Crime & Safety
Palo Alto Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening, Robbing Juveniles Who Hit Him With Fireworks
Five teenagers were tossing fireworks off the top of a city parking garage when one hit the suspect who was walking on a sidewalk below.
The police booked into jail Monday 24-year-old Daniel Adam Esquivel of Palo Alto for suspicion of felony robbery, felony criminal threats, and misdemeanor battery after five juveniles reported him for roughing them up and taking their money after they hit him with fireworks they were tossing off a parking garage.
The teens, ages 14 to 15, went to the Palo Alto Police Department Monday afternoon at 4:41 p.m. and said they were throwing "small noise-making fireworks" off the top of City Parking Garage "S" when one firework struck Esquivel, who was walking on a sidewalk below, police said.
The suspect immediately took the elevator to the top of the garage and confronted the youth, shoving a 15-year-old, demanding money from a 14-year-old and threatening to throw the group off the garage roof, police said.
A 14-year-old told police he feared for his safety, so handed over cash from his wallet, and the suspect left on foot, according to police.
No one was injured in the incident, police said.
The five teens went straight to the police station to report what occurred and provide a description of the man.
Officers located Esquivel at 5 p.m. walking along the the 300 block of University Avenue.
He was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
