Yesterday in the Berkeley,CA area two of our members experienced a carjacking. Nicole Aloni has been on her book tour for her 2nd book "Cooking For Company", and had just completed a class at Sur La Table in Northern, CA where our wonderful Barbara Walker (Front Door Food) assists on a part time basis.
Barbara was (typically) kind enough to offer to drive Nicole to her next destination and when they stopped at a gas station and Barbara got out of the car to pump gas, a terrible person jumped into the drivers seat and took off with Nicole in the passenger seat. I guess Nic was terrified, attempted to open the door and kept crying out - "Just let me get out"... She says the guy actually sped up, and then pushed her out of the car... Needless to say, Nicole is badly injured and Barbara is horrified and enraged. Nicole has a broken tailbone, cuts and bruises and the 2 bones in her arm are broken in about 20 places so she will be having surgery on Friday to insert some pins in her arm to facilitate proper healing of the bones.
The guy apparently led the police on a high speed chase and eventually also jumped from Barbara's car which then proceeded to smash into a building and was totalled. He was apprehended and is now in jail, but he threw Barbara's purse (and life and cell phone) out of the window of the car, so Barbara now gets to re-create her entire identity.
Sur La Table has put Nicole up at a great hotel until her surgery pon Friday morning, and the hotel is one where one of our members is Executive Vegetarian Chef so she will be getting some special attention, and the police were very kind to Nic and actually retrieved her luggage and her computer (which has the first 1/3 of her NEXT book) from Barbara's totalled car and actually brought it all to the emergency room for Nic to see. That's amazing!
Barbara says she spent almost the entire afternoon and evening with the police and was only able to see Nic for 2 short visits at the hospital, but will be with her for the next few days to make sure she is not alone during the process.
Both Nicole and I were scheduled to participate at this weekend's WCR Conference in San Francisco, so I'm on my way up tomorrow a.m.and will be with Nicole and possibly bring her back to San Diego on Monday, and Barbara Walker is going to stay with Nicole through the next few days and the surgery to make sure Nic has an advocate. Dane Mechlin and his wife Karen are also standing by (Dane says Karen "has already called in the Marines and the FBI"), so Nic is in good hands.
I know all of you will keep Nicole and Barbara in your thoughts these next few days and weeks until both of them are back on sound footing again. I'll keep you posted. Candy
She had surgery on her arm on Friday of last week, and stayed with me at the Mark Hopkins hotel in San Francisco over the weekend, and was actually able to attend a few functions during the Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Conference at the hotel (including her break out session on Catering). What an amazing woman.
We came home together last night and Nic is now at home receuperating from her injuries. Don't know how long the pins must stay in her injured arm or how long the cast will stay on, but just being home will help her heal. Both Nic and Barbara Walker are healing from this awful incident, and we're thrilled that both of them are alive and it's over.
Nicole will probably try to resume her book promotion and teaching schedule in a few weeks if she can.
The bad guy is in jail in Berkeley on charges of kidnapping and attempted murder.
Nicole thanks you for your good wishes and thoughts. Candy
