By Town Crier Staff Report
 Mrs. Condon with companion Des Telmond |
Mountain View police announced Monday they have arrested three suspects connected to the brutal attack and murder of Doris Condon. The Jardin Drive resident died Nov. 28 from injuries sustained in the Oct. 25 attack.
Detective Jessica Serb declined to discuss motives for the attack, saying she wanted to protect “the integrity of the investigation.” Through tips, police arrested Leonel J. Cantor, Jose G. Sosa and David A. Olayo, all of San Jose. Cantor was arrested Dec. 3 for auto theft and later identified as one of the participants in the crime. Sosa was arrested at his residence Dec. 5, and Olayo also was arrested at home on Dec. 7.
All three are charged with murder and burglary. However, Cantor and Olayo, who entered Condon’s home, also are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, elder abuse and robbery.
“We’ve put this together within the last 24 hours,” Serb told a gathering of reporters at a press conference. “We are confident we have all the suspects in conjunction with the crime.”
Although Serb could “not confirm what the intent was,” she did say the suspects were associated with the area. She did not elaborate.
Serb estimated the two suspects were in the Condon home between 4 and 10 minutes during the Oct. 25 attack. “It appears from her injuries she was protecting herself and her home,” she said. “For a 77-year-old woman, she definitely had a spirit about her and put up a reasonable struggle to defend herself.”
Police said the men had severely beaten Condon on the head and strangled her after she interrupted their midday ransacking of the home in the quiet neighborhood behind Los Altos High School. They fled with a few items from her home.
Condon’s longtime companion discovered her lying in a pool of blood when he returned home from a morning outing.
Gardeners at the residence arriving as the suspects fled were able to give police detailed information about the suspects’ appearances.
“This has been a very emotionally charged case,” Serb told reporters. “There’s some sense of relief these people are off the streets.”
Police said a committee would be determining how to divide the $20,000 in reward money.
Police are asking anyone with information about the murder to call the department’s tip line at (866) 570-8211.
The line is answered 24 hours a day.
