San Jose's 44th homicide of the year took place in a quiet neighborhood full of homes with Christmas lights and not known for serious crime. The victim is thought to be an 18-year-old man who may have been stabbed in the neck either before or as he was behind the wheel of his pick-up.
The victim's truck jumped the curb and landed on the sidewalk in front of a home on Fairhaven Drive Tuesday afternoon. The driver somehow ended up in the street where he was pronounced dead. The woman who lives who lives at the home says she heard popping sounds and a screech. Another neighbor says she noticed men arguing loudly.
"We heard arguing. That was about it. I heard that earlier, but then I have the dogs here and the dogs started barking and we just stayed in. When we hear something, that's it," said San Jose resident Pat Shubert.
Police believe the truck lurched forward from a cul-de-sac next to the home, but they don't know what happened leading up to that moment. They don't believe the victim lived in the neighborhood.
After 3:20 p.m., residents were told to shelter in place. Others were kept out or left voluntarily, returning after the crime scene had been cleared after 8 p.m.
"The police said that there was basically a murder down the street and had asked us if we had heard anything or see anything," said resident Pat Shubert.
Police initially thought the victim had been shot, but now say the coroner is leaning toward a stab wound. An autopsy will determine the cause of death. The victim has not been identified and no arrests have been reported related to this case.
There haven't been this many homicides in San Jose in more than 20 years.
