Robber Attacked Livermore Couple with Hammer

A Livermore man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of attacking a husband and wife with a hammer during a robbery, said Livermore Police Lt. Ava Garavatti.

Police were notified of the incident Saturday evening after being contacted by the ValleyCare Medical Facility in Pleasanton, where a 39-year-old woman was being treated for injuries.

The woman was vomiting, suffered a concussion and had bruises throughout her body, Garavatti said.

The woman in police interviews said she was attacked by an acquaintance while watching television in her garage. The attack occurred around 10 p.m. Thursday, after the acquaintance showed up at her home on the 1700 block of Fifth Street with a hammer and a mask to cover his face, police said.

When the man demanded money the woman told police she recognized his voice. The man took an undisclosed amount of cash, struck her several times with the hammer and fled when the woman's husband came to help her.

The husband, 41, chased the man for about a block and found him hiding in a bush with his mask removed, according to police.

The robber then struck the husband with the hammer, Garavatti said.

The two wrestled and the husband was able to retrieve the stolen cash and return home without suffering any major injuries, police said.

The couple did not report the incident that night to police, Garavatti said.

The robber later was identified as Adam Brooke, who was arrested at 2:49 a.m. Sunday at his home on the 500 block of South P Street.

Garavatti said the attack is suspicious.

"There's always a possibility that drugs may be involved," she said. "But we cannot confirm that."

Brooke, 24, is currently being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he remains in lieu of $160,000 bail.

He is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Department 701 of the Gale-Schenone Hall of Justice in Pleasanton. He faces assault with a deadly weapon and robbery charges, Garavatti said.