Incident at Cordova Lodge- possible face to face with EAR
Jan 7, 2019 19:49:20 GMT
Ranger71 and mia like this
Post by looking4justice on Jan 7, 2019 19:49:20 GMT
Jan 3, 2019 3:36:18 GMT nick said:
I just interviewed a man who was employed as a security guard at the Cordova Lodge it was located on Folsom Blvd and Zinfandel Drive for reference it was located at the now Boston Gardens location it was just a hotel more of a motor lodge in those days. The area is more or less the entrance to Shelby's neighborhood where he lived in May of 1977. Det Shelby reported a visit to his home by EAR in May of 1977 and this is the time frame of this encounter. It is also the entrance to the Gadston way attack that is still disputed (not by me) where the victim had a scar on her back and EAR did not sexually assault her. Although it would be quite a walk or bike ride that does fit with EAR's past behavior of traveling quite a distance to his escape car to avoid detection.The security officer did not want his name used so I will call him Jay. The security officers wore dark blue blazers and were not allowed to carry firearms (the business made that choice) but Jay along with others ( other security Officers at the location) all did and the EAR case was partially the reason. Jay had a good relationship with Sac County Deputies working Patrol in the area and often the Deputies would stop by and chat or check on Jay and the other security officers working but they mostly liked Jay. They encouraged Jay to carry a firearm for his own protection due to EAR and other crimes that occurred at the Cordova Lodge.
Jay did not remember the exact time or date but was sure it was the beginning of the summer of 1977 when he encountered a man dressed in dark clothing in the hours just before dawn. Jay was working alone not something that happened until the time frame right before dawn his partner would go home at 4:00 am. Jay was walking the parking lot and he encountered a man dressed in dark clothing moving between the cars he yelled to the man to stop and stand up since he was semi-crouching in an attempt to avoid being seen. The man stopped and stood frozen in the semi-crouched position Jay approached him very nervous and scared the man continued to stand perfectly still Jay believed the man seemed to be trying to avoid detection by not moving and he seemed to have been experienced according to Jay. The man standing still did make it very difficult to see him the parking lot was very dark although there were lights his dark clothing concealed him. Jay stopped at the front of a car he had seen the man near and decided to pull his firearm a Colt .45 semi-auto he pulled the hammer back he told me he carried it with a round in the chamber but with the hammer in the down position because it made him more comfortable. Jay believes the man heard the hammer cock and seemed to know the sound and then stood upright and was nearly face to face with Jay the dark lot had made Jay walk to close to the man and he was very scared at this point. The man stood his ground and was within reach of grabbing Jay's gun has Jay started moving backward he wanted to create distance from this man he said the man was wearing a "watch cap" as he told me the story he described a black hat folded up on the edge sitting on top of the man's head. I asked him directly if it could have been a ski mask and he replied it could have due to the size of the rolled portion.
The man and Jay were not in the open area of the parking lot as Jay backed up while pointing his weapon at the man. The more Jay moved backward the more the man walked toward him. The man began to take two steps forward for every step Jay moved backward jay made announcements each time to the man to "stop and put his hands up" he began to tell the man to "show him his hands" in which he refused and walked closer and closer toward Jay as he walked backward. After moving backward over 15 feet the man finally spoke and in a low voice, he replied "what are you going to do? shoot me?" he repeated it 4 or 5 times as he gained ground on Jay. Jay did not really want to relay what happened next I had to persuade him to tell me. Jay became very afraid when the man did not seem to react to a pointed firearm at his face and seemed to be fearless. Jay began to shake from adrenaline or fear and his gun trembled, as a result, he told me the man seemed to enjoy in that fact as he approached Jay closer and closer and repeated the same phrase until he said "that's what I thought" as he walked away toward Folsom Blvd leaving the parking lot. Jay was very shaken and watched the man walk away in a casual manner heading eastbound down Folsom Blvd toward the shopping center where Thrifty ( known for their ice cream like a Rite Aid of today)was located and then disappearing into the dark.
Jay was embarrassed by the incident and did not call the Sheriff's Department right away since he knew his Deputy friends would most likely respond to his call for help. This time allowed the man to escape the area and was not located by the time Jay came to his senses. Jay felt he had let everyone down and believes this was the East Area Rapist due to his behavior and reactions even while a loaded firearm was pointed at him. I, of course, explained if it was EAR he was also carrying a firearm and would have killed him that night had he acted in any other way. It seemed no consolation to Jay who still holds guilt for not doing what he believed would have been the right thing.