Palo Alto police say a woman frightened off a burglar who broke into her home on the 1300 block of Hopkins Avenue, adjacent to Rinconada Park, Tuesday night.
The 40-year-old resident heard someone trying to turn the locked doorknob of her bedroom door from the hallway just before midnight, she reported to police.
She yelled out and the burglar fled, police said. The woman did not see the person, so she was unable to provide a description.
Police responded to her 9-1-1 call and searched the neighborhood but were unable to locate the suspect. Deputies from the Stanford Department of Public Safety and a canine unit from the East Palo Alto Police Department assisted in the search.
Investigators said the burglar was able to get inside the home through an open window. The person rummaged through belongings but nothing was taken.
Detectives are actively investigating this case. A similar case occurred in March 2015 and July 2014, and officers are looking for possible links between the three incidents.
In response to Tuesday’s burglary, police are increasing overnight patrols in neighborhoods. Police recommend that residents lock and secure all doors and windows at night.
Police are asking that anyone with information relevant to this incident call the department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.
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• Burglars who broke into Palo Alto home captured on video | Nov. 19, 2014
I frequent Rinconada Park daily. On a couple of occasions I found a guy sleeping behind the bushes adjacent to the fenced in electrical transformers. he sleeps during the middle of the day. which might indicate that he is awake all night.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.