Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

Uploaded: Monday, January 7, 2013, 9:37 AM                                             

Two arrested in Palo Alto carjacking Saturday
Woman, sitting in parked car on California Avenue, faced man with BB gun

by Chris Kenrick
Palo Alto Weekly Staff

Posted by bill g, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 10:51 am

Congratulations to the PAPD. Good fast police work.

Posted by Joe, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 11:00 am

> Congratulations to the PAPD. Good fast police work.

Yes .. but let's not forget that the lady had a cell phone, and that there was cell phone coverage where she happened to be located when her car was stolen.

It's great that the police were close at hand, but it's the quick 911 call that got the ball rolling.

Posted by Steve C, a resident of Menlo Park, on Jan 7, 2013 at 11:01 am

Like the 3rd occupant had no idea the car was stolen. What was he(she), a hitch-hiker?

Posted by Rows, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 11:14 am

"and that there was cell phone coverage where she happened to be located"

Is there an area in Palo Alto not covered? (not the hills, there are no carjackings at the top of Page Mill....)

Posted by Joe, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 11:32 am

> Is there an area in Palo Alto not covered?

Well, according to the anecdotal evidence:

Web Link

The stoplight at intersection Page Mill Rd and Deer Creek Rd is a dead zone. No bars and no searching for service here.

---

There are probably some dead zones, but without good coverage maps--it would be hard to make the claim that everywhere is covered.

Posted by Rows, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 11:50 am

You're correct about upper Page Mill past Foothill, that gets me every time.

Guess I should have been more clear: flatlands reception is really good; that coincides with areas I might be concerned for potential carjackings.

Posted by Austin, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 11:51 am

Yay Palo Alto Police!

My experience with the PAPD has been very positive. They are competent, and the department has a culture that puts priority on treating the residents of Palo Alto with respect.

It's not like that in some cities.

Posted by Enough!, a resident of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 11:58 am

Good job PAPD! I hope these scumbags are thrown into jail for freakin' EVER.

Posted by moi, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 12:02 pm

Such a great eyewitness!

She must have snagged the complete license plate number and a full description of the fleeing vehicle.

We need to take a lesson from her and all be so observant.

(And it goes without saying that I'm relieved she's not hurt physically.)

Posted by Joe, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 12:06 pm

> She must have snagged the complete license plate number

> and a full description of the fleeing vehicle.

Ahh .. wasn't it her car?

Posted by A Noun Ea Mus, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 12:08 pm

Yes let's not laud the police too much! Wouldn't want to think they deserve a good living wage or benefits. After all, in addition to cell phone technology, their cars wouldn't have been able to even move without the invention of rubber. So let's thank Charles Goodyear for this great take-down of these criminals.

Posted by moi, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 12:20 pm

@ Joe --

@ A Nou Ea Mus --

I think moi was pointing out that these were propitious circumstances, thus more likely to produce a positive result.

Posted by A Noun Ea Mus, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 12:29 pm

Propitious is really duplicitous. I suppose all of our personal and group achievements are to some degree propitious. So next time your kid gets a good grade, you get a promotion, someone asks you to marry them (or accepts), let's all focus on the "propitious" aspects of it. No there is a focused and concerted effort to degrade and denigrate public workers, with firefighters, teachers, and police at the top of the political hit list.

I know spin when I see it. Of course the stars were also aligned just right for criminals to be taken down. Had the criminals consulted the local Psychic Reader they would have picked a different time and locale.

Posted by moi, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 12:31 pm

@ A Noun Ea Mus --

Sorry my fingers got your screen name wrong.

Meant no disrespect.

Posted by moi, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 12:39 pm

Okay,

Last comment.

I go out of my way, and I do mean out of my way, to thank every first responder and teacher I meet or become aware of in my daily travels.

Also, I support excellent pay for all of them.

Good teachers are grossly underpaid and grossly under-appreciated.

During our next emergency, whatever it is, and it is coming, we will be very thankful that we have supported talented, dedicated, and brave first responders.

Posted by A Noun Ea Mus, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 12:51 pm

Moi, "Joe"'s post is the one I was referring to.

Posted by Hmmm, a resident of East Palo Alto, on Jan 7, 2013 at 1:07 pm

Ah, to think that the smart people in the area in need of transportation just take the train...

Posted by Joe, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 1:56 pm

> Wouldn't want to think they deserve a good living wage or benefits.

It’s hard to believe that, under these circumstances, that police making half what the pay-bloated PA Police make would not have located, and captured, these clowns.

And if the police has arrived five minutes later—do you think that they would have achieved the same result? Answer—not likely, no matter how much they are paid.

Tip-o-the-hat to the cops .. this time, but they were lucky, as was the lady who was robbed.

Posted by A Noun Ea Mus, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 2:18 pm

Thank you Joe for exposing yourself as regards the political intent of your feign-- of praising cell phone technology, while making in reality a swipe at public workers. Hope the police folks are tuning in to see how some members of the PA Public view them. Or look at the "outpouring of sympathy" for EPA flooding on another story to see this PA spirit in action. Payback will be a bee-otch someday.

Posted by musical, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 4:28 pm

I expect the victim told 911 the carjack was at gunpoint. Can't imagine what the PAPD tactics were on this arrest. Understandable that not much will be revealed, like how many officers, how many guns drawn, how close this came to mayhem. Sorry I wasn't listening to my scanner at the time. While we demand professionalism from our police, I'm with bill g, Enough, Austin and others who acknowledge a job well done. Somehow I envision the PAPD team reviewing the play-by-play and critiquing themselves on how to refine their performance for the next threatening incident. Criminals can head to San Jose where response times are slower, but that can turn out badly for them in other ways.

Posted by Anon, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 7, 2013 at 4:48 pm

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]