Blockbuster murder Blockbuster murder (September 21, 2001)

Killing is city's first this year

by Bill D'Agostino

A botched robbery turned into a "brutal" murder early Wednesday as two Blockbuster employees were about to close up the video store on Grant Road. Mountain View police officers arrested the suspect, 26-year-old Michael P. McGrath, shortly after he allegedly used a knife to kill one of the two male employees.

At five minutes after midnight, a 911 call was placed from inside the store at 1040 Grant Road. Despite repeated prompting, the caller didn't say anything to the dispatcher who answered the call. "In the background," according to Public Information Officer Jim Bennett, "the dispatcher heard what she believed was a struggle."

The police arrived on the scene at 12:07 a.m. and saw the suspect exiting the building, escorted by a store employee.

Soon after, officers entered the store and found the victim, also a male, already dead from multiple stab wounds. Bennett described the murder as "brutal."

Mountain View fire personnel also responded to the 911 call.

McGrath allegedly entered the open store around midnight, as the two employees were about to lock up for the night.

Bennett said that the reason police believe it was a robbery was because the suspect carried the knife into the store and obtained money from the store's register.

At press time, police were unsure why the robbery turned into a scuffle and murder. Police recovered the weapon they believed was used in the assault, but were not saying what type of knife it was.

The police don't think the suspect knew the two employees prior to Wednesday, Bennett said, but he stressed that they were still in the early stages of the investigation.

At press time, no additional information was available about the victim or the other Blockbuster employee.

No costumers or other employees were believed to be in the store at the time of the incident, but anyone with information should call the Mountain View Police Department at (650) 903-6344.

It was the first homicide in Mountain View this year. There were two in 2000 and none in 1999.