Update on the Bigger Scare
Proverb's right, we should give the story about the man who attacked our home a rest. It's been weighing on us all week and our nerves are stretched. But there are a few elements of the situation that I'd like to get off my chest.
As I said earlier, instead of being arrested and held, the man was taken home by the police. A 'process' was started that, I am told, would eventually investigate his mental health, but meanwhile he was on the street in, to me, an obviously agitated and dangerous state of mind. He was clearly dangerous both to himself and others as he demonstrated by what he did here (he was cut in several places when he broke the window as he climbed our stairs).
I also said earlier that the night following the incident at our house he broke the window of a local café. Turns out that what happened was worse than I thought. Not only did he break the window, he attacked the woman and her brother who own the café. I don't know how seriously the brother was hurt, but the woman was hospitalized. What happened to these people would have been avoided if the police had kept him in custody for what he did at our house.
After this second attack he was taken to a mental health institution for observation and, hopefully, treatment. However, he has still not been charged for any criminal act and Proverb and I have no idea how long he will be held. He has no money or family to help him and we've heard that if someone does not come forward to pay certain expenses he's incurring at the institution it's possible that he could be released.
Meanwhile, Proverb and I are in lock down mode. We're uncomfortable being at home (understatement) but afraid to stay at a hotel and not be here to defend our home in case he returns. We don't place the house above our personal safety, but feel that if we're here and he returns we could call the police and the precautions we have taken would protect us until they arrive.
I have a feeling we'll sleep like babies when we arrive in San Francisco.