prison.

Neither the victim nor her parents, who have moved out of state, was in the courtroom. She is now 13.

The accident, which happened on Oct. 8, 2007 near the Walgreen’s store on Almaden Expressway and Koch was watched by the girl’s younger sister who told police she saw a “creepy” man watching her as she and her sister went to the Walgreen’s. After leaving the store, as they were on their way home crossing the street, according to her story, when she saw the man in a white Toyota driving at her and her sister, who lost consciousness after the car hit her.

The older girl suffered head and pelvic injuries caused by the impact of the car, which then, according to her sister, backed up and scooped up her sister putting her into the car. He then drove about 3 1/2 miles stopping near Jeffrey Fontana Park where the girl said she woke with him trying to remove her clothes. After escaping she went to two homes—one resident was not home and the other refused her entrance, before knocking on the door of Jeffrey Gans’ home where he took her in, helped her clean up and call her mom.

Bachman, his family and his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Charlie Gillan, claimed the defendant was on drugs and was attempting to take the girl to the hospital, but never said why he took her to residential Almaden instead of toward a hospital.

Prior to stating the verdict, Judge Brock told the court he didn’t like Bachman, but felt he had to keep his personal feelings from influencing his judgment. “For some counts, this was a very, very difficult case to decide,” the judge said. “For other counts, it was a very easy case.’’