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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.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A San Jose father is in the hospital after his family says he was ambushed and beaten by two men who helped a hit-and-run driver escape.
Robert Carbajal's wife, Rosario, says her husband had never been in the hospital before, so she was shocked when she arrived at the hospital to see him with multiple skull fractures.
The family says the 62-year-old man was driving with his nephew in San Jose Friday night when a woman driving a Cadillac Escalade hit the back of their car.
"They stopped, pulled over, the girl looked like she was going to pull over and then just took off," said Rosario Carbajal. "My husband followed, and my nephew got on the phone and was giving information over the phone to police and said they were following this person."
San Jose police say they received the call about 10:30 p.m. Friday about the hit-and-run driver on the 2400 block of Summer Court.
The family says when Robert and his nephew caught up to the woman's Escalade, they say she had called another vehicle to the scene.
"The vehicle that pulled up with the men, it was driven by another woman, and it was an Infiniti SUV in a dark color," said Patricia Carbajal.
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The nephew says the two men told him that he was parked in front of their house, so he went to move his vehicle. He says that's when they attacked Robert who was standing outside the car.
"My nephew said that my husband was in a fetal position and there was blood all over the sidewalk," said Rosario. "They were kicking him in his back. My husband is 62 years old and he's never hurt anyone before."
Patricia says the four people stole her father's phone and drove away. What makes her angry, she says, is that her father had been trying to comfort the other driver.
"She was saying, ' Oh no, I can't get taken in. I can't get taken in.' And my dad's like, "We don't want that. We just want insurance information,' " said Patricia., "And this is how she repays him."
They say now Robert Carbajal can't speak, a stark contrast from the man they say was always helping his family, friends, and his community at San Jose's Guadalupe Church, where he is a Eucharist minister.
Patricia says she didn't understand until now, why her father would always help others even when he wasn't being paid.
"My dad's like, they pay me in ways that you'll never understand. And it's true, like...I finally understand what he's been trying to teach me this whole time. My dad has reached so many people," said Patricia, "When we needed it, this is when they show up. And now I understand. I understand."
Rosario says her husband is a semi-retired TV repairman and handyman. He is self-employed with no sick leave or vacation days, so they don't know how they're going to manage the medical bills.
By law, after a collision, drivers are required to stop and exchange information. Police say if one driver leaves the scene, it's important to call 911 as they did in this case.
Right now, detectives are not releasing any suspect descriptions but if you have information that could help find Robert Carbajal's attackers you're asked to call San Jose police.
Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com and follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU or Facebook @NewsJana or ktvu.com.