Menlo Park: Race-based assault of nanny reported on Santa Cruz Avenue

A very sad commentary on our nation when the media feels it is necessary to state the victim is a legal resident. Resident or not she should never be subject to such an attack. And that no one came to her aid, inexcusable.

The attackers are busy looking up the word "collollary". Doesn't appear in their timelines.

Find these teens before they graduate to bigger things. Must be video from nearby to judge what really happened.

I wonder if these "two blond teenagers" (sic) are going on a white supremacy rampage because in response to the Bowling Green massacre that is being covered up by all news outlets besides FOX NEWS?

I hope you're joking. There was never a massacre in Bowling Green. A couple guys got arrested for trying to send money to terrorists.

Web Link

resident - I too hope you are joking, but alternate facts seem all too common even in Menlo Park.

This is horrifying, but sadly, not surprising to me. As a member of a minority ethnic community, I have frequently experienced more veiled versions this behavior here. Recently, at a restaurant we were the only table with minorities. The waitress was rude and all but shooed us out the moment we took our last bite. There were plenty of free tables and others were casually lingering and some had long since finished their meal.

These "blond teenagers" clearly learned their attitudes from their parents and the adults around them.

I am deeply saddened to realize such behavior exists in our community. Please, do not tolerate this in our city.

Regardless of where one sits on the political spectrum, who doesn't help when harassment is going on right in front of one's own face? So disappointing. Surely discretion needs to be exercised to ensure safety, but teens on a bike and a senior nanny with a baby in a stroller? We can do better, all of us.

Not to stir the pot, but I've read the article several times. I don't see the word "alleged." That infers there is proof that the event actually occurred, other than the word of the nanny and of the employer. I don't mean to impugn them in any way, nor infer that I don't believe them. Unless there is proof, however, the word "allegedly" should be used.

Did anyone interview the staff of Amici's? Perhaps they saw something.

@ whatever - where does it say Blanca is a legal resident? If this happened as reported, it's awful. This is not to excuse lack of intervention, but I do think it's possible that this happened quickly & any bystanders who were conversing with companions or busy eating simply didn't see the sunglasses get grabbed & thrown on the ground. I find it odd that the teenaged brats used the word "Hispanic." It is more likely that the insulters used a word denoting a specific nationality. "Hispanic" is a more PC term less commonly used as an epithet.

I stopped dining at Amici' a few years ago, not because of the restaurant, but because when I was there with our two young teens, we were seated near a birthday party for age peers, and there were boys among them who said racist things about Michele Obama. We found it shocking and deeply offensive, not just because we have high admiration for her, but because the premise of living in our democracy is to mutually respect all people. These boys clearly did not, and as another commenter noted, they likely did not come to their views on their own.

Downtowner - I read an earlier version of the story which stated that Blanca is a legal resident. That seems to have been deleted.

This is deplorable, a word I miss hearing but aptly describes some in our society. Kids in MP start learning about bullying, tolerance, accepting/embracing our differences in elementary school and through middle and high school. I think the schools do a good job, but these kids clearly weren't paying attention. When found, they should be mandated to get counseling and do some form of community service where they can experience people's similarities, not the differences. Maybe if nipped soon enough they won't end up in the basket of deplorables.

This seems very odd. For starters: what were two teenagers doing in Downtown Menlo Park in the middle of a school day?! Also, the only person reporting what happened was the nanny. The baby did not know what was going on and the baby's mom was not there.

@Caroline, why punish Amici's for racist remarks of ignorant teenaged diners? Why not use it as a teaching moment for your young teens - discuss the racist remarks with them, and if they don't get why it's wrong, help them to understand.

Report states the attack occurred shortly after 11 a.m. on Jan. 30. That's midday on a Monday -- A SCHOOL DAY. Given they appeared to be about 17 years old and therefore of high school age, what Menlo Park schools (public and private) were closed that day or have an open-campus policy where students are allowed to leave the school during lunchtime? That my narrow the investigation. MPPD, please don't give up on investigating this terrible incident. Further, use this as a timely (and very unfortunate) opportunity to speak to our high school and middle school students about hate crimes. These boys may be in the audience and, whether they are ever found, will feel the shame of their hateful actions.

On Tuesday night, in a pharmacy on Santa Cruz, a local seventeen year old girl was waiting to buy medicine. She goes to a local school, is friends with my child (how I know the story) and is smart, funny, kind, petite, dresses in typical teen fashion, and has brown skin. An older woman looked at her and said, "I'd better get out of here before you shoot up the place."

It's happening here. The only bright side is that after the woman left, a little boy offered the girl his teddy bear, to keep, and said she could name it Phillip. He gave her love, he showed her he saw her humanity, and he gave her back her voice by allowing her to name his bear. The old woman, on the other hand, is a symptom of something that is growing. We need to look out for one another. And we need to speak out that it isn't ok.

Editor
Perhaps you should comment that you updated the article to remove the "legal resident" statement.

I find this odd as well. The time of day, witnesses who did nothing. Where are the witnesses? So many of these stories have turned out to be a hoax, I think we need more proof.

I did not see this incident but I did play tennis near Santa Cruz Monday morning until somewhere around 11am. I saw a couple of groups of kids who looked school aged and also wondered why they weren't in class. There were enough of them that I assumed they had the day off. So it should be easy to figure out which school public or private these kids attend.

Even in Meno Park we need to be having discussions about bigotry and implicit bias. It would serve all of us well.

Localmom
We can only hope that a boxcar of teddy bears to Trump and staff could make a difference.

I'm surprised the officer didn't mention the strong possibility that these kids could be charged with a hate crime and assault.

If you haven't already, check out Asiz Ansari monologue as host of Saturday night live last weekend.

@Gertrude

Thank you for your comment. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts.

We did not punish Amici's, although I think I understand why you interpreted my comment might mean that, so I will clarify.

As sometimes happens in decision making, more than one factor may motivate a decision. In our case we were also evolving culinary and health interests that drew us to explore other places. I meant the Amici reference to convey that a few years ago (so this phenomenon is sadly not new and therefore would seem to be not just responsive to recent national developments), we were present at an occasion where racially motivated epithets were spoken by teens who appeared to revel in doing so. That said, we found their comments typical of other adult hate speech directed at the former first lady, and to be unacceptable and shocking among age peers with no apparent reaction from adults present. We did not consider it our place to say something given the public dining context, as well as that it was a birthday celebration for a younger child in the party. Your suggestion that we may not converse teachably is not the case here. We frequently discuss many such subjects as a matter of course, and they each completed a four-year high school (Stanford OHS) philosophy sequence emphasizing critical thinking and interdisciplinary (political, science) discourse that exploring different views with an emphasis on tolerance. We decided that we prefer to dine elsewhere in places where we do not encounter the kind of public hate speech accounts that are populating the comments here from other residents. I do esteem your idea that teachable moments are of high value, as are ongoing education and programs to address challenges like this one.

I agree with the proposals to have sensitive discussions with residents of all ages of our communities about the rising concern and risk that such encounters pose locally and around the nation, and to channel these exchanges into education that uplifts our thinking and strengthens our commitment to democratic principles, including the opportunity for participation in significant civics programs. We have quite a challenge on our hands as a society now, to effect constructive change in defending free speech while working to address the dangers that hate speech introduces. I hope that we can all work together to find viable ways to do that locally and nationally.

As an aside, when I attended Sacred Heart, seniors enjoyed off campus lunch privileges. It seems plausible (quite likely perhaps?) local high schools may do that now.

Very sad that the witnesses did not immediately intervene and/or call 911. Hopefully, after seeing this report they can call the police now. Better descriptions of the assailants can help to identify them.

Video? As suggested prior, everyone today has video running - I am sure the police, and hopefully the Almanac, are out asking stores for the video feeds. This will provide closure for many and certainly answers for most and, yes, identification of 'kids' involved.

I remember a conversation about 2 years ago with the owner of Una Mas. He was telling me how the local kids that eat in his restaurant often scratch/etch into his tables and do other damaging things to his place-inside and outside. I advised him to pay more attention to which schools the kids attended and speak with the principal, if he was not interested in an immediate conversation with the kids. I have no tolerance for illegal acts and I'm sure our police force agrees.
If people see things that aren't right-report it.

I don't like the tone of some of these posts. A few of them are reeking of "blame the victim" mentality, while one is careful to point out the word "alleged" is missing when used to describe the possible perpetrators.

No, I wasn't there, neither, apparently, were ANY of you. However, I have been downtown MANY times on a weekday, mid morning-mid afternoon and encountered multiple teens on foot, on bikes, on skate boards, whatever. Please stop self analyzing the situation, stop being judge and jury in a public forum, and allow the police to do their work. Don't Embarrass yourselves by hypothesizing what possibly, may have happened and besmearch someone in the process. Just be patient and wait. I'm sure there's plenty of other things for you to gossip about that won't involve questioning the honesty of a total stranger

More than one commenter questions the veracity of the victim's description of the incident. ...And I quote.... " Also, the only person reporting what happened was the nanny." Wow! "the Nanny" is a 60 year old woman. Since when do we need witnesses to authenticate the veracity of a person's claim that they were assaulted. Thats really not how it works in our legal system in America.

The assaulters could be local in which case their pictures most likely would be in a high school yearbook. There aren't that many high schools in the immediate area so it wouldn't take that much effort from our are amazing people in law enforcement to find out who these people are, providing the victim has given a detailed description of the offenders.

@ Jen, MP Sub, et al -
I don't think this is "blaming the victim." It is asking how it is possible that no one else reported or acknowledged witnessing the publicized event. Since this isn't the first account, per "Together in Menlo," it's unlikely that none of the bystanders or Amici staff are unaware of the event. Most people who were so frightened would have entered a store to request help rather than continuing to stroller along outside, where the attackers might return. This isn't "blaming a victim." I suggest that bystanders may have been unawarr of the sequence of events rather than prejudiced or guilty, since Blanca did not behave as victims normally do.

Did police question employees of surrounding businesses who may have seen the event through their stores' windows? In my family, which includes students from MPSCD and M-A, either assistance or reporting if the episode would occur without hesitation. The same is true among our friends & classmates' families. Despite the hideous experience of the drugstore shopper, I have not personally seen evidence of the uninvolved behavior described & I've lived here most of my life. I've seen behavior completely opposite, where residents are quick to offer help to strangers in need.

Downtowner, it seems you need to read the article, and the comments, more carefully. I'm not sure what "Together in Menlo" account you're referring to, so you may want to link what you're citing. And exactly where are you reading that Blanca "continued to stroller along outside"? The article says she raced home with the baby, which I can assure you is exactly what I would have done in her place. It sounds like she was putting the baby's safety and well being before anything else, including her fear for herself or desire to report what happened to her. I'm not sure what makes you an expert on what "most people who were so frightened" would have done, any more than I understand why you think going into a store to request help (help with what? They threw her glasses on the ground, called her a stupid Hispanic and fled on bikes) would have been normal victim behavior. It's great to hear that you and yours would have gone to her aid had you been present, but the fact remains, based on the above, that no one did. And I don't see anyone saying that the bystanders were prejudiced or guilty (of anything other than inaction, which again, appears true from what we know). Maybe they didn't really pay attention enough to understand what happened, maybe they were scared of getting involved, maybe they thought someone else would or wad helping -- it could be any number of things (this is hardly a new phenomenon -- Web Link I understand the desire to dig deeper but it seems like for the time being, we know what we know, and questioning the veracity of the account is unfair and unwarranted.

First off, I never blame the victim, for that is the incorrect thing to do, but I do have a few questions.

1. Why didn’t anyone see it? MP is not deserted on a Monday at 11 AM.
2. Did anyone report it? I find in INCREDIBLY hard to believe that nobody, including the Amichi’s staff and clients, reported the incident. I hope that the people of Menlo Park will hold themselves to higher standards.


Now, it is quite clear that she did not make this up, for she would have no need too, but if I was a judge, I would need more evidence…

So many of these alleged "hate crimes" (most) have turned out to be hoaxes. This one might be different and it might not. Why should anyone just accept it as told? I am not buying this story without at least a credible witness or other back-up. The level of hysterics since the election is ridiculous, especially in this area. And of course they were two "blonde" teenagers.

Ok, NotBuyingIt. So basically, you refuse to believe a "story" told by a person with, from what I can see, no incentive to lie (as Questions, and others have pointed out), because for some reason, you have arbitrarily decided she isn't a 'credible witness.'

[Part removed. Please comment on the topic without negative characterization of other posters.]

Also curious about the "so many hate crimes" that have turned out to be hoaxes that you refer to; you want more proof here, yet you cite not a single source for that rather far-reaching statement. Then again, maybe your statement about 'ridiculous hysterics since the election' tells us all we need to know about where you stand.

The emotional toll related to the new administration is already starkly evident after just two weeks.

So sad.

@ Your neighbor in MP -
"She raced home with the baby" who is 7 months old & was in a stroller. How does one safely "race" while pushing a stroller? I said "strollered." Unless she abandoned the stroller in order to "race" on foot, that's what she did. Racing doesn't mean walking at normal speed I didn't say she sped.
I did read the article. Hence my first comment.
<<This is not to excuse lack of intervention, but I do think it's possible that this happened quickly & any bystanders who were conversing with companions or busy eating simply didn't see the sunglasses get grabbed & thrown on the ground. >> Call for the police to locate 2 blonds on bikes headed in ___direction.
Together in Menlo posted. You didn't read that post?
Chill. There are some valid questions raised about the complete lack of awareness & observation of a hostile event completely unnoticed at 11 am on a Monday on a main business street with foot traffic. I do still question the use of the word "Hispanic" as the pejorative used as it is not a common epithet among 17 year olds.

As my name says - I didn't know that.

But, if I had to guess, I'd wager this story is fake news.

We'll all wait and see...

Any chance the nanny or MPPD has a better description of the two kids? Height? Clothing they were wearing? Color of bikes? Anything else to go on? Would be helpful...

@Downtowner - might you be overanalyzing just a tad? "Racing", based on common parlance, seems to suggest she rushed home as quickly as she could, with a baby in a stroller, rather than sticking around to get help (I'm still not sure what help you think she would've/should've been seeking under the circumstances, and you haven't elaborated). I don't see what is hard to believe about that or how you're in a position to say that isn't what 'most people' or a 'normal victim' would have done.

And you seem to be arguing out of both sides on your mouth - saying it's possible this happened quickly and any bystanders just didn't see/register what had occurred, on the one hand, but then saying the complete lack of awareness and observation given the date, time and location is suspicious. So you're saying if no one noticed/helped, maybe there was a legitimate reason, but the fact that no one noticed/helped makes the story less credible?

I read Together In Menlo's post as simply saying an earlier version of this same article mentioned her immigration status, but that reference seems to have been removed. I don't see that as referring to any 'first' or other account of this incident besides the one in this article.

Finally, I'm not sure why you question the use of the word 'Hispanic' "as "it is not a common epithet among 17 year olds." Yes, I suppose one could expect a teenager behaving like this to use more vulgar and crude language, but I don't think the fact that they didn't somehow makes this less believable by default. In fact, over the past couple years, one need only have turned on the TV (I'm sure these teens did) to hear major public figures (I won't bother naming them) mention 'Mexicans', 'Muslims' [which, as you say, are mere ethnic labels, not epithets] while saying something nasty about them (like "stupid", "rapist", "terrorist", etc.). The context in which an otherwise PC/ordinary term is used obviously matters. Is it really that much of a stretch to imagine they'd mimic what they see and hear from their so-called leaders, if they were so inclined?

I understand there may be valid open questions about facts that aren't available yet, I just think the ones you're raising are disingenuous. I also understand that with all the fake news going around, it can be really hard to separate the real stuff from the noise -- I just think the odds of a nanny in her 60s, with absolutely nothing to gain (there aren't even full names in the article, so clearly no one is looking for 5 minutes of fame), making this up for the heck of it are extremely slim.

I have access to the yearbooks of MA as I am a freshman there. Of course, I am unsure if the teens went to that school. They very well could have gone to Sacred Heart or Menlo School amongst others. I can confirm that Palo Alto High School has open lunches, meaning that students can leave campus during lunch. I don't think that students from that school would come all the way to Downtown Menlo Park, but it is always a possibility. Also, whatever school they were from, they probably were Juniors or Seniors who drove into downtown as thy are able to drive in...my only suspicion; the use of the word "hispanic"

@ Your neighbor-
Why are you quibbling so> You objected to my use of "strollering" instead of your preferred term, "racing." Now you say that "racing" just means "rushing." I did elaborate on the help she might have obtained-<<Call for the police to locate 2 blonds on bikes headed in ___direction.>> Maybe you don't think that might have been helpful? Sorry, but I do. Is that specific enough?

Not disagreeing at all that it might have been helpful, just pointing out that it's easy to Monday-morning-quarterback and say what she should have done. Having had a stranger shout an insult at my husband and me from a car years ago, I can tell you that in that moment, you tend to just freeze with disbelief and shock and then just act on your best instinct (whether that's racing home, as the article says, or trying to move on as if nothing happened or something else), whatever that may be. You're not necessarily thinking rationally enough in that moment to note identifying info or run to a store to call the police, etc. Anyway, that's my last word on this...no real point in quibbling over it.

It's extremely upsetting to hear these things are going on in our community. I'm so sorry for those who have been direct targets. Please know that the vast majority of us think it's abhorrent and would come to your aid if we saw this happening. The first time I heard something like this was on Nextdoor a number of months ago when a resident was sharing that offensive speech was directed her way in Draegers. And, another resident mentioned offensive speech was directed towards her nanny. It's so far from how i feel that my first reaction was to think "how could we possibly have someone so racist living in our great town". I wonder if some of those doubting the veracity of this story are living in the same bubble many of us were that we're beyond racism here. Sadly, I've learned this isn't true. By and large, I believe we have a wonderfully enlightened community that judges others by the content of their character, but we can't ignore the fact that there are still a few ignorant, insensitive, fearful/hateful people who live here.

I really do hope the police can find something on video and that they're willing to share the results with the Almanac. For all those focused on lunch and open campuses, the article says "shortly after 11am" so it seems unlikely these are kids who were "legally" out of school during their school lunch time. Also, the article mentions the teenagers were on bikes, so "driving in" is unlikely.

Has there been any follow-up?

@ Dancing

I haven't seen anything about this. Not one thing.

If anyone has any information please post it. People who commit crimes like these need to be prosecuted. People who make up stories like this need to be prosecuted too if that's the case.

Is there and update on this? I heard from a neighbor that Council Member Mueller met with the family and brought this woman flowers. That's all I've heard since this incident happened. Does anyone know if the Police found these kids or any footage of the incident?

Still no follow up to this. Very disturbing.

Mr. Mueller has posted a couple of things recently - if he indeed "met with the family and brought this woman flowers" perhaps he could comment.

As I've stated before - the two boys involved should be held accountable for their actions. Or, alternatively, perhaps there is no news because nothing really happened.

Very curious that the police have not released artist sketches of the perps. When a woman was assaulted in downtown Palo Alton earlier this month, the police worked with the victim and quickly released a sketch of the perp. The aggressive police response may have encouraged a second victim to come forward and information from the two victims helped the police arrest the perp. Web Link