Police are searching for the perpetrator of a bank robbery that occurred Friday evening at Chase Bank at 300 Hamilton Ave. in downtown Palo Alto, just down the block from Palo Alto Police Department Headquarters.
The robber, who is still at large, stole an undisclosed amount of cash and escaped on foot. No one was injured in the robbery.
The robber entered the bank Friday evening and presented the teller a note demanding money. The note said the robber had a firearm, but witnesses never saw one, according to police.
The teller complied with the demand and the robber left on foot heading toward Bryant Street. Police responded to a 911 call about the robbery at 5:42 p.m. but were unable to locate the suspect. No suspect vehicles were seen, according to police.
Witnesses were unable to describe the robber's age or sex, but said the robber was about 5 feet 11 inches tall and around 160 pounds, with waist-length brown hair that witnesses described as "frizzy" or "frayed," police stated.
The robber was wearing a black top, khakis and a black baseball cap, according to police.
No surveillance footage of the robbery is available to police, but if police produce a sketch of the suspect, it will be added to this report.
Anyone with information on the robbery should call Palo Alto police at 650-329-2413 or email anonymously to [email protected] or send an anonymous text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.
Comments
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 24, 2013 at 11:01 am
on Aug 24, 2013 at 11:01 am
Why isn't there any surveillance footage? That's a really, really interesting question.
College Terrace
on Aug 24, 2013 at 12:25 pm
on Aug 24, 2013 at 12:25 pm
A big bank like that probably doesnt have local access to surveillance.
another community
on Aug 24, 2013 at 12:37 pm
on Aug 24, 2013 at 12:37 pm
I was walking up to the bank from the monitored parking lot at 5:51 - trying to get a deposit in before it closed. There was one officer hiding behind a tree to the left of the entrance and as I approached the entrance, he said "Bank's closed". I walked back to my truck and left. On my way out, I saw that the people at the office desks on the glass periphery were working away as if nothing had happened. On the street, there was a single police van. No other activity outside.
I suppose that they did not want to create a confrontation - a wise approach IMHO. Money can always be replaced.
Greenmeadow
on Aug 24, 2013 at 1:39 pm
on Aug 24, 2013 at 1:39 pm
[Post removed.]
Greater Miranda
on Aug 25, 2013 at 12:19 am
on Aug 25, 2013 at 12:19 am
a bank without a bevy of cameras watching our every move?
Yeah, right
Crescent Park
on Aug 25, 2013 at 10:37 am
on Aug 25, 2013 at 10:37 am
> Witnesses were unable to describe the robber's age or sex
Huh? How can that be? When they release the security footage, that should be interesting. Maybe they don't have the security footage local so that robbers or thieves cannot access it and destroy it ... but why would it take so long to get it out to the police and public?
Also, why no mention of what the robber got away with?
Fairmeadow
on Aug 25, 2013 at 1:59 pm
on Aug 25, 2013 at 1:59 pm
[Post removed.]
Green Acres
on Aug 25, 2013 at 9:19 pm
on Aug 25, 2013 at 9:19 pm
Are there videos of the person from other cameras near Hamilton. I can't imagine Walmart had videos, target has videos, but a bank can't afford to put cameras in and outside the bank.
Barron Park
on Aug 25, 2013 at 11:25 pm
on Aug 25, 2013 at 11:25 pm
A bank without cameras in Palo Alto. What wrong with this picture?
Community Center
on Aug 26, 2013 at 10:17 am
on Aug 26, 2013 at 10:17 am
The Police headquarter is just across the street. How close can you get?
Barron Park
on Aug 26, 2013 at 10:33 am
on Aug 26, 2013 at 10:33 am
It could get closer - they could have robbed the police station...
Green Acres
on Aug 26, 2013 at 11:09 am
on Aug 26, 2013 at 11:09 am
Not even the most basic and key characteristic in a multi-racial society like ours: robber's racial description?
Have we gone so far in our efforts to be PC that we won't even mention this?
Menlo Park
on Aug 26, 2013 at 11:34 am
on Aug 26, 2013 at 11:34 am
As long as the gap keeps growing between those who have much more than they need and those who have much less, the violence and crime will continue to increase. Each one of us has to do something positive to change the growing crisis that poor folks are increasingly sinking into. No wonder there is so much desperation and horrible behavior.
another community
on Aug 26, 2013 at 12:16 pm
on Aug 26, 2013 at 12:16 pm
MzMiranda, there are many available jobs where people can enter the job market, and rent a small room for a while in order to learn how to contribute and move up the jobs ladder. Why are so many unwilling to work? Could be because welfare and stealing are more lucrative? I hope not... but worry that is increasingly the case.
Downtown North
on Aug 26, 2013 at 12:24 pm
on Aug 26, 2013 at 12:24 pm
The person had waist long hair???? I bet it was a wig, held atop his head by the baseball cap. Was the robber black, white or brown?
Old Palo Alto
on Aug 26, 2013 at 1:23 pm
on Aug 26, 2013 at 1:23 pm
Palo Alto is getting to be a very unsafe place. It's the
wild, wild west out there. I don't feel safe downtown even in the daylight, and I certainly make alternate plans for night
entertainments. We need CCTV cams like in London. I think we need to install them throughout the downtown streets and Midtown streets and maybe have some type of emergency call phones on every block.
We need a more developed police presence too. We need to chase these people out of our town!
Mountain View
on Aug 26, 2013 at 2:56 pm
on Aug 26, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Actually, I'm surprised he didn't just go to all the tellers and the desk officers as well. As easy and unrecorded as that was, I imagine he'll be back today for more.
I'm betting the PA city council will vote (after a long and heated debate and some committee reports) to forbid bank robberies in Palo Alto. And also forbid notes. That should take care of the problem.
Where in the police instruction manual does it say hide in the bushes?
Crescent Park
on Aug 26, 2013 at 3:28 pm
on Aug 26, 2013 at 3:28 pm
The bank's cameras had a bad hair day.
College Terrace
on Aug 27, 2013 at 12:49 pm
on Aug 27, 2013 at 12:49 pm
but cops masnaged to give another ticket to the guy who hit whole foods worker after he used f - word twice after coming out to confront long time customer who merely asked black woman worker why they dont speak up for the racially mixed who are constantly harassed by police. but the black woman worker yelled and threatened to call the police! that person was frightened knowing full well that police mean arrest in palo . c alto. he walked out in frustration at being threatened yet again with police presencethey wouldnt trate victor frost that way even after he threatened a black man in a wheelchair. the person at the whole foods incident, has many times been stopped by cops just for questions.hundreds of times! they know you by name but still stop you! you society doesent regognize the racially ambivalent.those who dont fit category.by the way,that guy who rides a bike all the time, his mother who has ben dead for decades was a friend of sybil terman ,fred termans wife ,provost and co founder of silicon valley. but he can't ride a bike without a ticket or harassment. he was ticketed a day before whole goods incident so was upset at unfair police,who let whites and even other races ride their bike down university with NO lights constantly. you know youve seen them. so they can manage to find that guy to give him tickets, but cant find bank robber right downtown in broad daylight! to have a whole foods employee threaten you with the police is a provocation.and you leave premises to get ouit of there and an employee comes out like he wa going to listen to you then he starts saying f- this f- that ,so you pushed himm away from you nit with full fist just curved fingers like a woman slapping a disrespectful man . they provoked the incident. and naturally,ewhen police arive they immediately slap youi down on squad car and handcuff like yoir terror suspect........but not victor frost,threatening black man in wheelchair. that shows ,palo alto is inherently racist.truth is to. the late scholar ,pierre teilhard de chardin said, the truth once known by anyone,will inflame the entire creation. what truth is there that entire creation will know??? the truthg is .....palo alto and the unied states in general ,does not recognize racially ambivalent people who may be black white and asiatic native american. and jewish,in the case of the guy who was threatened with police and sweare at by manager.oh, did we forget to mention,the black woman cashes started kicking towartds him and fist waving and had to be restrained by workers.this was after whole incident was over. that my friends, is considered assault. soi she could be charged with assault.we are urging that citizens of palo alto ask whole foods to drop charges against this multirace person.otherwise it proves,palo alto is racist toward mixed people.ALSo,that person was a loyal employee of the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION for over 15 years and was only sick maybe 10 days.thats how you treat loyal americans. if they dont drop charges we will push for nationwide boycott of whole foods.
Palo Alto Hills
on Oct 17, 2013 at 8:57 pm
on Oct 17, 2013 at 8:57 pm
PLEASE CANCEL