Yes, that's right, there really is a “Handyman Song #12.” There were at least 11 previous versions, so I decided this would be the last one. How did that come about? It's a long story, a very long story. As a self-employed handyman for the past 16 years, I chose to promote myself in a variety of ways. As a self-published poet for the past 48 years, rhymes came easily to me. As a former graphic designer and manager and supervisor and illustrator and graduate engineer for 52 years and before that, making things in the corporate world was always a breeze for me. My parents were both very creative, as were my three younger brothers, and I had three uncles who were in the Seabees in WWII (carpenter, welder, and machinist). Creative stuff is in my blood. My dad had both arms amputated in WWII, so I grew up learning how to use my hands from a man who had none.
I grew up in Walnut Creek, graduated from Las Lomas High School in 1960, attended Diablo Valley College, and received an AA degree in general education in 1963. That same year I transferred to UC Berkeley as a junior in mechanical design. By 1966 I had both my bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical design. Sometime in the 1980s I earned a certificate in graphic design in UC extension courses in San Francisco and Berkeley. I have owned a Macintosh computer since 1994. Before that, my graphics group at Bechtel SF were wizards in the field of marketing communications using Macs until Bechtel decided to close its SF regional office at 50 Beale Street, one block from Market. The photos for the ad were either shot myself or pulled from the Internet. A good friend of mine found the lady with the smeared lipstick on the Internet. Who knew such a shot existed? Enjoy!

(Graphics by Peter Bray)

Peter Bray has lived, worked and written in Benicia since 1982 and has written this column since 2008.

The post The A Cappella Handyman: Handyman Track #12 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Apparently there is a great demand for on-call craftsmen.

Khosla Ventures and Pear VC just tripled their investment in Honey Homes, which provides a dedicated handyman to take care of all the tasks on a homeowner's to-do list. The company raised $9 million in a Series A funding round last June.

Era Ventures led the startup's most recent capital raise, an additional $9.25 million in funding that CEO and co-founder Vishwas Prabhakara called “an upside round.” (PitchBook estimated the startup's value at $39 million last June, though the company itself said that was “not accurate.”) In total, Honey Homes has raised $21.35 million in venture capital since its inception.

So what was the reason for the latest capital injection? A surge in member adoption. The company announced last fall that it had doubled its membership to “well over 1,000 members” in three months. It also grew annual recurring revenue by 3.6x by 2023. While the company declined to provide specific revenue numbers, Prabhakara said the company expects to “do the same and hit eight-digit ARR in 2024.” (Eight-digits is $10 million, of course.)

“Our team visits over 150 homes every day,” he added.

Husband and wife team Vishwas Prabhakara (Yelp's first CEO) and Avantika Prabhakara (former marketing director at Opendoor, Trulia, and Zillow) co-founded Honey Homes in 2021 with Katie Pham and Rory O'Connell. The startup, which launched with its first 10 beta customers in August of that year, hires the handyman as part of its staff. The handyman works as an employee to ensure that work is done consistently in a person's home.

Homeowners pay Honey Homes a flat fee for the convenience of an “end-to-end” membership-based service through the app. This fee ranges from $250 to $395 per month depending on location, although there are discounted annual plans available.

The way it works is that members are assigned a dedicated tradesman who comes by at least once a month to take care of renovations and preventative maintenance. Because employees are permanent, they also receive benefits like parental leave and paid vacation, a rarity in an industry that traditionally relies on contractors. However, if someone wants to try out different contractors for variety, they have that option too.

Honey Homes is currently available to single-family homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area (including the city itself) as well as much of the Dallas-Fort Worth region. It recently launched in Los Angeles and is currently expanding there as well, with plans to expand further in Texas as well.

“We cover about five times more households in our service area than we did a year ago,” said Vishwas Prabhakara.

Honey Homes only launched in San Francisco earlier this year, but according to Vishwas Prabhakara, this market is currently the fastest growing.

“The city is a different caliber [than the suburbs],” he said. “There are parking issues, there are crime issues, there's a lot to think about. But now it's actually kind of our crown jewel, our fastest growing market.”

The startup is also adding new features, such as AI, to streamline workflow for its team of tradesmen and provide more “maintenance requests on autopilot.”

Interestingly, DoorDash co-founder Evan Moore sits on Honey Homes' board of directors, and another DoorDash veteran, Andrew Ladd, was hired last year to spearhead Honey Homes' product development.

Moore told TechCrunch last year that he believes Honey Homes is different from many other consumer startups in the home services space that simply connect homeowners with potential providers or “act as a concierge.” Competitors include Angi, TaskRabbit and Thumbtack, among others.

According to Vishwas Prabhakara, the company decided to pursue an extension instead of a Series B after concluding that it needed less capital to become profitable than previously expected. (The company aims to be profitable in the next few years.) In addition to membership revenue, the average homeowner spends over $750 per year on additional services provided by the service, such as purchasing replacement parts.

Honey Homes currently employs 75 people and has doubled its team of craftsmen from 25 to over 50.

Clelia Peters of Era Ventures said she chose to invest in Honey Homes because “high-quality home maintenance services from a dedicated handyman were typically reserved for only the wealthiest homeowners or those who owned condos and apartments with on-site caretakers.”

She believes the need for Honey Homes' offering will be even greater in a world where homeowners are required to stay in and maintain their homes for longer periods of time (due to the lock-in effect caused by skyrocketing interest rates).”

“In addition, we expect the trend towards home electrification to lead to greater demand for reliable advice and installation services. Honey Homes is well positioned to provide these services,” she added.

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MORGAN HILL (CBS SF) — A man was arrested Wednesday evening in connection with the kidnapping and assault of a handyman in unincorporated Santa Clara County from more than two weeks ago, a Santa Clara County sheriff’s sergeant said.

Richard Rodriguez Jr., 49, whose last known address was in Alameda, turned himself in to Alameda police around 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sgt. Jose Cardoza said.

Alameda police will bring Rodriguez to the Santa Clara County sheriff’s office within the next week, Cardoza said.

Rodriguez had an outstanding warrant on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment for his suspected involvement in a Dec. 3 incident where a handyman was forced to do repair work to homes against his will, Cardoza said.

Cardoza said Rodriguez aided two Morgan Hill residents, Jason DeJesus, 36, and Chanelle Troedson, 33, in forcing the 50-year-old repair man to work on the Morgan Hill suspects’ home in the 200 block of Caldwell Way.

On Dec. 3, San Jose police received a report of a kidnapping and assault at about 7 p.m. from the victim, who had managed to escape his captors at a San Jose gas station.

Police handed the investigation over to the sheriff’s office since the kidnapping occurred outside police jurisdiction, Cardoza said.

The victim told deputies he had initially performed handyman services for a relative of one of the suspects about two months ago, but was not paid in full for his work, resulting in a dispute for services rendered, Cardoza said.

The victim said the suspects lured him to their residence to do repair work just before 11 a.m., the sergeant said.

Upon arrival at the residence, the victim was assaulted, held against his will and threatened with his life for several hours, Cardoza said.

The victim was still at the residence on Caldwell Way at 5:30 p.m. when the suspects forced the victim into a truck.

The victim was told he would be made to finish the repair work that he began two months ago at the suspect’s relative’s house in Santa Clara.

On the way to the home, the suspects stopped at the Chevron gas station at the intersection of Santa Teresa Boulevard and Cottle Road in San Jose to purchase gas.

When the suspects exited the vehicle to purchase gas and food, the victim escaped on foot, disregarding a warning by the suspects to stay put, Cardoza said.

The victim ran to a nearby residence to report the incident, he said.

San Jose police responded to the area, located the DeJesus and Troedson near the gas station and arrested them on suspicion of false imprisonment, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and conspiracy.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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As spring approaches, many home gardeners are unpacking their trowels, planning their seed rows and stocking up on potting soil. But some diligent gardeners work year-round, scattering seeds to the wind to create cheerful bursts of color wherever they go. These environmental activists, known as “guerrilla gardeners,” have gained popularity in recent years on social media, creating videos showcasing how to start a guerrilla garden, how to “seed bomb” empty lots, and more.

@treasurewellwisher Noninvasive species only #planttok #guerillagardening ♬ Fairy Fountain – Mikel & GameChops

But these videos have left viewers with numerous questions about the controversial practice: what is guerrilla gardening? Is it even legal? When did it start? Should I get involved? Consider this your friendly primer to this long-standing activist practice.

What Is Guerrilla Gardening?

Guerrilla gardening is the practice of planting the seeds of edible plants or flowers on unused or aesthetically unpleasing land. It may be done with or without the consent of the property owner. Guerrilla gardening can take a variety of forms, from designing and planting traditional garden plots for an underserved community to “seed bombing,” or throwing balls of seeds out of a car window into a lot.

How Did Guerrilla Gardening Start?

miriam-doerr/Getty Images

According to DenGarden.com, guerrilla gardening “has its roots in the 1970s in New York City and has since spread to other cities around the world.” The beginning of the movement is largely credited to activist Liz Kristy and the Green Guerrilla group. From there, guerrilla gardening has spread globally, and many key figures are continuing Kristy’s work. Richard Reynolds, for example, is a British activist whose guerrilla gardening efforts have been memorialized in South London. Additionally, Ron Finley of south central LA founded the Ron Finley Project to help teach guerrilla gardening techniques.

What Are Some Examples of Guerrilla Gardening?

Numerous established community gardens across America originally started as guerrilla gardens. The Liz Kristy Community Garden in Manhattan is an obvious tribute to guerrilla gardeners, but you may have also encountered other guerrilla gardens, such as the Garden of Hope in Philadelphia, the Green Street Community Garden in Chicago, or the Phoenix Community Garden in San Francisco.

Is Guerrilla Gardening Legal?

Not exactly. Guerrilla gardening was inherently envisioned as an illegal, anarchistic act, as it depended upon planting without permission and cultivating others’ land. However, in recent years, the definition has expanded, and now the term also gestures towards those gardening on public land, often with permission. In short, the legality of your guerrilla gardening practice depends on how exactly you pursue it.

How Can I Guerrilla Garden Legally?

Liliya Filakhtova/Getty Images

If you’re a nature lover, you may be considering starting your own guerrilla gardening practice. While growing more plants is not typically a bad endeavor, it is worth considering a few factors before you start chucking seeds about.

First, as this TikToker explains, you must choose plants that are appropriate for your area. Opt for native, noninvasive varietals that will not choke out the area’s other plants.

Additionally, select your spot incredibly carefully. Choose a small, untended plot that is not owned by anyone. Discuss your gardening decision with any nearby stores or residents (yes, this takes away a little bit of the anarchist appeal, but it also ensures you are accurately supporting the community you’re aiming to help).

@octaviachill Part 2 will be choosing what to plant! #guerrillagardening #guerillagardening #anarchy #activism #environmentalist ♬ original sound – Ellen Miles

Finally, call your local government to ensure you are not unknowingly breaking any municipal laws. And if guerrilla gardening still feels a little too risky, you can always volunteer with or start a community garden, or simply share the fruits of your own labor with food pantries or others in need.

The post What Is Guerrilla Gardening? | Household Handyman appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

MORGAN HILL (CBS 5) — Two people who live in a large Morgan Hill home have been arrested on suspicion of holding a handyman hostage and forcing him to do home repairs.

Investigators said the 50-year-old victim was lured to a home on 200 block of Caldwell Court Monday morning. The sprawling 4,600 square foot home has five bedrooms and is equipped with a pool, a beach volleyball court, and a tennis court.

“He was assaulted, he was threatened with his life, and he was forced to do some work at the house,” Sgt. Jose Cardoza of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office told CBS 5.

Detectives said 36-year-old Jason DeJesus and 33-year-old Chanelle Troedson beat the handyman, threatened to kill him and forced him to fix several items in the house over a six-hour span. The repairs included a dishwasher and a broken door.

“The victim was pretty terrified. He was pretty shaken up and scared by this whole incident,” Cardoza said. “What he did tell investigators is that he was just trying to do what he was being told, wait for the opportunity to escape.”

On Monday night, authorities said the suspects forced the handyman into his truck. With one of the suspects driving, the victim was told they were traveling to a suspect’s relative’s house in Santa Clara to perform additional repairs.

They pulled over at a gas station on Santa Teresa Blvd. and Cottle Road in South San Jose. The handyman escaped when the suspects left to pay for gas and snacks. DeJesus and Troedson were arrested by police shortly after.

Other people who lived in the home declined to be interviewed by CBS 5.

Investigators said the handyman performed work for De Jesus’ mother two months ago.

“The work wasn’t performed to the likes of the suspect’s relative at the time, and on top of that there was dispute over services rendered, the victim wasn’t paid entirely. That kind of boiled over into what occurred last night,” Cardoza said.

DeJesus and Troedson face several felony charges including false imprisonment, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, and conspiracy.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call Sgt. Julian Quinonez or Detective Sgt. Dave Roberts at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office at (408) 808-4500. Tips can also be left anonymously at (408) 808-4431.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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This post is sponsored and contributed by Thumbtack, a Patch Brand Partner.

While it might seem awfully tempting to try to fix that wobbly table or rattling AC unit on your own, most home repairs are best left to the professionals. Hiring a handyman can save you time and stress — and Thumbtack, a convenient home services app used by millions, makes it easier than ever to find a handyman in the San Anselmo-Fairfax area.

Each pro on Thumbtack has their own profile with price information, allowing you to find a handyman who works within your budget. The average cost to hire a handyman in the greater San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA region is $68 per hour, according to data obtained by Thumbtack.

Eager to get started on those home repairs? Here are some professional handymen in the San Anselmo-Fairfax area.

Find out what’s happening in San Anselmo-Fairfaxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mario Lopez jr

• Customer review: “Very organized, good work quality and very clean! Highly recommended!”
• Check availability

Raquel Arevalos

• Customer review: “Raquel got back to me within minutes. I was in a bind moving out with a couple last minute tasks, ie installing towel racks and swapping out a toilet seat, and she was able to help me out day of. I would highly recommend Raquel”
• Check availability

Carlos Handyman

• Customer review: “Carlos is significantly more than a handyman, he’s a craftsman, with many years of construction experience. He rebuilt a retaining wall in my backyard as well as a redwood deck. He also restored a cobblestone path for me. He and his crew completed the job in a little over a week, in less time than estimated, and while it was raining. Where have these guys been all my life?? They’re all highly skilled, professional, friendly, the job site kept very neat, a complete pleasure to work with. I will, without a doubt, work with them again.”
• Check availability

Once you’ve identified those home repairs, Thumbtack can connect you to pros in the San Anselmo-Fairfax area to complete just about any home task. You can hire a house cleaner, electrician, plumber, landscaper and pretty much any other professional you can think of to help you tackle that to-do list. Thumbtack pros even have reviews, so you know exactly what other San Anselmo-Fairfax community members thought of their services.

Need help with a home repair or task in the San Anselmo-Fairfax area? Let the pros at Thumbtack help you get the job done!

Pricing data is based on projects requested on Thumbtack in the past 24 months as reported directly by the independent service professional or individual consumer.

Find out what’s happening in San Anselmo-Fairfaxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

This post is sponsored and contributed by Thumbtack, a Patch Brand Partner.

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To Griffin Dunne, she is Aunt Joan. He received first editions of her books as Christmas presents and, as a teenager, went to her parties where you would find “homicide detectives next to Warren Beatty next to Christopher Isherwood.” She let him drive her banana-yellow Corvette Stingray.

“It was pretty easy to pick up chicks in that thing,” Dunne, 62, tells The Post.

To everyone else, she is Joan Didion, the celebrated author whose memoir of grief, “The Year of Magical Thinking,” won a National Book Award in 2005 and whose essays on California culture, in particular “Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” an account of the destructively aimless San Francisco hippie scene, made her a celebrity. Born in Sacramento, the descendant of pioneers who crossed the Donner Pass in the 19th century, she helped redefine journalism in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Dunne, who is also an actor (“After Hours”) and the son of novelist Dominick Dunne (“The Two Mrs. Grenvilles”), convinced his aunt to sit down in her Manhattan apartment and talk about her early successes and devastating late-life tragedies. The result is a moving documentary “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold” that debuts Friday on Netflix and will also play at the Metrograph theater.

Harrison Ford helped build this deck at Joan Didion’s home. Also in the photo are Didion’s daughter, Quintana, and husband, John Gregory Dunne.John Bryson/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

Didion’s penchant for the cool observation that cuts to the quick may make her seem like a intimidating subject, but Dunne says she was cooperative.

“Her response to my asking was, ‘Oh, sure, go ahead.’ There was no real arm-twisting,” he says. “Then, I had [this] awesome responsibility: I can’t screw this up.”

As Didion’s nephew (she was married to Dominick’s brother), Dunne had access to everybody who really knows her. Anna Wintour talks about Didion’s tenure at Vogue, where she went to work after winning the magazine’s Prix de Paris writing contest in 1956, during her senior year at UC Berkeley. Didion’s 1961 essay, “On Self-Respect,” first appeared in the fashion magazine and was later included in her “Slouching Towards Bethlehem” collection, published to great acclaim in 1968.

“I was struck at the outpouring of character that came out from this 23-year-old girl, who was a woman in formation,” Dunne says, “and all of the personal choices that she talks about, of being a person you can live with.”

Harrison Ford talks about working as a carpenter for Didion and her husband, John Gregory Dunne, whom she married in 1964 and with whom she wrote five screenplays. They wanted a deck built on their home in a remote part of Malibu, where they moved in 1971 with their adopted daughter Quintana.

“I had a young family, and I became their carpenter for the same reason I became their friend,” Ford says. “I was out of my depth. I didn’t know where I was going. But they always made me feel welcome.”

Griffin Dunne with Didion earlier this month.Getty Images

For Dunne, there was no question that Ford was destined for something much greater than building bookshelves. “I met him when I was 16. He was smoking Marlboro cigarettes. He was the most charismatic guy I ever met,” he says.

Didion and her husband’s early success as the screenwriters of 1971’s “Panic in Needle Park,” created a lucrative revenue stream beyond magazine writing and attracted the likes of Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese to their home.

“They had great dinner parties,” Dunne says. “People would get stoned and drink and that was a harrowing drive home.”

Of all parties Dunne, who grew up in Beverly Hills, was invited to, the one he remembers best was the one for the publication of Tom Wolfe’s “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” in 1968 at the Didion-Dunne house in Hollywood. Janis Joplin was on the guest list.

“I was 12 years old and obsessed. I didn’t want Janis to find out I was there with my mother,” he says. “She was doing a concert at the Palladium. I left just before she arrived.”

It was pretty easy for Didion and her nephew to discuss the good times in California, where she lived with her family for 24 years, but she had the wind knocked out of her in 2003, when her husband died of a fatal heart attack at the dinner table in their Upper East Side apartment. At the same time, Quintana was in a medically induced coma after suffering from septic shock during a bout of pneumonia.

Didion receives the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2012.Getty Images

“One of the disadvantages, as her relative, was asking her to relive those moments,” says Dunne, who was at his house upstate when it happened. “I got a call in the middle of the night. It was the last thing I saw coming.”

The only way Didion, now 82, survived that experience was to write the book that became her masterpiece, “The Year of Magical Thinking.” Quintana recovered and was well enough to fly to LA in 2004, but fell on the pavement at the airport and suffered a massive hematoma that required a six-hour operation at UCLA hospital and another long recovery. In August 2005, while Didion was on a book tour for “Magical Thinking,” Quintana died at age 39 of acute pancreatitis.

“That was a situation that went from bad to worse,” says Dunne, who was 10 years older than his cousin. “It was a long decline and very sad to see.”

These days, Dunne says, Didion, who was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2012, is “doing very well” with a core group of friends with whom she has dinner several nights a week. “She just got a dog,” Dunne says.

To what does he attribute her strength of character? “She’s made of tough, homesteading stock,” he says. “It’s why she outlived so many of her friends.”

And her husband and daughter.

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A handyman turned the tables on suspected squatters who took over his mother’s Northern California home.

“If they could take a house, then I could take a house,” Flash Shelton of the United Handyman Association said in a YouTube video. “They’re the squatter, and they have rights. Well, then, if I become the squatter on the squatter, then I should have rights, right?”

NORTH CAROLINA HOMEOWNER SAYS HER NEW HOME WAS LISTED ON AIRBNB BY EVICTED TENANT

Shelton’s video detailing his quest to reclaim the California home has garnered more than two million views on YouTube.

Shelton said his father recently passed away, and his mother couldn’t live in the house on her own. So they put it up for rent.

A woman who identified herself as a prison guard asked to rent the house, according to Shelton, but she didn’t have any money or credit, so he said no. Then he learned a truckload of furniture and other belongings had been delivered to the home.

“She said that it was delivered by accident and she was getting rid of it,” Shelton said.

Flash Shelton of the United Handyman Association said he didn’t want to wait for the court system to force squatters off his mother’s property. (United Handyman Association “Handyman Answers”/YouTube)

CALIFORNIA LANDLORDS FURIOUS AS COVID EVICTION BANS DRAG ON: ‘I’M OWED $120K’ IN RENT PAYMENTS

Instead, the handyman started hearing from realtors that the house was full of furniture and people. Neighbors said the lights were on at night. Shelton called the police, but like many Americans facing squatters, the answer he got was unhelpful.

“They basically said, ‘You know, I’m sorry, but we can’t enter the house, and it looks like they’re living there. So you need to go through the courts,'” Shelton recalled law enforcement telling him.

Homeowners across the nation have been embroiled in costly legal battles to try to remove squatters, with no resolution in sight.

“Even though you’re at your house, and you’re paying the mortgage … at some point, squatters feel like they have more rights than you, so they don’t have incentive to leave until a judge tells them to,” he said. “And that could take months, six months, it could take years. I don’t know. I didn’t want to take that chance.”

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So he hatched a plan. Shelton wrote up a lease agreement between himself and his mother designating Shelton as the legal resident of the home. 

He loaded some guns and his dog into his Jeep and set off for California, arriving at 4 a.m. to find cars in the driveway. Shelton said he parked down the street and waited until everyone left the house several hours later.

Shelton let himself in using the keys to the house. Video shows a bed and other furniture sitting inside the home as well as boxes of belongings and what appears to be a California Department of Corrections uniform.

Shelton said he started installing security cameras when two women pulled up to the house.

“I’m really sorry about all this,” one of the women can be heard saying in a video Shelton recorded. “It’s a nightmare and beyond.”

Shelton told the woman that if she didn’t have everything out by midnight, he’d have it hauled away. The alleged squatters missed the deadline, but were gone by three, Shelton said.

Alleged squatters removed the furniture and belongings from the house. Shelton said that he and his mother were ultimately able to sell it. (United Handyman Association “Handyman Answers”/YouTube)

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“I think just the fact that I was there was enough,” he said. “It was actually fun to do it. I won’t lie about that. I’m glad it was successful.”

But Shelton cautioned against following his lead in a second video.

“Not everyone should walk through that door not knowing what you’re gonna find,” he said. “It’s not always going to be peaceful like that.”

Hannah Ray Lambert is an associate producer/writer with Fox News Digital Originals.

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HAYWARD — A 49-year-old Hayward man has been charged with sexually abusing a girl multiple times, beginning when she was 8 years old, after her family hired him as a handyman, court records show.

Ruperto Espinoza Villanueva was charged May 17 with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and enhancements alleging use of violence and being in a position of trust. He was also charged with first-degree residential burglary, a related offense that stems from one of the alleged incidents where he came over to the family home for dinner.

The girl, now in her teens, kept the molestation to herself until recently. She was scared to come forward because Villanueva was in a position of trust and due to her trauma, authorities say.

Villanueva was arrested May 16, and pleaded not guilty on May 18. He is being held in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail.

Prosecutors allege that the first act of molestation occurred when the girl was 8 years old, when Villanueva allegedly grabbed her in the backyard, took her to a secluded area on the property and inappropriately touched her. The girl reportedly told police that he covered her mouth when she tried to scream for help and threatened to hurt her if she told on him.

Three years later, after being invited to the family’s home for dinner, Villanueva allegedly molested the girl again, in similar fashion. Authorities say he grabbed her while she was playing in the backyard, took her to the side of the house, inappropriately touched her and then told her to “shut up” when she began crying. The girl reportedly claimed there was a third molestation incident when she was 9, but thus far prosecutors have only filed the two counts.

After the alleged victim came forward, her mother told police there was another suspicious incident involving Villanueva: He allegedly came to the house one night and sliced open the window screen to the girl’s bedroom, while shining a flashlight inside. Police say he left when the mother yelled at him.

Since the charges were filed, an Alameda County Superior Court judge issued a restraining order, which will remain in effect if Villanueva is convicted, court records show. Villanueva’s next court date, a pretrial hearing, has been set for June 29 before Judge Jacob Blea.

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Krista Witiak and Content Sponsored by House Doctors Handyman of Colorado Springs

1 month ago

(SPONSORED) — FOX21 and Loving Living Local are excited to announce the 2023 Southern Colorado’s Best of the Best Awards winners. These awards aim to recognize local favorites’ exceptional services in our community.

House Doctors Handyman of Colorado Springs was honored with the prestigious gold award for being recognized as Southern Colorado’s Best of the Best Handyman. Owner Al Cazares and Lead Technician Steven Whitt accepted their award from Host Krista Witiak.

Home improvements just got easier! House Doctors provide Professional Handyman services to homes and businesses in Colorado Springs and surrounding communities. They promise quality craftsmanship and excellent customer service, all backed by their labor guarantee.

Top quality customer service provides a distinction between us and other companies. If you make sure customer service is at the forefront of everything you do, your customer is going to remember you and keep using your service again and again. Because we are focused on customer service, about 45-50 percent of our work comes from repeat business.

Al Cazares, Owner of House Doctors Handyman of Colorado Springs

Southern Colorado’s Best of the Best results are based 100% on the public’s nominations and votes. For a complete list of winners, visit fox21news.com/botb.

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