Vigilant Citizens Help Police Catch Thieves

Palo Alto police arrested and booked a Daly City couple on several theft charges and an outstanding warrant for burglary Thursday. The man, Jimmy Leonardo, 35, was also booked for violating a restraining order that was in place to keep him away from the woman, Sandra Ann, 34. 

The two were caught when, at approximately 9 a.m., the victim came home to find a man walking down a path near her home. Minutes later, she heard banging coming from her carport, walked outside and spotted the same man riding away on her bicycle. She called 911 and officers later found the suspect a few blocks away, with the bicycle, in the parking lot at 2890 Middlefield Road. Police returned the bicycle and Leonardo was booked on suspicion of possessing stolen property, petty theft and for violating a restraining order.

Leonardo had been renting a room at the Glass Slipper Motel, according to police, with a female accomplice who police also arrested later the same day. Ann was arrested and booked on a $20,000 San Mateo County warrant dealing with charges of theft, burglary and use of a stolen credit card. She was also booked on suspicion of possessing stolen property after officers found a stolen gift card in her possession that had been reported stolen during a Belmont burglary on Jan. 14.

A search of the hotel room later revealed several items, including a bicycle reported stolen from an apartment complex on the 300 block of College Avenue and a laptop reported stolen out of Menlo Park Wednesday.

Detectives are investigating the origin of the other items found in the hotel room, which officers suspect are also stolen.

At 11 a.m. the same day, someone alerted security at the to report that a man was peering into multiplied parked cars. The guard spotted the man sitting in the passenger seat of parked car and tried to speak with him, but the suspect fled toward El Camino Real. 

Police later stopped the man across the street and the owner of the car confirmed with the officers that the suspect had entered her car illegally. Police cited Roger Khanna, 24, of San Jose, on suspicion of tampering with a car and released him from scene.

In a statement, police reminded the public to be alert and report suspicious activity.

"A great deal of crime is solved by information provided by residents," police said in the statement.