Ex-Mountain Winery owner killed in home MONTE SERENO

Approximate location of 18000 block of Withey Road in Monte Sereno, CA Approximate location of 18000 block of Withey Road in Monte Sereno, CA Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Ex-Mountain Winery owner killed in home 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

An early-morning robbery Friday at a stately brick mansion in an upscale Santa Clara County community left a former winery owner dead, his wife injured and police wondering whether it was a random home invasion or a targeted assault.

The injured woman, Harinder Kumra, 63, phoned police at 1:40 a.m., and when officers arrived they found her injured, her husband Raveesh "Ravi" Kumra, 66, dead and portions of the 7,000-square-foot Monte Sereno home on Withey Road ransacked.

Los Gatos/Monte Sereno police were trying to determine how many assailants there were and how long they stayed in the home, said police Sgt. Kerry Harris. The woman called 911 "as soon as they left," he said.

Also unknown was whether their home was targeted, Harris said.

"We have not had similar crimes in that area," he said. "It's too soon to tell why the location was picked, if there was some specific purpose or whether it was a random event."

Tight-lipped investigators released few details, declining to say how Raveesh Kumra, the former owner of Mountain Winery in Saratoga, was killed.

His wife was taken to a local hospital with unspecified injuries that were not life-threatening, authorities said.

A police crime-scene mobile trailer sat outside the home as officers stood watch in the rain and searched for evidence along the street.

The four-bedroom, seven-bath home was built in 1977 and sits on 3 acres behind a brick wall, a mechanical gate and a circular driveway. A large and fully landscaped front yard features citrus and oak trees. The estate also has two smaller buildings.

The couple have lived at the home - valued at between $3 million and $4 million - since 1995. The victim has been associated with Western Cellular Management and a nonprofit organization called Foundation for World Awakening, records show.

Although police described the victims as husband and wife, Harinder Kumra filed for divorce from her husband in 2006, and the case was concluded in 2010, records show.

A neighbor, Steve Mortara, 63, said he knew little about the victims.

"I'm really taken aback," Mortara said. "This is the type of neighborhood where you walk the dog, power-walk, go jogging. Cross-country teams run up here. And everybody knows everybody, and this is possibly one group that no one really knew."

"It's scary," said another neighbor, Sarah Levine, 27. "Violence is anger, and I'd like to have a peaceful neighborhood."

The slaying is the first homicide in the community since 1972, and the local police called in help from the Sunnyvale and Campbell police departments as well as the Santa Clara County sheriff's office.

Violence in Monte Sereno, a community of 3,395 residents, is rare. The city is less than 2 square miles and sits at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

"It's a neighborhood of very large homes, and several have expansive estates," Harris said. "Monte Sereno is an extremely safe community. We consider this to be an isolated incident. There's no indication that this is the beginning of a violent crime wave in Monte Sereno or in Los Gatos."

Monte Sereno Mayor Susan Garner said city officials "have every confidence" police will solve the crime. "The bottom line is we have one of the safest communities in the nation, and we have a top-notch police department," she said.