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Police arrested two men in connection with robbing a woman of her necklace and cellphone on Sunday morning in Palo Alto’s Southgate neighborhood.
Officers responded to a report of the robbery at 11:38 a.m. in the 300 block of Manzanita Avenue in Palo Alto. A woman in her 50s reported that she had been walking east on a sidewalk when she said hello to a man, who suddenly ripped her necklace off her neck and shoved her to the ground, according to a police press release.
When the woman took out her cellphone and told the man she was going to take a photo of him, he walked back towards her and she threw her device into a nearby yard.
The man retrieved the phone and fled on foot. Officers who responded to the scene were unable to locate him. The woman was left with injuries to an ankle and shin but declined medical attention.
The ensuing investigation led police about 5 miles north to Redwood City, where they found a man matching the description of the suspect sitting in a parked car with another man around 1:15 p.m. on Redwood Avenue near El Camino Real.
When officers attempted to detain the alleged robber, he fled on foot. The other man walked away but eventually returned to the vehicle, a silver 2017 Volkswagen Golf, which officers determined had been reported as stolen Saturday in Berkeley. The car was processed for evidence and later returned to the owner.
Police chase and arrested the alleged robber, a 28-year-old Oakland resident, who was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of two felonies — robbery and possession of stolen property — and misdemeanor resisting arrest. He is on parole for a prior robbery conviction and on probation for grand theft, police said.
Police said they did not find the woman’s necklace but found her mobile phone in a pocket of the other man, a 24-year-old Antioch resident who was arrested on suspicion of two felonies — possession of stolen property and accessory to a felony — and an outstanding warrant for fare evasion.
The woman’s necklace was costume jewelry valued at less than $50, according to police.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent by text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984.
Editor’s note: Palo Alto Online’s policy is to withhold the names of those arrested for most crimes until the district attorney has determined there is sufficient evidence to file charges in the case. Read our guidelines.
Exactly the kind of suspect whom, in years past, a patrolling officer would see, realize that they don’t belong in the neighborhood, stop and contact. Now days they don’t want to deal with citizens screaming accusations at them, getting investigated for profiling, etc, so they drive right by. Not coincidentally, crime is up. You know it and I know it.
It is chilling to think walking in your neighborhood in the daytime can result in robbery and injury. I’m glad this woman is okay, and good work to the police who caught the criminals.
@John…
How does one accurately ascertain who belongs here (in PA) and who doesn’t?
Racial profiling by the police can easily become police harassment depending upon the officer’s personal biases and prejudices (if any).
Should all out-of-towners (regardless of their race, color, or creed) request and be issued vetted ‘guest passes’ so they can legally circulate within Palo Alto?
This is shocking.
That should be a perfectly safe area to walk about.
Please email your state representatives (state senator and state assemblymember), names are easy to look up on the net, go to their official websites and email in: describe your frustration with crime resulting from lax state of California laws, policies, choices (district attorney choices to prioritize arrested suspects over victims).
Public safety is job #1 for our government representatives.
Thank you.
Greg, when I took a ride along with an officer years ago he told me how by staying in their beat assignments around town they got to know who lives in the neighborhood, what they did and the times they did it. He pointed out that when someone has suspicious body language such as glancing away when they first saw him or paying close attention to things that shouldn’t concern them (your homes side yard, the female walking alone) it stood out to someone who makes it their business to be aware of such things. While we were riding in the car saw a 30 year old male in shoddy clothing walking at Bryant and seale. After observing him meandering for two blocks the officer told me this guy stood out like a sore thumb and went and said hello to him. During the contact he found out the man was on probation and after searching him, found a drug pipe. Was the guy enjoying a morning walk or looking for easy pickings? Either way, he was encouraged to hop a train out of town and no crime occurred.
I’d encourage you to take a ride along too rather than sound the racial profiling horn. You’d learn a lot and realize how we got to the point of street robberies on Manzanita.
John brought up some good points…quality policing involves knowing the quad you are patrolling, relying on one’s gut instincts (also based on experience), and questioning any suspicious-looking person who looks ‘out of place’ in a neighborhood.
This is a crime preventative measure and hurt feelings aside, if the individual has a clean record on CLETS, he will be let go.
That said…cooperation on the part the suspect is paramount to preventing conflict.
@John,
When was the last time you saw a PAPD patrol car driving down your block? They don’t patrol neighborhoods. The only time I see a police car in our neighborhood is if there has already been a complaint.
But I do miss the days of cops walking their beat, whistling a tune and twirling their night stick. Oh wait, that was an old Looney Tunes memory!
The police do not prevent crimes from occuring.
They respond after the incident and proceed from there.
Ask Kojak, Columbo, or Dick Tracy.
The only cop who actually prevented crime was Harry Callahan.
“The police don’t patrol neighborhoods.” Hmm, I see them drive by from time to time. I always wave. We did when I rode along.
“The police don’t prevent crime.” Well it is tough to prove a negative, but I just gave a first hand example of what I truly believe was crime prevention. Visibility alone acts as a prohibition to bad behavior. Those of you who speed can likely attest to this.
Anyway, we’ve got a lot of smart citizens who, I believe, know very little about police and crime, but don’t let that ignorance stop them from sharing strong opinions. Cheers guys! Props 47 and 57 were great moves. Palo Altans overwhelmingly voted for those. Very smart people here, very little common sense IMO.
The ‘woke’ propositions that Californians voted in favor of are solely responsible for this increase in crime.
Setting criminals free on their own recognizance (or with minimal bail) is like releasing a captured rattlesnake in one’s own backyard.
Violent arrestees/suspects regardless of their ‘troubled’ socioeconomic backgrounds should never be allowed such latitude and the mentally disturbed homeless people need to be rounded-up and sequestered in the mental ward of the county jail.
The Palo Alto courthouse still has an underground jail which is used during the weekdays to contain inmates bussed from the San Jose Main Jail and Elmwood Correctional Facility awaiting criminal trial.
On weekends, it would make a viable holding tank for the homeless who are suffering from mental illness and creating public disturbances.
Though the police regularly drive by neighborhoods and shopping areas, they cannot be in two places at one time.
Chances are they are somewhere else whenever a crime occurs.