Crime & Safety

Two Attempted Muggings, One Burglary Saturday Morning

Palo Alto Police are investigating three crimes that occured within 30 minutes of each other in the north end of town on Saturday morning.

Between 10:10 and 10:40 a.m. Saturday, two attempted street robberies and one residential burglary took place in the north end of town.

Palo Alto Police are investigating these incidents, and theorize at this time that the same suspect committed all three.

The first attempted robbery occurred around 10:10 a.m. in the 300 block of Waverley Street. The suspect rode his bicycle up to a female pedestrian in her 50s and demanded money from her in Spanish. When she refused, he gestured towards his waistband and said in Spanish that he had a gun, though no weapon was seen or displayed. The victim again refused to give him money, and he rode away.

The second attempted robbery occurred at about 10:25 a.m. in the 1900 block of Tasso Street. The suspect rode his bicycle up behind a 14-year-old male pedestrian who was carrying an iPod.

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The suspect said “hi” in Spanish, causing the juvenile to turn around. The suspect tried to grab the iPod out of the victim’s hand, but the victim held onto it and ran away. No weapon was mentioned, seen, or displayed in this event.

The residential burglary occurred at 10:40 a.m. in the 100 block of Walter Hays Drive.

An alert neighbor saw the suspect ride his bicycle into the driveway of the victim’s residence. The neighbor watched as the suspect entered the victim’s open garage door, stole a bicycle out of the garage, and rode away, leaving the old bicycle behind.

The suspect description was similar in all three events. The victims and witness described him as a Hispanic male in his 40s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a thin build. The suspect was unshaven and possibly had a mustache. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

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He was last seen riding away on Walter Hays Drive on a stolen gray, 21-speed Marin mountain bike.

Officers from the Palo Alto Police Department flooded the area of each of the three crimes, but were unable to locate the suspect. Officers from the Stanford Department of Public Safety, the East Palo Alto Police Department, and the Menlo Park Police Department all assisted in the search for the suspect.

The Palo Alto Police Department would like to remind the public to always remain alert to their surroundings while out in public, especially during this holiday shopping season.

Police ask the public to report suspicious behavior by calling 911. Anyone with information about these three crimes, or any other crime, can call the 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org.


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