Jun 29, 2008

Police probe double slaying

Man, woman killed days after fatal stabbing; Mountain View's homicide total hits 5

By Jason Green and Mark Abramson / Daily News Staff Writers

Mountain View police are seeking the public's help in solving a double homicide that unfolded in a quiet neighborhood early Saturday morning.

Police responding to reports of gunfire at about 4:53 a.m. found a Hispanic man and woman dead inside a home at 1987 Plymouth St., police spokeswoman Liz Wylie said.

The identities and ages of the two victims remained under wraps Saturday evening. It also was unclear how the man and woman were related, though one neighbor said they were brother and sister.

There was no sign of forced entry and no reason to suspect an indiscriminate killer is on the loose, Wylie said.

"From what we have so far, there's no indication that it was random," she said, adding that officers found the home's front door standing open.

The investigation got off to a slow start Saturday because police had to obtain a search warrant after confirming the man and woman were dead, Wylie said. They were unsure whether the victims were residents of the home and needed the order to proceed.

As a result, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office did not remove the bodies from the home until late afternoon, Wylie said. The coroner's office did not release the victims' identities or causes of death.

Police canvassed the neighborhood for clues until they could search the residence, which had several vehicles and a large backyard. Wylie said it appeared a landscaping business was being run out of the home.

Due to the early hour of the slayings, nearby residents had little information to offer investigators. No vehicle was seen or heard driving away from the scene, Wylie said, and police had no suspects as of press time.

Neighbor Robert Garcia, who found police at his front door at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, said he didn't hear any gunshots. Except for the graffiti and gang members that occasionally show up on the street, things have been quiet in the five years he has lived there.

"I really don't like it, I mean it's so close to my house," Garcia said.

Wylie confirmed that the neighborhood - a mix of residential, industrial and commercial uses - is typically trouble-free.

"It's a pretty quiet area," she said. "It's not one of our high-call areas."

Sylvia Ibarra, another neighbor, said she didn't know the residents of the home where the victims were found, but said they appeared friendly.

"They were quiet people," she said.

Ibarra and another resident who declined to be identified said the woman who lived at the home had a young child.

"It was a rude awakening," said the neighbor who wished to remain anonymous. "This is a fairly peaceful neighborhood. I'm very sorry for the little boy."

Wylie declined to confirm whether a boy was found at the residence.

Mountain View's homicide total for the year now stands at five, Wylie said. The double homicide follows a fatal stabbing Wednesday, in which Romerito Urbano Lalucis, 44, of Daly City, allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend's 58-year-old boyfriend, Leonardo Dizon Hilario, to death in her Mountain View mobile home. The city had just one homicide in 2007.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about Saturday's double homicide to call the Mountain View Police Department at 650-903-6344. People may call with information anonymously, Wylie said.

E-mail Jason Green at jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com.