So when one resident heard her doorbell ring repeatedly at 10:30 p.m. on Monday, she figured a neighbor needed help.
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The woman opened her door to a stranger on her doorstep. She said the man violently forced his way inside her home.
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Police have since identified the suspect as Jeremiah Porter, 33.
"He just threatened me," the victim told ABC7 News. "I cannot raise my voice or talk. Then he choked my neck."
The victim wanted to remain anonymous.
She told us Porter insisted he was being chased by a group of people who wanted to hurt him.
The victim said she responded calmly, even offering the man help.
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"Like, I can drive him to a safe place from the garage, not from the front door," she said. "He listened, but he grabbed me and tried to push me to the car. But I ran out."
The woman broke free, but Porter got away.
Hours later, at 3:15 a.m., Porter was spotted in a neighboring complex.
"Our dispatch center received a call of a man matching the description of the suspect from the previous evening's call," MVPD spokesperson, Katie Nelson said. "Who was shouting, and throwing rocks at windows on top of a carport on Del Medio Court."
Nelson said Porter was arrested on suspicion of robbery, attempted kidnapping and parole violation.
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She added, during an interview with Porter, the 33-year-old indicated he had contact with other residents in the area.
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"We're not sure what he meant. He didn't elaborate," Nelson explained. "So, we're looking to see if anybody maybe spotted him in the area, perhaps what he was doing."
MVPD is asking to speak with anyone who may have seen, or had interactions with Porter, to contact Detective Matt Atkins at Matthew.Atkins@mountainview.gov.
The department is hoping to get a better understanding of Porter's presence in Mountain View since Friday.
The victim and her husband believe Porter may have been part of the area's growing homeless population.
The family says their sense of safety is shaken.
"I'm really concerned about it now," the victim said. "And I don't plan on continue living here."