Post
City letters arrived too late
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT Daily Post Staff Writer
Resident Mandy Lowell says she received a letter in the mail from the city of Palo Alto telling her the price of parking permits was going up on July 1.
The letter encouraged Lowell to purchase a permit as soon as possible to get the current, lower rate that would expire on June 30.
Special rate already expired
Council approved the new parking rates on June 16.
The only problem? Lowell received the letter on July 14, after the rate hike took effect.
COLUMBIA TO PAY UP: Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government. The agreement was made to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus. The Ivy League school will pay a $200 million settlement over three years to the federal government.
BONDI’S HEADS-UP: Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Trump that his name was in the Epstein files, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bondi also told the president that the DOJ wasn’t going to release the report because of the presence of child pornography and wanting to protect the victims.
INFLATION OVER SOCIAL JUSTICE: Economic concerns such as increased cost of living and inflation have replaced social justice as the top issue for California voters 18 to 30, a new statewide poll by Power California and Latino Decisions found.
NO LIFE JACKETS: None of the eight people who died following the [See THE UPDATE, page 4]
“I was going to take the recommendation until I realized the date was two weeks earlier,” Lowell said in an interview.
The price increase was around $30 for Lowell’s permits, so she didn’t break the bank. But she’s getting the word out about the late mail just in case the city has a more important deadline in the future.
Lowell said the city had good intentions to let people know they could save money, but it’s ineffective to mail the letters after the due date.
The city then gave a mailer to a vendor to send out, but it was too late for the mailer to arrive by July 1, city spokeswoman Meghan Horrigan-Taylor said in an email on Monday.
The mail was postmarked on July 10.
“When staff realized the delays, the mailer wording should have … re-
[See LETTERS, page 18]
Student moved after bullying
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT Daily Post Staff Writer
A Los Altos inventor who allegedly killed Mountain View tutor Alice Ku in Taiwan has lost his job after a jury reached a $23.6 million verdict against him, his attorney said yesterday.
BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ Daily Post Staff Writer
Sequoia High School parents have filed a claim after their child was allegedly sexually harassed by other students after a districtwide email of him in a swimsuit was sent, causing him to move to another state.
The parents’ attorney, Shira Mowlem, filed a claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, on March 21 against the district for failing to conduct an investigation after their child was discriminated against during the 2022-2023 school year. The parents are asking for $25,000 in damages.
The Sequoia Union High School District was aware of the bullying but underminded it, calling it only a “peer conflict,” according to the claim the Post obtained using the California Public Records Act.
The records the Post obtained were heavily redacted by the district and did
Harald Herchen, 66, had worked at Bloom Energy since 2009, most recently as a fellow. He said during a trial that the company recognized his contributions, including 60 to 70 patents for parts that convert natural gas to electricity, so he was allowed to do
whatever he wanted. Herchen traveled the world to meet with suppliers, and he started bringing Ku on his trips after they married in October 2017.
Ku disappeared on their seventh trip to Taiwan, which started with Herchen
Developer settles first investor suit
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
A Los Altos developer who allegedly pocketed millions of dollars from investors has settled one of more than 15 lawsuits against him on the day the case went to trial, court records show.
Vahe Tashjian, 45, agreed on Tuesday to pay back $167,800 to investor Cathy Ettenger rather than starting a trial against her with Judge Beth McGowen in San Jose.
Ettenger, 69, of Sunnyvale, was seeking interest, attorney fees and punitive damages from Tashjian, for a total of $818,320. But she settled her case for the principal amount of her loan.
Ettenger first invested in Tashjian’s
company, Dutchints Development LLC, in the form of a promissory note in July 2019.
The note was supposed to be paid back with interest two years later.
She and Tashjian transferred the loan to a second promissory note in November 2019 and a third promissory note in March 2020.
Went bankrupt instead
Instead of paying Ettenger back, Tashjian and Dutchints Development LLC went bankrupt.
Tashjian allegedly transferred $3.3 million from the LLC to his personal bank account and transferred $2.5 million in the other direction, keeping
$807,000 for himself, Ettenger said. Tashjian used the money to remodel his own house at 901 Loyola Drive in Los Altos and to help with his aunt’s home loan in Mountain View, Ettenger’s attorney said in a trial brief.
Accounts drained
“Tashjian drained the LLC bank account and then had the entity file for bankruptcy before repaying money he borrowed from Ettenger,” her attorney said.
Tashjian had his hand in about a dozen housing developments on the Peninsula, ranging from single-family homes to apartment complexes.
Addresses included 5150 El Camino
Real and 745 Distel Drive in Los Altos, 26088 Duval Way in Los Altos Hills and 570 S. Rengstorff Ave. in Mountain View.
Tashjian’s investors were guaranteed healthy returns and referred their friends to him from 2016 to 2019.
Crashed down
But his web of LLCs came crashing down in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, according to a report by DA investigator Cody Cogliandro.
When investors asked for financial records they were entitled to see, Tashjian would either refuse or send records through an app that made doc-
[See DEVELOPER, page 19]
June 21 capsizing of a boat in Lake Tahoe, including a longtime Redwood City family, were wearing life vests at the time of the incident, investigators said yesterday. The two people who survived the capsizing either wore or held onto life vests.
HOUSE WANTS FILES: A House subcommittee has voted to subpoena the Department of Justice for files in the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The committee voted 8-2, with three Republicans voting with the Democrats on the panel, just hours before the House was scheduled to end its July work session and depart Washington for a monthlong break.
DRUG DEALING DOC PLEAS: A doctor has pleaded guilty to illegally supplying ketamine to Matthew Perry before the overdose death of the “Friends” star. Yesterday, Dr. Salvador Plasencia admitted in federal court to providing Perry with ketamine vials, lozenges and syringes in the weeks leading up to his death on Oct. 28, 2023.
COCOA PRICES RISE: Hershey and other chocolate makers are continuing to hike prices, saying a volatile cocoa market gives them no choice. Hershey said yesterday it plans to increase its U.S. prices in the fall. In some cases, pack sizes will get smaller; in others, list prices will rise. The company says the price increase won’t apply to its products especially packaged for Halloween. Cocoa prices have more than doubled over the last two years.
LATEST MEME STOCKS: Investors are again turning to meme stocks in the hopes of scoring quick gains. The latest beaten down companies to see a share price revival are Krispy Kreme, GoPro and Beyond Meat. Each company initially surged before leveling off yesterday.
Letters:
City of Palo Alto and the County of Santa Clara, and we’re qualified to publish legal notices such as Fictitious Business Name Statements (FBNs) and legal name changes. For more information, email ads@padailypost.com.
Deaths
Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office:
July 9
Vladislaz Gurfinkel, 77, of Mountain View
Anna Yee, 79, of Mountain View
July 8
Herbert Clark, 95, of San Mateo
Albert Summers, 85, of Redwood City
July 7
Michael Braunthal, 73, of Palo Alto
Vera Madsen, 99, of Sunnyvale
July 6
Israr Khan, 87, of Sunnyvale
Akshaya Selva Ganesh, 8, of Palo Alto
Jing Zhou, 40, of Sunnyvale
July 5
Irwin Heyman, 83, of Palo Alto
July 4
Benjamin Halpren, 84, of Atherton
An Xuan Tang, 83, of Mountain View
July 2
Cristian Bernal-Rodriguez, 32, of Palo Alto
Gayle Weissbrodt, 79, of Sunnyvale
Christine White, 88, of Portola Valley
William Hughes, 96, of Palo Alto
Maria Garcia, 80, of Foster City
Alicia Fiedziuszko, 84, of Palo Alto
July 1
John Chen, 75, of Los Altos
Births
El Camino Hospital in Mountain View:
Jan. 5
Michael Christopher Boinagrov, a boy
Marisol Evelyn Causey, a girl
Grace Arabelle Dominguez, a girl
Rory Barrett Gaines, a boy
Caleb Jackson Gibbs, a boy
Micah Feng Kiang, a boy
Brielle Rose Atud Perry, a girl
Nili Sharir, a girl
Teo Tous Van Der Geest, a boy
Lincy Wang, a girl
Ian Zou, a boy
Jan. 4
Waleed Alrfou, a boy
Praveer Bhardwaj, a boy
Vidhira Dubey Nooka, a girl
Yashika Goel, a girl
Benjamin Francis Hunt, a boy
Loha Kim, a boy
Mason Avery Klinger, a boy
Drew Calvin Millett, a boy
Inaaya Nirkhe, a girl
Valentina Toha, a girl
Willow Harmony Wood, a girl
Jan. 3
Arianna Grace Davalos Melchor, a girl
Damian Nathaniel Gutierrez Cardenas, a boy
Yixin Jiang, a girl
Yiyi Jiang, a girl
Javier Andres Jimenez, a boy
Shirsa Gouri Mishra, a girl
Druvika Vinayak Nayak, a girl
Avery Marie Sanchez, a girl
Aria Wang, a girl
Ethan Wu, a boy
Aisenberg Kunshan Yu, a boy
Jan. 2
Emerson Alina Ballesteros, a girl
Hugh Dominic Ho, a boy
Camille Van Huynh, a girl
Saharsh Parvataneni, a boy
Vikram Sagar, a boy
Arhaa Walia, a girl
Jan. 1
Veer Agrawal, a boy
Ellie Yuki Alexander, a girl
Dom Matteo Bicudo, a boy
Aanondo Bose, a boy
Kaia Roisin Dalo, a girl
Ariel Chi Do, a girl
Harrison James Guerke, a boy
Ahan Jaiswal, a boy
Ayaan Menon, a boy
Theodore Zhang Ngo, a boy
Navya Singh, a girl
Vikrant Yash Sinkar, a boy
Theodore Gerald Wilks Mostowski, a boy
Jasper Zheyu Zhai, a boy
Dec. 31
Alina Jain, a girl
Charles Marco Sabalvaro Kintana, a boy
Leyi Li, a boy
April Kwan Liang, a girl
Ayansh Ravitej, a boy
Vedaant Shaurya, a boy
Tang Zhu, a boy
Nonprofit eyes lawsuit against county, Corpus
BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer
San Mateo County’s attorney agrees with an open government nonprofit’s request to open up the removal proceedings against Sheriff Christina Corpus. However, the ball is in her court, the county attorney told the First Amendment Coalition.
San Mateo County Attorney John Nibbelin wrote to the coalition on Monday agreeing that the hearings should be open, but he doesn’t have the power to change Corpus’s decision to make them private. Now the nonprofit is trying to decide if it will sue the county and sheriff, a spokeswoman said yesterday.
“If you do choose to file a lawsuit, the County Attorney’s Office will not oppose it,” Nibbelin said in his letter.
Attorney makes case FAC attorney Aaron Field’s letter, which was sent on July 16, said that Corpus doesn’t have the right to keep her hearings private after residents voted for Measure A.
On March 4, more than 90,000 San Mateo voters approved Measure A, which gave supervisors the authority to remove Corpus. Field said the board can not “shut
LOS ALTOS
NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Los Altos will hold a Public Hearing to consider the following project: 1. D23-0008 & CUP24-0002 – Allison Buggs – 1001 Fremont Avenue & 1579 Miramonte Avenue
Request for a Design Review (D23-0008) and Conditional Use Permit (CUP24-0002) for a public utility use within an existing two-story commercial building at 1001 Fremont Avenue and the construction of a new 1,554 square-foot one-story storage building at 1579 Miramonte Avenue, located at the northeast corner of Fremont Avenue and Miramonte Avenue. The project is categorically exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
The Planning Commission public hearing will be held on Thursday, August 7, 2025 starting at 6:00 PM in person at the Community Meeting Chambers, Los Altos City Hall, 1 North San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA and via webinar. Please go to the following link: https://tinyurl.com/6ds56jb3 Webinar ID: 923 9784 7119 / Passcode: 242017 / Telephone: 1-253-215-8782
Questions can be answered by calling the Development Services Department at (650) 947-2750 or sent via email to planning@losaltosca.gov.
Yvonne Dupont, Management Analyst I
San Mateo County citizens out of a key phase of a process they voted” on.
Nibbelin said the board does not have the power to overrule Corpus’s request for a private hearing, with the procedures the board voted on June 24.
The coalition also sent a letter on Monday to Corpus’ attorney, Thomas Mazzucco, who did not respond by a 5 p.m. deadline, spokeswoman Suzzane Ito said. Mazzucco also did not respond to the Post about the letter.
Field, in his letter, asked Corpus to withdraw her request made on June 27 to make her hearing private.
“Given both the county’s and the sheriff’s stated desire for transparency in the removal process and the sheriff’s stated desire for a chance to publicly respond to the allegation against her, we hope that the sheriff will withdraw her objection to holding the Removal Hearing in public,” Field said in his letter to Corpus’s attorneys.
Hearing scheduled
Supervisors scheduled a removal hearing for Corpus on Aug. 18-29, according to county spokesman Marshall Wilson.
Mazzucco has stated in previous board meetings that she has
the right to keep the hearings private under the Peace Officer Bill of Rights.
The First Amendment Coalition said in their letter that the Peace Officer Bill of Rights does not justify closing the hearing because state law states it should be open to the public. As an elected official, privacy protections do not apply to Corpus, the coalition wrote.
The coalition is now deciding whether to file a lawsuit against the county or Corpus, according to spokeswoman Suzanne Ito.
Removal effort
Corpus is currently facing removal from the Board of Supervisors and the county’s civil grand jury.
Supervisors have voted to fire her based on allegations detailed in two reports by outside investigators. They alleged she was engaged in nepotism, retaliation, intimidation, ordering a false arrest and making racial and homophobic slurs.
The civil grand jury has also issued four accusations against Corpus. She will have to stand trial and if she’s convicted, she will be removed from office.
A recall to remove her is currently on hold as organizers see how the other removal procedures play out.
Caltrain OKs deal on sales tax plan
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT Daily Post Staff Writer
The Caltrain board yesterday approved an agreement on how San Mateo County and Santa Clara County would split funding from a Bay Area sales tax intended to bail out struggling public transit agencies.
Each county would pay Caltrain $32.5 million annually from the halfcent sales tax, if it’s approved by voters in November 2026.
The number was negotiated by Redwood City Councilman Jeff Gee and Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga over the course of six private meetings.
Compromise reached
Gee, representing San Mateo County, wanted to base the payment on the number of riders in each county, with Santa Clara County paying the most.
Abe-Koga wanted credit for Santa Clara County generating the most revenue from Measure RR, a one-eighthcent sales tax approved by voters in all three Caltrain counties in November 2020.
In the end, Gee and Abe-Koga met in the middle between the two formulas. They abandoned negotiations on other issues, such as who should pay
for service to Gilroy and a broader funding agreement.
“The clock was ticking away on us,” Gee said yesterday.
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa was skeptical of the compromise because he said Measure RR was supposed to be a systemwide funding source.
“If you have the most riders in your county, shouldn’t you pay the most?” Canepa said. “The math to me … it just doesn’t add up.”
But ultimately, the agreement passed on a unanimous vote.
Next steps
The agreement now goes to the SamTrans board in San Mateo County and the VTA board in Santa Clara County.
The agreement would then be written into a state bill that would allow for a sales tax to go on the ballot in six Bay Area counties.
VTA and SamTrans still need to decide if they’ll participate in the regional tax. The deadline to opt in is Aug. 11.
“I don’t think this is the finish line. I think it’s the starting gun,” Caltrain board member Steve Heminger said yesterday.
Lawsuit claims worker fell from school’s roof
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT Daily Post Staff Writer
A man who was doing community service at Ohlone Elementary School was told to sweep leaves off the roof, and then he lost his balance and fell seven feet to the pavement below, according to a new lawsuit.
Marlon Eladio Menjivar Cruz, 29, of Redwood City, is suing the city of Palo Alto, Santa Clara County and Palo Alto Unified
School District. He’s seeking money for his medical bills and for his pain and suffering since the fall on Oct. 6.
Menjivar Cruz said an untrained person like himself shouldn’t have been allowed on the roof at 950 Amarillo Ave.
All sides mum Representatives for Santa Clara County and the city of Palo Alto declined to comment on the law-
suit, and Superintendent Don Austin said he wasn’t familiar with the allegations.
The lawsuit doesn’t say why Menjivar Cruz was doing community service, and his attorney Giorgio Cassandra hasn’t returned a request for comment since Monday.
Menjivar Cruz was sentenced in May 2024 to 20 days in the sheriff’s weekend work program for driving drunk into a tree on Embarcadero Road, court records show.
Revamp of center stuck on 1st step
BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ Daily Post Staff Writer
Belmont officials are still figuring out how to remodel Barrett Community Center, six years after the city first discussed revamping the center.
The Barrett Community Center at 1835 Belburn Drive will be reconstructed because it does not meet current earthquake standards. Belmont officials have been discussing renovations since 2019, but have had trouble finding employees to make the center a more usable space, Parks and Recreation Director Brigitte Shearer said at a July 16 meeting.
Six-step process
At the meeting, Shearer put up a list of six steps that need to occur before the new community center opens. The city is on step one.
During community outreach in 2024, 3,000 residents said they would like a center with a space for sports, a children’s play area and more seating, according to Jonathan Hartman, architect principal.
Residents said they were interested in having meditation rooms, walking trails, a dog park, a pool and pickleball courts.
Hartman said that it is still being looked at to see if the center should have a pool, considering existing places that already provide that service.
Commissioner Emken Adar pointed out how Menlo Park is struggling to gain traction with the Belle Haven Pool.
“I know Menlo Park is a little too far away to go to swim, but at one of their pools, they would love to have more patrons. That’s the challenge,” Shearer said.
Three new pools have been built or planned since 2019.
Canada College and YMCA-Veterans Memorial Senior Center have opened new pools while San Carlos is currently considering opening one, Hartman said.
Although the new pools aren’t in Belmont, Hartman said to consider how far people would travel to go to a pool.
Hartman also showed three open gyms that the community center would compete with.
2019 plans
Plans were made in 2019 to construct two floors for the Barrett Community Center.
On the first floor, there were plans for a gym, a children’s care center with offices and a play yard, an outdoor pool, locker rooms, a party room, a community lounge, a kitchen and a multipurpose room.
The second floor would have an open gym, fitness studio, an arts and crafts room, public bathrooms and rooms for employees.
There would be 161 parking spaces, which include street parking on Belburn Drive.
Council will review plans for the Barrett Community Center on Sept. 23.
Rail crossing fixes work
BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
The railroad crossing at Churchill Avenue used to have the most cars driving onto the tracks, but there have been zero incidents since Caltrain installed new markers and asked Google Maps and Waze to give better directions, Chief Safety Officer Mike Meader told a committee yesterday.
Caltrain put out pavement markings and reflective posts that show where the tracks are, and crews repainted the lines on the street to clearly tell cars to wait behind the tracks.
Caltrain is also planning to put panels in the ground that are difficult to walk across, like a cattle guard for people, Meader said yesterday.
Rail Sentry, a system that uses AI and lidar, was installed at Churchill Avenue in March to detect people going on the tracks.
Google Maps and Waze now tell drivers to go past the tracks, and Me-
ader said he is talking to Apple about having Apple Maps do the same.
Since the beginning of 2020, 38 cars drove onto the tracks at Churchill Avenue — the most of any crossing.
Zero cars have been reported on the tracks since Rail Sentry was installed, Meader said.
Model for future
Palo Alto Councilman Pat Burt, who sits on the Caltrain board, said the improvements at Churchill Avenue could be a model for Caltrain’s 40 other atgrade crossings.
The improvements at Churchill Avenue will cost around $350,000 — 1,000 times less than estimates for building underpasses or bridges to fully separate the tracks from the road, Burt said.
“This may not be a complete panacea, but it is something that is a tiny fraction of the cost,” Burt said at a Technology, Operations, Planning, and Safety Committee meeting yesterday.
logs. All of the people named here are innocent until proven guilty in court.
PALO ALTO
FRIDAY
5:22 a.m. — Burglary, Stanford Shopping Center.
9:58 a.m. — Burglary, 2500 block of El Camino.
8:17 p.m. — Dejohn Edward Stone, 24, of San Francisco, arrested for shoplifting, Stanford Shopping Center.
SATURDAY
12:27 a.m. — Arthur Michael Gentry, 42, transient, arrested for grand theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and on a warrant, Downtown Palo Alto Caltrain Station.
Noon Joshua Paxton Guess, 29, transient, arrested for grand theft and possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia, Downtown Palo Alto Caltrain Station.
11:18 p.m. — Home burglary, 2200 block of Greer Road.
SUNDAY
12:43 a.m. — Michael Philip Lugea, 64, transient, cited on a warrant, 2400 block of Faber Place.
4:45 p.m. — Jennifer Lagone, 41, of San Jose, arrested for grand theft, Downtown Palo Alto Caltrain Station.
MENLO PARK
TUESDAY
10:01 a.m. — Adrian Verdin, 40, transient, arrested on a warrant, 1300 block of Adams Court.
10:33 a.m. — Sara O’Leary, 34, of Yreka, arrested for possession and transportation of narcotics and other drugs for sale, Willow Road and Coleman Ave. Laina Atwood, 40, of Yreka, cited for narcotics possession.
3:55 p.m. — Petty theft, 300 block of Sharon Park Drive.
PORTOLA VALLEY
JULY 17
9:43 p.m. — Home burglary, 300 block of Golden Oak Drive.
STANFORD
JULY 13
11:42 p.m. — Tyler Christopher Deal, 34, of Mountain View, arrested
Police Blotter
for DUI, Galvez St. and Campus Drive.
MOUNTAIN VIEW
JULY 14
1:31 a.m. — Blanca Ayala Tolcha, 22, of Sunnyvale, cited for DUI and driving without a license, Shoreline Blvd. and Wright Ave.
JULY 15
12:53 a.m. — Mario Hernandez, 42, of Mountain View, cited for drug possession, El Camino and Showers Drive.
7:20 a.m. — Indecent exposure, Dale Ave. and Continental Circle.
2:58 p.m. — Grand theft at CVS, 1041 El Monte Ave.
5:26 p.m. — Edward Jackson, 51, of Sunnyvale, arrested for threats, brandishing a weapon and obstructing police at O’Malley’s Sports Pub, 2135 Old Middlefield Way.
5:26 p.m. — Auto burglary, 2900 block of N. Shoreline Blvd.
8:28 p.m. — Theft at Safeway, 580 N. Rengstorff Ave.
10:58 p.m. — Theft at Safeway, 645 San Antonio Road.
JULY 16
9:47 a.m. — Theft at an apartment building, 500 block of Walker Drive.
11:34 a.m. — Grand theft, 1000 block of Crestview Drive.
12:17 p.m. — Rebecca Molly Gibbons, 50, transient, arrested for being under the influence of drugs, vandalism and resisting police, Latham St. and Shoreline Blvd.
LOS ALTOS
TUESDAY
10:13 a.m. — Identity theft, Los Altos Square.
NORTH FAIR OAKS
SATURDAY
1:10 a.m. — Sheriff’s deputies stop a bicyclist and find he has miscellaneous documents of people who live in the area, Bay Road and Barron Ave. Arsenio Gonzalez Sian, 23, of Redwood City, cited for appropriation of someone else’s lost property.
REDWOOD CITY
APRIL 29
Jose Armando Chacon Ramirez, 24, of Redwood City, cited for drug
possession, Redwood City Caltrain Station.
Rodrigo Sican Lopez, 39, of Redwood City, arrested for trespassing and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, 1400 block of Marshall St.
Carlos Miguel Rosiles, 50, of Redwood City, arrested for violation of a restraining order, 100 block of Jackson Ave.
Brandon Gregory Johnson, 38, of Redwood City, arrested on warrants, 1000 block of Middlefield Road.
Hanns Ricardo Hernandez, 37, of Redwood City, arrested for drug possession and on a warrant, Seaport Blvd. and Stein Am Rhein Court.
APRIL 30
Sio Lelaimanua, 35, of Redwood City, arrested for indecent exposure, Redwood City Caltrain Station.
Hector Valdez, 34, of Redwood City, arrested on a warrant, 1000 block of El Camino.
Cesar Soriano de la Cruz, 40, of Redwood City, arrested for theft and on a warrant at Target, 2485 El Camino.
Thomas Munro Kenyon, 66, of San Francisco, arrested for sexually harassing a child, 2300 block of Middlefield Road.
Deepa Kumar, 49, of Burlingame, cited for DUI, 400 block of Seaport Court.
Ziyang Wu, 29, of Redwood City, arrested for domestic violence and false imprisonment, 2500 block of El Camino.
FRIDAY
5:41 p.m. — Ivan Prado Alcazar, 20, and Juan Daniel Prado Alcazar, 26, both of Redwood City, both arrested for threats, 1400 block of Ebener St. Ivan Prado Alcazar is also arrested for obstructing police.
7:47 p.m. — Virginia Ann Cerrutti, 42, of Redwood City, arrested for violation of a restraining order, 300 block of Encina Ave.
10:26 p.m. — Home burglary, 200 block of Scenic Drive.
SATURDAY
2:30 a.m. — Brandon Lee Welsh, 37, of Redwood City, arrested for assault likely to produce serious injury, 1-99 block of Fulton St.
10:19 a.m. — Home burglary, Mitchell Way.
1:07 p.m. — Arsenio Gonzalez Sian, 23, of Redwood City, arrested for
burglary and drug possession, Seaport Blvd. and Chesapeake Drive.
2:03 p.m. — Vehicle stolen, Jefferson Ave.
2:28 p.m. — Man reported to be drinking beer and throwing beer cans at passers-by, Broadway.
4:31 p.m. — Man says another man tried to stab him with a knife, Redwood City Caltrain Station. Victor Aguilar, 37, of Redwood City, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.
WOODSIDE
SATURDAY
11:07 p.m. — Marvin Chun Perez, 36, of Redwood City, cited for driving with a suspended or revoked license, 2300 block of Woodside Road.
EMERALD HILLS
FRIDAY
10:49 p.m. — Home burglary, 3800 block of Woodland Way. Jewelry and a safe are stolen.
SAN CARLOS
SATURDAY
8:43 p.m. — Man steals money from a tip jar, 1100 block of San Carlos Ave. Sheriff’s deputies find a suspect and also find he has drugs, drug paraphernalia and a stolen bank card in his possession. Bryan Montrel Burris, 29, of San Francisco, arrested for theft, resisting police, possession of stolen property and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
BELMONT
MONDAY
8:44 p.m. — Gregory Patrick Flynn, 66, arrested for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia and on warrants, 1100 block of Shoreway Road. A count is added later for trying to bring drugs into a jail.
CHP
From the Redwood City office of the CHP, which covers the Mid-Peninsula. FEB. 13
Fernando Cante Hernandez, 34, arrested for DUI. FEB. 14
Stephanie D. Henriquez, 28, arrested for DUI. FEB. 15
Benji P. Vo, 43, arrested for DUI.
The Post prints the latest real estate transactions.
PALO ALTO
2500 Columbia St. #402, 94304, 2 bedrooms, 1177 square feet, built in 2018, Thomas Icard to Stanford University for $1,078,000, closed June 27
670 San Antonio Road #3, 94306, 3 bedrooms, 1380 square feet, built in 1979, Kang Family Trust to Ran and Zijian Meng for $1,700,000, closed June 26
1113 Trinity Lane, 94303, 3 bedrooms, 1300 square feet, built in 2009, Young Oh to Yirang and Kyuwon Kim for $1,800,000, closed June 27 (last sale: $1,750,000, 06-16-23)
EAST PALO ALTO
2281 Cooley Ave., 94303, 2 bedrooms, 1040 square feet, built in 1946, Finley Living Trust to Gabriela and Hipolito Sandoval for $999,000, closed June 4
MENLO PARK
1327 Madera Ave., 94025, 2 bedrooms, 1000 square feet, built in 1948, Reginald Harris to Gunn Trust for $1,425,000, closed June 5 (last sale:
$320,000, 07-16-09)
219 Terminal Ave., 94025, 4 bedrooms, 1720 square feet, built in 1952, Geraldine Campbell to Linying and Xiaoxiang Zhang for $1,555,000, closed June 5
674 Partridge Ave., 94025, 4 bedrooms, 1653
square feet, built in 2018, Nicolas Grillet to Leland Stanford Junior Unvi for $1,675,000, closed June 3
ATHERTON
85 North Gate, 94027, 4 bedrooms, 3019 square feet, built in 1935, Jazayeri Trust to Xiaoping Ma for $5,850,000, closed June 6 (last sale: $870,000, 0324-03)
MOUNTAIN VIEW
938 Clark Ave. #62, 94040, 2 bedrooms, 982 square feet, built in 1978, J Thompson to Seongji Kim for $899,000, closed June 26 (last sale: $725,000, 03-28-14)
2255 Showers Drive #251, 94040, 2 bedrooms, 1113 square feet, built in 1999, Chiang Lou to Athan Liu for $1,100,000, closed June 25
441 Beaume Court, 94043, 2 bedrooms, 1407 square feet, built in 1988, Alexander Hawker to YiWan Liao for $1,590,000, closed June 25 (last sale: $1,252,000, 02-03-17)
LOS ALTOS
425 1st St. #33, 94022, 1 bedroom, 1224 square feet, built in 2023, 425 First Los Altos LLC to Rigel and Tingwei Hsu for $1,845,000, closed June 25
1382 Holt Ave., 94024, 4 bedrooms, 1958 square feet, built in 1959, Visionary Development LLC to 7A Holdings LLC for $3,000,000, closed June
25 (last sale: $2,900,000, 06-17-25)
REDWOOD CITY
253 Oak Ave. #202, 94061, 2 bedrooms, 1175 square feet, built in 1985, Zhang-Stoddard Trust to 253 Oak LLC for $850,000, closed June 2 (last sale: $653,000, 07-06-15)
873 Boardwalk Place, 94065, 2 bedrooms, 1110 square feet, built in 1987, Ila Jogaikar to Austin Wu for $1,130,000, closed June 3 (last sale: $1,100,000, 05-19-19)
2912 Roosevelt Ave., 94061, 3 bedrooms, 980 square feet, built in 1951, Sandra and Charles Foley to Chandler Womack for $1,360,000, closed June 5
SAN CARLOS
1 Elm St. #108, 94070, 2 bedrooms, 1330 square feet, built in 1981, Baghdasaryan Trust to Jing Zhao for $1,045,000, closed June 4 (last sale: $1,020,000, 08-15-24)
1320 Hull Drive, 94070, 4 bedrooms, 1700 square feet, built in 1948, Alexander Chan to Chi and Dan Liu for $2,485,000, closed June 5 (last sale: $1,785,000, 11-07-17)
BELMONT
1800 Robin Whipple Way, 94002, 2 bedrooms, 1010 square feet, built in 1946, Joyce Trust to Shaolan Zhao for $1,700,000, closed June 4 (last sale: $101,500, 08-01-79)
Tim has sold $2+ Billion in home sales and knows every facet of the residential real estate business, including new construction. He holds the Certified Residential Specialist designation, awarded by the Council of Residential Specialists, the largest not-for-profit affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. He is an Associate Broker with Compass, combining his expertise and knowledge with the cutting edge, high-tech platform of Compass.
5 Beds | 3 Baths | 3,600 SF Home | Basement: 650 SF | Garage: 260 SF | Lot: 10,711 SF Price Improvement: $6,998,000
Welcome to your dream home! This stunning Feng Shui-inspired residence, boasting spacious interiors, was rooms, this home offers a perfect blend of comfort and sophistication. The heart of the home is the open, eatentertaining. Nestled in the serene Crescent Park neighborhood on a quiet cul de sac, this residence offers the pool, changing rooms and ample space for entertaining. The bonus 500 sq ft basement presents an exciting
3
This stunning 3-bed, 2.5-bath corner townhome is a rare gem in Mountain View’s coveted Maravilla community. Built in 2020, it blends modern elegance with serene comfort—soaring ceilings, dramatic windows, hardwood floors, a private front courtyard, and a balcony with lush views & attached 2 car garage. One of just four prized corner units, it's tucked away in a peaceful setting yet minutes from Google, parks, shops, and top-rated Los Altos High. Community perks include a park with BBQs, green space, dog park, fountain garden, and EV guest parking. HOA: $387 Offered at $1,895,000
Here is how the new rules work: Seller only pays their listing broker. Sellers are no longer obligated through a listing agreement to pay the Buyer’s broker, but may still accept to pay the Buyer’s broker if requested in the Buyer’s offer.
ation on your home!
$1,275,000 3100 Square Feet in Twain Harte
This home is the result of a 22-year artistic and architectural journey — created not with resale in mind, but with passion, purpose, and little regard for budget. It was designed to be our last home, a deeply personal expression of everything that inspired us through our travels, reading, and study.
Villains steal the show
BY JAKE COYLE Associated Press Writer
More than six decades after Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created a superhero team to rival the Justice League, the Fantastic Four finally get a worthy bigscreen adaption in a spiffy ’60s-era romp, bathed in retrofuturism and bygone American optimism.
Though the Fantastic Four go to the very origins of Marvel Comics, their movie forays have been marked by missteps and disappointments. The first try was a Roger Corman-produced, low-budget 1994 film that was never even released.
But, after some failed reboots and a little rights maneuvering, Matt Shakman’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the first Fantastic Four movie released by Marvel Studios. And a sense of returning to Marvel roots permeates this one, an endearingly earnest superhero drama about family and heroism, filled with modernist “Jetsons” designs that hark back to a time when the future held only promise.
Family dynamics
“First Steps,” with a title that nods to Neil Armstrong, quickly reminds that before the Fantastic Four were superheroes, they were astronauts. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (a soulful Ebon Moss-Bachrach) flew into space
MARVEL’S FIRST FAMILY — Ebon Moss-Bachrach, from left, as Ben Grimm/ The Thing, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” Marvel Studios via AP.
but return altered by cosmic rays. “We came back with anomalies,” explains Reed, sounding like me after a family road trip.
They are now, respectively, the bendy Mister Fantastic, the fast-disappearing Invisible Woman, the fiery Human Torch and the Thing, a craggy CGI boulder of a man. In the glimpses of them as astronauts, the images are styled after NASA footage of Apollo 11, like those seen in the great documentaries “For All Mankind” and “Apollo 11.”
In the first moments of “First Steps,” Sue sets down a positive pregnancy test before a surprised Reed. That night at dinner — Moss-Bachrach, now an uncle rather than a cousin, is again at work in the kitchen — Ben
and Johnny immediately guess what’s up. The rest of the world is also eager to find out what, if any, powers the baby will have.
Parallel world
We aren’t quite in our world, but a very similar parallel one called Earth-828. New York looks about the same. The Thing wears a Brooklyn Dodgers cap. Someone sounding a lot like Walter Cronkite reads the news.
And there’s a lot to read when the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) suddenly hovers over the city, announcing: “I herald your end. I herald Galactus.” The TV blares, as it could on so many days: “Earth in Peril. Developing Story.”
But if the Silver Surfer made an
impression, Galactus (voiced by Ralph Ineson) does even more so. Fantastic Four movies have always before gone straight for Doctor Doom as a villain, but his entrance, this time, is being held up for “Avengers: Doomsday.” Still, Galactus, a planet-eating tyrant, is no slouch. A mechanical colossus and evident fan of Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” he sits on an enormous throne in space. Sensing enormous power in Sue’s unborn child, he offers to spare Earth for the baby.
What follows casts motherhood — its empowerments and sacrifices — onto a cosmic plane. But as good as Vanessa Kirby is, the movie is never better than when the Silver Surfer or Galactus are around.
“First Steps” is a very solid comic book movie. It’s a little surface over substance, and the time capsule feeling is pervasive. But, especially for a superhero team that’s never before quite taken flight on screen, “First Steps” is a sturdy beginning, with impeccable production design by Kasra Farahani and a rousing score by Michael Giacchino. Even if the unifying space-age spirit of Kirby and Lee’s comic feels very long ago, indeed.
Release info
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” a Walt Disney Co. release in theaters tomorrow, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for action/violence and some language. Running time: 115 minutes.
LETTERS ––––––
moved the reference to acting before the July 1 permit increase effective date,” Horrigan-Taylor said.
The city hasn’t increased parking permit fees since 2021, so there were some lessons learned about notifications and production times, Horrigan-Taylor said.
The notice was mailed to 5,000 residential and employee permit holders. The cost of mailing was $8,930, including envelopes with addresses, paper and inserting, and postage, Horrigan-Taylor said.
Workers saw highest jump
Downtown employees saw the greatest fee increase, ranging from $76 to $90 more per year. Employees usually buy their permits in June, while residents usually buy permits in the fall or the spring, Horrigan-Taylor said.
“So while the notification was framed as ‘don’t miss out’ on permit pricing, most residents do not purchase their permits so early,” Horrigan-Taylor said.
BULLYING –––––
not disclose various details, including the slurs the student was called or details of who sent the district-wide email.
Starting in November 2022, the student was called names that were not disclosed in the claim by students on many occasions, such as at the school dance, the claim states.
Hit from all sides
Throughout November 2022 and January 2023, the student continued to be bullied on campus. He was harassed by other students and, at the same time, received negative feedback from teachers, saying he was failing, according to the claim.
“He also was made to feel demoralized during class in front of his peers,” the claim stated.
The district knew of the incidents but did not follow up, Mowlem said in the claim.
The student ended the year with an F and a D, claiming that the teacher created a hostile environment, according to Mowlem.
Districtwide email
On April 1, 2024, an email was sent to the entire district, including students from Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Middle College, Redwood and Woodside, calling the student a name not disclosed by the district with a distorted photo of him in a bathing
suit, the claim said. District employees who also got the email were Kimberly Zilles, district coordinator; Sean Priest, principal of Sequoia High School; Administrative Vice Principals Sophia Olliver and Gary Gooch; Andrea Harris, who works in the Special Education Department; Rebekah Howard, mental health specialist; Dy Nguyen, special education teacher and Adili Skillin, teacher at Sequoia High School, the claim said.
Others were sent the email, but do not appear as active employees are Roderick De Leon, speech and language therapist and Kendra Venske, a behavior specialist, according to the 2022-2023 school year teacher chart.
All the teachers except De Leon and Venske still appear on the school’s website as active employees.
Sequoia Union High School District did not respond to the Post because its spokesperson was out of the office.
Wasn’t contained to Sequoia
After the email was sent, the student was taunted by students from other schools, the claim said. The parents filed a Title IX complaint on April 1, 2024.
The parents found out that no investigation was done by the district after filing the complaint. The district told the parents that the incidents happened outside of school hours, the claim said.
He now attends a school in a different state because of the sexual harassment, cyber sexual bullying and bullying on and off campus, the claim said.
JOB –––––––––
working near Tapei and ended with them sightseeing at Taroko National Park on Nov. 29, 2019.
A jury on Friday found that Herchen probably killed Ku, and now attorney Todd Davis is working on getting an official judgment so he can collect the money that was awarded to Ku’s parents.
Davis on Sunday applied for a restraining order to freeze Herchen’s assets after learning that Herchen sold a house in Palo Alto at 260 Wilton Ave.
Sale raised eyebrows
The house sold without being listed for $2.2 million on Jan. 8, 2024, and sold again for $3.3 million on Oct. 31, 2024, Davis said yesterday. He’s awaiting records from Santa Clara County that show who the buyers were.
“My suspicion is that it was an insider,” Davis said.
“I can’t say that for a fact. We will find that out later.” Herchen’s attorney Chuck Smith told Judge Beth McGowen that Herchen won’t sell or transfer any more of his properties.
But Herchen may need to take out a loan using a property as collateral since he lost his job, Smith said. Davis objected. He said that encumbering a property with a loan would have the same effect on his ability to collect the verdict money.
Couldn’t freeze assets
McGowen said she didn’t have the authority to freeze Herchen’s assets yesterday, but she left the door open for a restraining order when Davis gets more information.
After the hearing, Smith said Herchen sold the Palo Alto house to pay for his defense, and the sale was legitimate and traceable.
Smith said he doesn’t know who bought the property from Herchen.
Herchen didn’t go to yesterday’s hearing. Under the penalty of perjury, he submitted a document to the court that described his financial condition.
$50,000 a month
The document isn’t public, but one detail came out yesterday during the discussion: Herchen said he is planning to spend $50,000 a month on attorneys.
His own attorney said that’s not realistic.
“That didn’t come from me,” Smith said.
Davis said once the judgment is officially recorded, he will take steps to foreclose on Herchen’s properties and seize his bank accounts.
“It’s not necessarily that easy to collect money from somebody who owes it. You’ve got to keep the pressure on,” Davis said on a phone call on Tuesday.
During the trial, Herchen testified that he owns six to eight properties, including his Los Altos home at 927 Lundy Lane.
‘Comfortable’
living
Attorney Chuck Smith asked Herchen if he made “pretty good money” while he was married to Ku.
“It was definitely comfortable,” Herchen said.
Before Bloom Energy, Herchen worked at Applied Materials from 1994 to 2009 as the company grew from 1,000 employees to 30,000 employees. He has a PhD from Stanford and grew up in Canada.
His money would go to Ku’s parents, who are both 75 and live in Taiwan.
Bloom Energy did not return an inquiry about Herchen’s employment status yesterday.
HERCHEN
KU
uments disappear a few seconds after viewing them, Cogliandro said.
“Vahe knew he wasn’t being honest,” Cogliandro wrote in his report.
23 criminal counts
Tashjian was charged with 23 counts of felony embezzlement in July 2023. Judge Hanley Chew ordered him to surrender his passport and banned him from acting as a fiduciary while he is out on $100,000 bail.
Tashjian is due back in court for the criminal case on Monday.
Tashjian has asked to pause the civil lawsuits while the criminal case is pending, but a judge allowed all of the cases to move forward.
Disgruntled investors include Janet Bocek, Gary and Judy Laine, Tom and Diana Pare, Richard and Catherine Spieker, Tod Fukushima, Lourdes Martinez and Catherine Hung.
The lawsuits have continued to roll in. Investor Rajeev Guliani sued Tashjian on March 24 for allegedly keeping a $1 million loan from February 2020.
DISCOVER 1001 NIGHTS, A MIDDLE Eastern–inspired dining and entertainment experience on Quattro Terrace at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley, open seven days a week. Enjoy themed décor, signature cuisine, live belly dance performances Friday through Sunday, and curated retail items that transport you to the heart of a vibrant souk (bazaar). Choose from three immersive settings: open-air terrace dining, a semi-private Arabian tent or a glassenclosed dome, all styled with Arabian décor.
NEW LOOK. SAME HEART. Terun’s bar just got a glow-up and it’s ready to impress. Sleek design, upgraded vibes, and the same great cocktails you love. Come see what’s new. First round’s waiting. Terun is located at 448 S. California Ave. in Palo Alto. Call them at (650) 600-8310 or go to terunpizza.com to make your reservation.
WELCOME TO CAFE PRO BONO. After living in Germany for many years, owner Akif Aydin came to the United States with his knowledge, love and passion for food. His dream of having his own restaurant came true when he purchased Cafe Pro Bono 24 years ago. If you are looking for an event venue, Cafe Pro Bono has room for 40 to 100 guests. For more information, call (650) 3261626. Cafe Pro Bono is located at 2437 Birch St. in Palo Alto.
SHANE MARTINEZ, EYLAN’S GENERAL MANAGER is super proud of the Eylan Bar Team for providing consistent, high-level hospitality and winning the Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award for 2025! The bar program by West-Bev and Christopher Longoria draws upon the kaleidoscope
of ingredients and techniques that make up global cocktail culture, while also taking inspiration from the culinary traditions of India. Wine director Andre Sydnor’s program offers depth in classic regions like Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont, and California, offering a variety of options for casual wine lovers while including more exclusive selections for serious oenophiles. Eylan is in The Villa Menlo Park located at 500 El Camino Real. Questions? Please call (650) 420-6866.
DISCOVER THE POWER OF PRESENCE and purpose at this transformational weekend event. Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center, Silicon Valley invites you to this event on August 30th and 31st, with a rare opportunity to experience internationally renowned spiritual guide and teacher BK Sister Shivani live at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The two-day event offers powerful sessions centered on personal growth, clarity, and emotional resilience. On Saturday morning, Sister Shivani will lead “Own the Present,” followed by the evening session “Rising with Clarity.” Sunday’s program continues with “Code the Future,” in the morning followed by the evening session “Serenity in Stillness,” a talk focused on envisioning and shaping a more peaceful and purposeful tomorrow. The event is FREE, but seating is limited. Register at www.svbrahmakumaris.org/bkshivani
SOLLIS HEALTH HAS OFFICIALLY OPENED its doors in Palo Alto, offering a new kind of
00620365 “Celebrating 37 Years Selling Silicon Valley Real Estate” Houses, Condos/TH, Multi-Units, Land
Direct: (650) 906-6516 Email: janstrohecker@yahoo.com janstrohecker.com
healthcare that removes barriers to care with 24/7, on-demand access to ER-trained doctors, advanced diagnostics, house calls, and more. Leading the charge is Dr. Natalie Wu, Assistant Medical Director and a Bay Area native, who brings over a decade of emergency medicine experience, including years at Kaiser San Jose and Stanford, to the personalized, membershipbased model at 555 Middlefield Road, Suite 102. Wu completed her medical education and residency at Stanford, followed by a sports medicine fellowship through the Stanford/ O’Connor program. After years in traditional hospital systems, she’s now helping redefine care for families, professionals, and individuals alike. Visit sollishealth.com to learn more.
CALL BROOKLYN AT SUNDANCE THE Steakhouse for a lunch or dinner reservation. Lunch is served Monday through Friday and dinner is served every day. Gourmet hot sandwiches, juicy burgers and crisp salads for lunch and a complete dinner menu is available for he evening crowd. Prime rib and steaks are the specialty right along with the Lobster and fresh seafood. Healthy salads and desserts are not to be missed. Come by 1921 El Camino Real and see why Sundance The Steakhouse is such a special place. Call Brooklyn at (650) 321-6798 for a reservation and check the website for more info.
