Burglar Attacks Pregnant Woman, Tries To Kidnap Senior: Police

SAN RAFAEL, CA — A North Bay man is accused of breaking into a San Rafael home, assaulting a pregnant woman and her husband, and trying to kidnap an elderly patient from a nursing home.

Police identified the suspect Monday as David Jonathan Margoliash, 48, of San Rafael.

According to the San Rafael Police Department, a 911 caller reported a stranger had entered his Ross Street home shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday. The victim told police the man accessed the house through the back door while he and his wife were asleep. According to police, the man's pregnant wife was awakened by a noise, went to investigate, and found Margoliash standing in the living room.

Police said the woman screamed, waking her husband, before the burglar hit her in the head with a flashlight. Moments later, the husband confronted the suspect and a physical struggle ensued, where police allege Margoliash bit the husband's hand. As the fight moved outside, investigators said the husband pushed Margoliash down the patio stairs, and he fled the area.

Due to the severity of the crime, San Rafael authorities called in help from the Marin County Sheriff's Office and a Novato K-9 unit to search for the suspect. Both victims were treated for their injuries at a local hospital.

Several hours later, police received a 911 call from a skilled nursing facility reporting a man claiming to be an employee of a transport service and attempting to take an elderly patient.

Officers arrived a few minutes later, and staffers told them Margoliash had walked in and out of the facility several times, asking to take the patient to Santa Rosa. The workers demanded his credentials and told police he could not verify his status.

Police said two nurses followed the suspect after he left the facility and alerted an officer in the area, leading to Margoliash's arrest. Investigators identified him as the same man wanted in connection with the earlier home burglary.

Detectives allege Margoliash made "several incriminating statements" regarding both incidents after he was taken into custody. He was booked in the Marin County Jail on suspicion of felony burglary, felony assault with a deadly weapon and felony attempted kidnapping.

Citing Margoliah's criminal record and the nature of the crimes, a Marin County judge approved a bail enhancement. According to jail records, he remains in custody and is being held with no bail.

According to police Margoliash's extensive criminal history includes several violent crimes, including a pending sentencing on charges stemming from a March attack on the Islamic Center of Marin in Novato.