Week in review

The police departments issued a joint statement to residents in San Mateo Park and Hillsborough's southeast neighborhood. They believe attacks on April 17 on Poplar Drive in San Mateo and July 20 on Santa Inez Avenue in Hillsborough were committed by the same man.

On July 20, at about 6:15 a.m., a 56-year-old woman was jogging on the 300 block of West Santa Inez Avenue when she was grabbed from behind by an unknown attacker. He attempted to drag her away, but she violently resisted and the man fled, according to a neighborhood alert issued by the Hillsborough Police Department.

The woman described the attacker as 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 pounds, muscular build and possibly Hispanic. Police said they did not know how old he is. His face was covered and he was wearing a dark sleeveless shirt, red athletic shorts and gray running shoes, according to the statement.

Three months ago, San Mateo police took a similar report of a woman attacked by someone with the same description.

Gay marriage battle heats in Sacramento

A new same-sex marriage battle began brewing Monday after the state attorney general cast a proposed state constitutional amendment as an attack on same-sex couples' rights, rather than a strengthening of marriage.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer wrote a summary of a proposed measure to allow supporters to start gathering signatures to put it on the June 2006 ballot. In it, he said the amendment would allow only marriages between a man and a woman and restrict domestic partner rights in inheritance, adoption, child custody, hospital visitation and other matters.

The attorney general summarizes measures before they are added to the ballot, but one of the amendment's official sponsors said Lockyer was "inaccurate and prejudicial" and vowed to challenge it in court.

Lockyer's changed the title from "The Voters' Right to Protect Marriage Act" to "Marriage. Elimination of Domestic Partnership Rights." A spokesman for the attorney general's office said Lockyer did not intend to take a position but to "tell voters the truth."

Amendment co-sponsor Voteyesmarriage.com said the summary "is replete with errors, omissions and negative, prejudicial campaigning," according to a statement released Monday.

San Mateo County opponents of the marriage amendment agreed with Lockyer's assessment and said it would erode rights for same-sex couples, especially for child custody and child support.

Downtown theater target of robbery

The San Mateo Police Department and SWAT team responded to a brazen early morning robbery Tuesday at the Century 12 movie theater in downtown San Mateo.

At about 3 a.m., police responded to the theater, located between Second and Third avenues on B Street, on reports of an armed robbery. Two men armed with at least one gun "restrained" four janitorial employees and made off with "variety of personal property."

Someone was able to free themselves to make a phone call to police shortly after the robbery. However, the four victims - two woman, ages 48 and 45, and two men, ages 19 and 29 - did not see the gunmen leave and told police they could still be in the building.

The SWAT team was called to the scene to search the 12-screen movie complex. The SWAT teams entered the building at around 6 a.m. with search dogs. At 8:30 a.m., they determined the building was empty and left the scene.

The men are described as two Hispanic males, 18 to 20 years old and were wearing dark clothing.

Caltrain to add 10 baby bullets

Caltrain is giving birth to 10 new baby bullet trains beginning Monday.

The addition of 10 Baby Bullet trains and five new Baby Bullet station stops is all part of Caltrain's latest effort to attract commuters and get back on track from a projected $13.6 million shortfall.

Baby Bullet trains offer express travel service between San Jose and San Francisco. The trains are popular with passengers because they nearly cut the commute time in half, according to the Caltrain Web site.

The 10 new trains will bring Caltrain's total fleet of Baby Bullets to 22.