Naked man harasses residents, leads deputies on a chase

A couple of residents who live near Woodside High School got an unpleasant surprise when they answered the doorbell in the wee hours of the morning — a very tall, very naked man standing on their doorsteps.

The man, described as being 6 feet, 7 inches tall, and weighing 250 pounds, was arrested early Saturday morning, July 11, near the 500 block of Sand Hill Circle in Menlo Park after fleeing in a pickup truck and attempting to evade a traffic stop.

The incident began around 3 a.m. when two residents of the 2000 block of El Prado Street in unincorporated Redwood City reported that a man wearing nothing but sneakers was ringing their doorbells, Lt. Ray Lunny of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said.

A deputy who responded to the calls attempted to pull over a blue Dodge pickup truck, but the driver refused to yield, Lt. Lunny said.

Deputies, who suspected the man was under the influence of alcohol and stimulants, pursued him as he allegedly drove recklessly for nearly seven miles through Atherton and Menlo Park. The tires blew out and he was driving on the rims before stopping on the Sand Hill Road on-ramp to northbound Interstate 280.

Then he ran to an occupied house in the 500 block of Sand Hill Circle, and kicked in the door, Lt. Lunny said.

Exiting the house, he tried to hide behind nearby trees and shrubs. Deputies unsuccessfully attempted to subdue him with a Taser. Finally, after shooting him with two non-lethal “bean bags,” deputies were able to take him into custody, Lt. Lunny said.

The man, identified as 38-year-old Peter Allen Steele of Union City, was taken to Stanford Hospital for an evaluation and then booked into San Mateo County jail.

He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, evading a peace officer, driving with a suspended license, indecent exposure, entering a house without permission, vandalism and resisting arrest.

Mr. Steele is on parole for a felony assault in San Francisco, and has prior felony convictions for stalking and making threats, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report