San Jose father brutally beaten after crash was trying to exchange info, cops say
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose police on Wednesday released a photo of a vehicle similar to the one wanted in connection with a hit-and-run crash that led to the victim being beaten.
"For somebody just to do that randomly and senselessly to him is not right," said Rosario Carbajal, the wife of 62-year-old Robert Carbajal, who is in the hospital after Friday night's attack.
The incident began when Carbajal and his nephew, who was riding with him, were hit by a woman in a Cadillac Escalade.
"Just basically a fender bender. That's it. She came out of nowhere, hit him in the back side," Rosario Carbajal said.
San Jose police search for attackers who hospitalized man in brutal beating
The victim's family of a brutal South Bay beating says the man was targeted after getting into a minor fender bender hit-and-run collision. The victim, who is a husband and father, is hospitalized and unable to speak. Family members say the hit-and-run driver may have called another vehicle to help when the victim followed her for insurance information. Two men then ambushed the victim.
The woman didn't stop and took off in an Escalade. Carbajal's nephew called 911 as the two followed the Escalade to Summer Court, a dead-end street near I-680 and Capitol Expressway.
Carbajal's wife believes the woman made a phone call that brought another car with two men to the scene.
"She called people, and they beat him up," she said.
Officer Steve Aponte, a San Jose police spokesman said, "Soon afterwards, there was an assault where both males involved began kicking and punching the victim, ultimately leaving him in the roadway."
Patricia Carbajal, the victim's daughter said, "He was just in a fetal position. He couldn't defend himself. And these guys were like late 20s, early 30s, like big men."
Everyone took off. Carbajal was taken to the hospital with skull fractures.
"I still can't believe that's what happened to my dad, like this is what he looks like," Patricia Carbajal said.
Police say the victim hadn't done anything wrong.
"The victim in this case did not appear to be aggressive, was not doing anything to instigate a fight, rather was just collecting information, attempting to exchange that information," Aponte said.
KTVU legal analyst Michael Cardoza said he doubts the woman could legitimately claim that she was scared because she was being followed
"It's going to be a hard sell for her to say, 'Oh, I was in fear of my life' since she was leaving the scene of the accident., and then other people show up" to attack the victim, he said.
"He's not a confrontational man. He's rather talk it out or walk away," his wife said.
His family, hoping he will recover and that his attackers are brought to justice.
"How do you feel so macho and tough, like you are the lowest coward out there?" his daughter said.