Assault in Carmichael on a Sacramento Realtor’s Car While She’s Driving

Driving down a street an attacker in Carmichael slammed a fist into a Realtor’s car.

There are some pretty scary neighborhoods I go into when selling Sacramento real estate but I didn’t think an assault in Carmichael would happen. Certainly not while driving down a one-block, dead-end street in Carmichael in the middle of the afternoon. But from here on out, I will be doubly vigilant about dead-end streets. If you encounter trouble on the way in, there is only way out. This dead-end street was also located next to an upscale gated community. So I don’t know what was worse, the fact the residents might not care for those who live in the gated community, or the fact this Sacramento Realtor drives a Mercedes, or a combination of both.

I fully realize there are people in this world who hate every person who drives a luxury vehicle. They especially dislike Realtors, whom they view as the 1%. They don’t realize that most Sacramento Realtors are in the 99%, not the 1%.

The assault in Carmichael was really scary. Completely unexpected. Being the somewhat trusting person that I am, I actually thought the person who attacked my vehicle was needing assistance. I was on my way to a gated community in Carmichael to meet with two sellers who live across the street from each other. My GPS told me to turn on Camino Garden, which was the wrong street. That street backs up to the complex, and that gate is padlocked. I imagine the padlocked gate ticks off the residents on that street as the demographics are not similar.

I turned around, headed toward El Camino when a guy dashed out into the street, a really big tall guy with the build of a wrestler. He waved a clipboard at me. I slowed and began to roll down my window to see if I could help when he started screaming at me, incoherently. I rolled up my window and tried to avoid hitting him, but he was right in front of my car. I pulled to the right. Then he slammed his fist into my hood. Bam! I turned right on El Camino and pulled over. Trembling. When I gathered composure, I realized I did not know the name of the street nor the house number so I drove back.

Wrong move. That was really stupid. Why didn’t I think to call 9-1-1? I don’t know. I quickly drove down the street, turned around and wrote down the house number. This guy spotted me. He burst out of his front door, still yelling, ran after my car, banging on the back of my trunk. I should carry a hand gun. Never thought I’d hear myself say that. I took a left on El Camino and drove into the gated community. Parked in my client’s driveway. When I got out of my car, this crazy guy pulled up in a white truck. How did he get into this gated community? I wrote down his license number. He screamed at me, continuously. My client seemed freaked out. I confronted him, “You damaged my car!” Really hoped he would go away. Tried not to shake.

He saw I had his license number, yelled that I could report him but he will say I was speeding down his street. See, that’s how the mind of a crazy person works. To crazy people, it’s OK to attack other people if you can somehow justify an assault. I walked into my client’s house as he continued to scream at me. We locked the door. The police officer at 9-1-1 said after the fact was too late for the police to do anything. They referred me to the Sheriff’s department because that’s the official that handles an assault in Carmichael.

That number, after I listened to the entire message and pressed 0 for the Sheriff, hung up on me. After I pressed 0 for the Sheriff, the recording said, “goodbye.” I then called the direct number on Garfield. Would not help to come into the Garfield station, the dispatcher said, because it’s not a service center. I needed to file a report at a service center and they were closing soon.

This type of support is probably what makes victims take matters into their hands. Granted, the immediate danger had passed. The police are short on staff. I imagine it’s true at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s office, too.

I finally called my insurance company and reported the incident. My other seller sent me a copy of the video that recorded the attacker. Say what you like about gated communities, but at least they have video cameras. A police officer, after my husband complained — which shouldn’t have to BE! — filed a report. I hope they arrest the attacker. Better yet, I hope he is on probation. Still, you can’t be too careful as a Sacramento Realtor when you drive a luxury car into a neighborhood where your very presence might be an irritant.