Police Nab Residential Burglar

A young burglar who broke into a Palo Alto home and ran from police was arrested Thursday afternoon, police said.

A 17-year-old boy burglarized a home at 1:19 p.m. in the 900 block of Oregon Avenue, according to a statement released by Palo Alto Police Detective Max Nielepko.

The suspect allegedly climbed through an unlocked window and set off a burglar alarm, alerting a neighbor, who called police.

Officers responded and found a bike stashed in the bushes near the victim’s home, police said.

As officers searched for the suspect, another resident told officers that someone had placed some items, including laptops, in that resident’s yard.

Officers then check the area near the laptops and found a male suspect hiding in the bushes, causing him to flee on foot. Officers gave chase as the boy ran north on Louis Road, eventually running into residential backyards in the 800 block of Garland Drive, police said.

Police contacted nearby Stratford School and asked to keep students inside while they set up a perimeter. Shortly thereafter, they found the teen hopping through yards in the 800 block of Garland Drive, where they surrounded and arrested him, police said.

The teen had an MP3 player allegedly stolen from the victim’s home, and police found a purse, laptops and jewelry that he had left in a resident’s yard before fleeing, police said.

Police are encouraging residents to call 9-1-1 if they observe suspicious activity in their neighborhood.