Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Police arrested 22-year-old Abdul Walid Hamid of Hayward Wednesday evening after he reportedly robbed a man and scared others at Stoneridge Shopping Center.

He has been charged with battery, terrorist threats and grand theft.

According to reports, Hamid was yelling “Allah is power” and “Islam is great” while holding a pen in a fist over his head and witnesses said he had been shouting anti-Christian comments.

Lt. Mike Elerick said the man was not provoked and didn’t threaten violence, but he committed robbery when he grabbed and broke a crucifix off a man’s neck.

Coworkers told police that Hamid’s actions were out of the ordinary and that he had worked at a kiosk near Starbucks for years.

Police also said they weren’t aware of a prior criminal history for the man.

“We had multiple people calling 911,” Elerick said. “One female was crouching down and hiding from him. He definitely scared quite a few people.”

Elerick said much of the man’s speech was similar to the loud scene of the Christian activists who frequent downtown Pleasanton. The big differences, however, is that Hamid was on private property and had physical contact with someone.

“Mall management has the option of making a citizen’s arrest on anybody and asking someone to remove themselves for any reason,” he said. “If there was no physical contact between Hamid and the customers, with just his actions alone the mall would have asked that he be removed.”

Hamid was reportedly not cooperating and was arrested by force and taken to John George Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Police said the case will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s office for review and possible charges.

Join the Conversation

8 Comments

  4. He was a taken as a 5150 from the scene and taken to the hospital for psych eval. He wasn’t trying to get arrested. He just jumped a little too far into the deep end.

  9. They always make excuses for these guys. He is the next Fort Hood perp. Oh no you can’t profile these guys blah,blah, blah. He’s not a 5150. Just a guy who needs a one way ticket to Iran.

  10. How utterly fantastic! First a minor beating in Pleasanton, then more of the events that just transpired at Ft. Hood will be coming to our community. Shhhh, don’t say anything to upset their muslim beliefs, show their failed prophet in a negative light, wipe your behind with a koran, etc.

    Religion of peace? Methinks not.

  11. I agree with Naysayer…… America has their head buried in the sand. We have to be vigilant about what is going around us. There were all kinds of red flags with the Major at Ft Hood. The man at the mall is another red flag. He is not 5150 he hates America and all Americans. Not all Muslims are like this, but we here in America have to know the difference and stop sugar coating the real facts. Makes me sick when we can’t have a Manger at Christmas or the ten commandments displayed, but have to tolerate such behavior of people that hate us. Wake up America….

  13. great idea putting a bart station at the mall, once that opens up there will be no more after dark shopping for us, same as bayfair mall and southland mall. the punks, hoodlums and wanna be terrorists are lining up to claim new turf!!

  15. Stay Cool,
    oh how about having to fly on airplain with Muslims with full intent of disturbing the rest of the people during the flight. Then having been extorted to the tune of a half a million dollars. When the airlines pay these settlements we pay more in air fares. Yes Stay Cool we have to tolerate them in schools, stores, and soon we will have to take crosses off of churches. But Stay Cool the winds are changing for the better.
    Linda you are right on the money. These people aren’t about freedom. For them it’s their way or die.

  19. PC – Stay Cool said it best with his responce, but I had to point out Steve’s Good post comment and again say “Wow”. Let’s admittedly take something out of context,
    “…we have to tolerate them in schools, stores,…”
    …What do you hear?
    My neighbor has dark skin is, muslum and has a 2 year old who is about the same age as my child. Watch them play together while writing, supporting or even reading that post and then tell me how you feel. People suck.

  20. George – So are you saying you want this guy to get the death penalty? Some would say I’m a liberal but I am a strong supporter of the death penalty and actually think ATLEAST every repeat offender of rape, child molestation, and a few other crimes should be put to death, and I’d throw the switch, but an unarmed public disturbance with someone shouting religous slurs (Cry to God anyone?) must not be it. It’s his religion? Is it that he grabbed a cross? He did not try to run away or get away with doing it, he continued standing right there, knowing security would be coming. It was not a real robbery, it was a demonstration that crossed the line when touching someone or their property. From reading posts on here I would not be surprised if it was someone who taunted him relentlessly for the many years he worked there.

  21. WOW. I find myself questioning responses to this article, more than I do the actions of the man who acted out at the mall. I don’t know the entire situation, but based on the article, it does sound like he went over the top. A 5150 sounds appropriate.

    WOW. I can’t believe these responses. I’m more concerned about the HATE driven remarks, than I am about the man who was arrested.

  22. Shocked – You must be new on here. If this forum is really a true reflection of the community and I was a gay, black, democrat that was Muslim I would head for de’ hills!

  23. Seems that this man crossed the line between peaceful and aggressive when he grabbed someone’s necklace. On a larger scale, WAKE UP AMERICA!
    The Muslim fanatics are not able to tolerate anyone else. It is THEIR WAY OR DIE!!

    There are Muslims that are not fanatics. They deserve to be here along with everyone else.

    Find these fanatics and throw them out of our country. If they return, shoot them. Problem solved.

  24. The Christian fanatics are not able to tolerate anyone else. It is THEIR WAY OR DIE!! There are Christians that are not fanatics. They deserve to be here along with everyone else. Find these fanatics and throw them out of our country. If they return, shoot them. Problem solved.
    How’s it feel because it’s just as true. Why don’t we just keep it to criminals and realize that there are bad people of all sizes, religions, sexual orientations, etc.

  25. The Muslim fanatics are not able to tolerate anyone else.
    The Christian fanatics are not able to tolerate anyone else.

    Both statements are true. However, only one religion of these two is CURRENTLY organizing armies, ruling entire countries, and executing people for exercising their faith.
    TH, you and I both know that persons who are gay, black, muslim and democrat can express their views and live peacefully in this community, and can do so in most of the US (not speaking for Southern Idaho here).
    You and I also both know that there are Muslim countries in which this same person would be put to death.
    Good Muslims and good Christians, – good people PERIOD – should be objecting in the strongest terms to the actions of this young man in the mall. This was a hate crime, by definition.
    Hate crimes are criminal acts or attempted criminal acts against an individual or group of individuals because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion… –>http://da.co.la.ca.us/hate/hcdefined.htm

  26. Good point Jim01,

    There are a lot of wackos out there, it is important we don’t become one of them by reacting to their actions. Indeed it is vital to keep a clear eye and a cool head. We are good people at heart. This does seem to be one man with mental issues, it is bad for him. The countries that rally their people with offical “Death to America” day are another issue, which bodes carefull watching. It is the world we live in.

  27. Thanks Bryan, but I am not so sure about this guy. He had no record and was gainfully employed, apparently.
    He may have just gone off his meds, but assume for a moment he is a radicalized muslim, and a crucifix wearing customer makes some type of religious comment.
    Hamid flips out and the PD shows up, to quote the story he “was reportedly not cooperating and was arrested by force”, the authorities have limited options at that point.
    Book him for assault and/or robbery, and they could be accused of ignoring his words and not taking the precaution of taking him in on a 5150. Your average LEO doesn’t run across this type of thing, like, ever, so yeah, the guy appears to be as nutty as a fruitcake.
    So what happens next? If they take him in and he is diagnosed as not kookoo, does it then become an assault, robbery, or maybe a hate crime? DA’s decision, right? I would like some follow-up.

  30. another reason why i dont go to stoneridge anymore,straight to walnut creek is where my friends and committees will be shopping for xmas..5150 indeed!

  31. If this was a Christian-on-Muslim crime, it would be international front-page news for days. Half the middle east would be on fire with riots. I heard about it for the first time this morning on Armstrong and Getty radio. The bias in the main-stream media is stunning. After Ft. Hood, Janet Napolitano expressed concern about a backlash against Muslims…this rhetoric is like The Emperor’s New Clothes. As far as I know, there’s never been any backlash against Muslims since 9/11. Our leaders and the media are paralyzed with political correctness and I think it puts us all at risk.

  32. Well , let me see Lt. Elerick stated that the arrestee didnt threaten violence? Hmmm brandishing a pen as a weapon [ there is a movie where a pen is used to stab a guys throat] he is charged with a felony terroist threat..he had to be taken by force ..resisting arrest…rip something off my person I will return the “violent act” so at what point is he threatening violence ..maybe if he took flying lessons…oh that isnt violent. So Lt. why did you bring up the Christians? I dont get it. Are you making this religious. Well I feel safe now with the Lt. evaluation of violence. Just my opinion.

Leave a comment