Palo Alto police are searching for a man suspected of committing two attempted street robberies and a burglary Sunday (Dec. 11) morning in the space of less than an hour.
The first robbery occurred shortly after 10 a.m. on the 300 block of Waverley Street, when a man rode a bicycle up to a female pedestrian in her 50s and demanded money from her in Spanish, Sgt. Kara Apple said.
When the woman refused, he gestured toward his waistband and said in Spanish that he had a gun. The woman refused and the would-be robber rode away without displaying any weapon.
Around 10:25 a.m. on the 1900 block of Tasso Street, a suspect rode a bicycle up behind a 14-year-old male who was holding an iPod. The suspect said “hi” in Spanish, and when the pedestrian turned around he tried to grab the iPod. However, the boy held on to the iPod and ran away.
Around 10:40 a.m., a resident on the 100 block of Walter Hays Drive saw a suspect on a bicycle enter an open garage door, steal a bicycle out of the garage and leave behind his own bike.
In all three incidents, the suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his 40s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall with a thin build, Apple said. He was unshaven, possibly with a mustache, and was wearing a gray, hooded sweat shirt and blue jeans. He was last seen riding a stolen gray 21-speed Marin mountain bike.
Police searched the areas of all three crimes but were unable to locate the suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call 650-329-2413 or email an anonymous tip to paloalto@tipnow.org.