BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
A realtor who has struck fear throughout a Palo Alto neighborhood has avoided jail for violating restraining orders and allegedly attacking Google co-founder Larry Page’s security guard with an umbrella.
April Li, 52, of Palo Alto, admitted on April 24 to three counts of willfully disobeying a court order.
She had the rest of her charges dismissed, including battery and 24 counts of willfully disobeying a court order.
Li will be on probation for one year, supervised by Judge Stephen Manley in mental health treatment court.
Li had spent 20 days in jail before signing a plea deal with Deputy District Attorney Talia Cabrera on the eve of a trial. Li is known for opening car doors without permission and acting confused in the Old Palo Alto neighborhood.
Six neighbors — Robin Feldman, Shir Heimark, Gregory Price, Pei-Hsing Chang, Billy Lee and Jeremy Mathias — have obtained restraining orders against Li.
The orders prevent Li from going within 300 feet of their homes around Emerson Street and Santa Rita Avenue, but she hasn’t followed them.
Page’s security guard confronted Li for opening car doors on March 24, 2025. She allegedly hit him in the face with an umbrella, police said.
The security guard had a red mark on the left side of his face near his temple, Officer Andrew Escalante said in a police report.
Escalante arrested Li for felony assault with a deadly weapon, but she was ultimately charged with misdemeanor battery.
Li has become angrier and more intense since then, Feldman said in her restraining order application on Dec. 26.
“The change in her demeanor is downright frightening,” Feldman said.
Chang said he called police on Li 14 times and was fed up that she kept being released.
Mathias said he moved to the neighborhood with his wife and three kids in August, and Li spends hours each day standing in front of their home, waiting for them to return.
“When we enter or exit our vehicles, she runs toward them and attempts to open the door. This is traumatic for our family every time it happens,” Mathias said in his Jan. 22 restraining order application.
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