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Alamo Neighbor Arrested in Connection with Doris Penico's Death

A dispute with neighbors over property turned deadly. Michael Littman, 59, was arrested in connection to the death.

A 59-year-old Alamo man was arrested in connection with the death of Doris Penico on Thursday afternoon, Contra Costa County Sheriff's spokesperson Jimmy Lee said.

Police arrested Michael Littman at his home on the 3000 block of Stonegate Drive in Alamo at about 3:30 p.m Thursday for homicide, assault with a deadly weapon and felony battery. Police are holding him at the Martinez Detention Facility on $1 million bail.

On Friday, court officials said Littman was not on the calendar to be arraigned today. His earliest court date would be Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday.

Last Monday around 11 a.m. Littman got into a fight with Penico's husband in the driveway on 3000 block of Stonegate Drive. During the fight, Doris was struck to the ground and hit her head on the cement driveway, according to Lee.

Doris, 59, was taken to John Muir Medical Center where she later died. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

The neighbors have been involved in an on-going dispute regarding property, Lee said.

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David Lehman September 1, 2012 at 03:35 pm
I am sorry for the loss for both families involved
L H Logan September 1, 2012 at 05:30 pm
No, not really. When neighbors stick their nose in your business, complain about house colors, fences, decor, shared driveways, property lines, whatever, it creates a very hostile living environment. What many people are relating to is that every neighborhood has at least one of these awful busybody's &, if they died, or otherwise disappeared, life would be better. There are mean people who make people's lives miserable out there & many of them are spouses or parents - doesn't make them good people. IF, & I certainly don't know, the Penico's are that type of neighbor, THAT is what people are reacting to. Life is hard - it is good when nasty people disappear & terrible if their nasty actions provoked a fight that ended in an innocent person's life being shattered.
sharon duffel September 1, 2012 at 05:47 pm
There will be more that comes out when Michael is able to tell his story. Michael did not start the altercation, he did not touch the woman and he, himself was battered by Mr. Penico. It is unfortunate that the woman died but Michael did not cause the death. He is one of the nicest, upbeat guys you could meet. If anything, he is passive when in a confrontational situation and would walk away from any confrontation . It's a shame that his name is now tarnished and will forever be linked to this woman's name.
David Lehman September 1, 2012 at 06:28 pm
Of he did not touch the women then how did she die? I just think it is sad someone died. I will not judge anyone before the facts are there for me to see. Again I fell bad for both families involved in this not just the immediate family but the neighbors good or bad as well
BluDog September 1, 2012 at 07:29 pm
Well said
Janice P Ellis September 1, 2012 at 11:00 pm
Just being dead doesn't automatically make someone blameless, Lucas. Of all of the comments here, I think Ayn Rand's comment pretty much sums up the kind of neighbor Doris Penico was.
It's absolutely tragic that she died the way she did, but, please don't paint her as an innocent victim here. It sounds like the fall that resulted in her death that day was a long, LONG time in the making, the conflict of which she did her fare share in creating.
Sherry McCreedy September 1, 2012 at 11:19 pm
How about we take a look at how we address conflict ? We have a choice!
"In Brazil the juvenile justice system, neighbourhoods and schools have begun to use Restorative Circles [26] [27] developed by Dominic Barter inspired by Nonviolent Communication. The approach involves a much wider circle of participants than conventional victim/offender conferencing, and begins with establishing a restorative system in the neighbourhood or school where circles will be held. As such, Barter's approach offers scope for radical social transformation. This process is being adopted in Germany, the USA, the UK, Canada and Uganda, and outside of the justice and education systems." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice
Elizabeth Goodfellow September 2, 2012 at 12:58 am
If you are a relative or friend of Mrs. Penico then don't even bother to be on this string of comments. Let's let the court do what the two parties should have let it do in the first place and stop passing judgement. I have lived in this area (Walnut Creek, Concord, Alamo, San Ramon) for 30+ years - since kindergarten These comments are not reflective of the decent people I have come to know in those 30+ years. Stop posting and reading and wait for the truth to come out. If I were a friend/relative of the Penico's I'd start a blog/page for those people who knew her and leave all the other haters to different means. These fights get very personal very fast - let's all learn from this an be a little nicer. In a way - we are all neighbors - is it your son/brother I took to the gas station when it was raining, is it you that helped me when I was locked out of my car with 3 screaming kids in the shopping cart? It is so much more fun to be nice and so much more rewarding too. I promise. Let the justice system prove Mr. Littman guilty or not. Let us, as a community support those who need us and be there for our neighbors. If you are someone who is not there for your neighbor, friend or community then you really don't have a leg to stand on and should just be quiet. I challenge you to be good - neighbors.
Janice P Ellis September 2, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Mrs. Penico died as a result of head injuries she received when she fell during the altercation, David. As Google maps will show you, the Penico and Littman properties are not on a flat elevation. If the altercation took place in their shared driveway (and it really is very narrow for two residences to have to share), I can absolutely see how Mrs. Penico could have lost her balance and fell, especially if she was upset at the time of her fall.
No one has mentioned the developer in all of this, but, only in California would you have two properties with each being valued at well over a million dollars, yet, they have to share a driveway. Unbelieavable.
SamIam September 2, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Logan
There are people who "bug" you or "put their nose into your business" everywhere....it is not usually seen as justification for killing them. The comments are all very witch hunt like. btw I have lived in many neighborhoods in many cities, many of them quite diverse both culturally and economically, and simple good manners and taste demanded that you not cheer the death of a woman or say that killing her was a public service. That is nasty and indicates a lack of character.
R Kop September 2, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Exactly why did you move into a gated community, people? Google their pros and cons - "Your expressive freedom may also be suppressed. There will usually be rules to follow, such as what colors you can paint your house, what kind of landscaping you can do, having parties in your home, what kind of decoration you can put on your house, and other such things. And just that general feeling to know that you are being watched." Just saying' and if a potential buyer of a home in your community google's it, and reads what their potential neighbors are saying in this forum, right or wrong, would think twice - the hostile remarks….just saying'!
SamIam September 2, 2012 at 01:33 pm
Heine...
Actually I was appalled to see the sheer venom that was listed in this column by the "neighbors"...So, no, I can say that nowhere I have lived would people behave this way. The biggest issue is not only that the comments are being made but that everyone in that neighborhood (or at least those posting) feel it is acceptable behavior.
Paul H. September 2, 2012 at 01:48 pm
That's what Thumper says in the Disney cartoon "Bambi"
Paul H. September 2, 2012 at 02:05 pm
Michel Littman is innocent until proven guilty.
Mike had the ability to buy another house, in another neighborhood, then sell his existing one. That would have been a better option, then continuing a mindless fight over perceived violations of his "territory". The same could be said for the neighbors. But who needs to live in a gated community anyways? There are 2 kinds of people. 1.) The people that want their privacy 2.) The other kind are those that use it as a wall against the outside. You don't share a driveway, if you want that privacy. 2 Lawyers living next to a Foreclosure shark, sharing a driveway, is a recipe for a reality show, not a happy home life. I foresee a big cash settlement & both parties leaving that neighborhood Eventually. Now it's all legal posturing It was an accident that shouldn't have happened The criminal justice system has been manipulated as leverage in some future civil litigation. The neighborhood maybe aghast, but ... Oh well ...
Paul H. September 2, 2012 at 02:10 pm
Manic energy & emotionalism
Husband in a physical altercation panic slip, fall, head crack finger pointing revisionism confused & threatened legal figures on scene further investigation: accident case closed let the civil litigation begin
matt September 4, 2012 at 03:35 pm
The people who are happy she's dead are just pushing buttons or seriously disturbed. I have no idea what happened, but in the defense of some of the people making harsh comments the SF Chronicle made he out to be crazy. They called her a "gadfly" who called police often for "mundane reasons or no reason at all." I happen to know for a fact how often she called police over NOTHING. I think it's fair to call her "crazy" but it doesn't mean she deserved to die. It appears as though she harrassed neighbors for no reasons - that are the reports that are out there. Perhaps if she wasn't a "gadfly" she would stgill be alive I think is what people are trying to say...
Dee Jones September 5, 2012 at 02:47 pm
What a tragedy! I am an outsider, of course! However, no one deserves to die tragically like this! So sad for all involved. It is a shame that the property dispute was not settled through litigation, but by violence. Thus, we have a fatality. Communication is the key to our very existence!
Ed Badger September 6, 2012 at 02:03 pm
Property / boundary disputes, in hindsight was it all really worth this ??
corey gibb September 6, 2012 at 02:28 pm
Alamo sounds like hell, if these comments are representative of the populace.
Pat Dowling September 6, 2012 at 11:49 pm
As ye sow so shall ye reap....
Lelia September 14, 2012 at 12:43 am
How would you feel if YOU were blamed for such a serious crime...especially if it was an accident?! There are always two sides to a story...Mr. Littman doesn't deserve to be persecuted or tagged as a 'murderer'.
Tom September 14, 2012 at 01:01 am
You are right no one wants to live here.....
Tom September 14, 2012 at 01:04 am
Sherry, have you been to Brasil? ( I choose to use the local spelling). Ifnyou have you would not use them as an example here. I go there every quarter and know what I speak of here.
Lelia September 14, 2012 at 01:24 am
I'm afraid you are "right on" with your assessment Nrj. M. Littman certainly did NOT set out to kill anyone on Monday. That driveway is very steep, it was unfortunate that D. Penico fell with such force.
corey gibb September 20, 2012 at 12:11 pm
WHY would anyone want to live amongst people making these horrible vitriolic comments?
There are plenty of beautiful places to live in the Bay Area: Tiburon, Piedmont, Hillsborough, Orinda......why live way east in a 'nouveau' wanna-be town where penny-pinching neighbors value their dirt more than human beings? Jean-Paul Sarte said that "hell is other people". Alamo sounds like a little slice of hell.
Steve September 21, 2012 at 01:46 am
Oh yes, Orinda. You mean the little burb where a man just hacked to death his roomate, or the little burb where the very unfortunate binge drinking death of a young man split the neighbors apart? Probably old money. Makes a difference, right Corey? And Piedmont. Really old established wealth there. Didn't Hans Reiser, the sweet little, wealthy software dude murder and bury his wife in the hills? Nobody made vitriolic comments during that mess, nooooo.
Pat Dowling September 21, 2012 at 06:05 pm
Exactly right, Corey. Nouveaux riche, spiritually bereft wannabes hiding in fear behind their gated walls. Fighting over a damn drive way...a few feet of dirt. Truly they do live in a hell on earth.
corey gibb September 22, 2012 at 10:08 pm
Steve, Neighbors did not flock to Piedmont Patch to celebrate Nina Reiser's murder. Didn't hear too much celebrating in Orinda regarding the tragedies you cite either. If these communities are glad those people are dead, at least they have the decency not to publish their glee. Not great for property values either btw. Locked inside a gate with people who think property disputes are grounds for murder? And then publicly trash the dead? I'd take San Ramon in a heartbeat, or even a trailer park far far from demented Alamo homeowners.
Don October 5, 2012 at 05:16 pm
Dear Alamo neighbors of the Penicos:
Now that video is out showing Mikie the Shark beating an undefended Victor to a bloody pulp and then body checking Doris to death, you may want to rethink your comments. Suggest you all pool your funds to defend the shark. That way you can all pay a little for -your- sins. For the rest of you, check out the satellite view of this neighborhood. See where these hateful people are bred.
Tom October 5, 2012 at 05:30 pm
I say let the system play it's role here in this tragic case. If the man is found guilty, life sentence seems appropriate.

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