Crime & Safety
Third Robbery Suspect Nabbed
Three acted together to allegedly steal purse during large cash deposit.
Palo Alto police have taken a second suspect into custody in connection with the robbery of a McDonald's employee who was making a large cash business deposit at a California Avenue bank Monday morning.
Gerardo Yepez-Soto, 21, who allegedly drove a getaway car, was arrested by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Gang Task Force Wednesday night in Redwood City. Fabian Delgadillo 21, and Ismael Aquino-Flores, 20, were arrested the day of the robbery. The three men are all Redwood City residents.
At approximately 11:05 a.m. Monday, the female vicim was walking the business deposit into a Wells Fargo at 505 California Avenue when Aquino-Flores approached her. He then allegedly grabbed her purse with force and fled to a green Honda Accord that was waiting, according to a witness. Nearby, a silver Honda also left the scene at the same time, the same witness told police.
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The emergency call prompted a large response from police, who canvassed the area and shortly spotted the two cars. Attempting to evade police, the drivers then split up.
Officers later stopped the silver Honda at Greer Road and Tulip Lane and arrested Delgadillo, who was alone in the car. Other officers stopped the green Honda Accord on the 500 block of Coleridge Avenue. Passenger Aquino-Flores was arrested, but Yepez-Soto allegedly fled the scene on foot and was able to evade police through several residential back yards. Palo Alto police called on helicopter support and tried to track him with a K-9 unit, but he still managed to escape.
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With Yepez-Soto on the run, Palo Alto police issued a multi-jurisdiction bulletin with his information. On Wednesday, some task force agents recognized Yepez-Soto from past encounters and arrested him.
After some investigation, Palo Alto detectives learned that Yepez-Soto had worked with the victim at the same McDonald's and knew when and where supervisors made cash deposits. Police recovered all of the stolen property. The three suspects will likely face robbery and conspiracy charges in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
