A 72-year-old man was knocked to the ground Friday morning (Dec. 24) and allegedly robbed of $10 by two brothers in the 2600 block of Fordham Street in East Palo Alto, police reported Friday.
The brothers were apprehended after they tried to flee the scene but crashed into a Samtrans bus and were captured about an hour later, Sgt. Jeff Liu reported. He was not seriously injured.
The suspects, identified as Marlyn Clark, 28, and Thomas Clark, 35, stole the victim’s wallet.
The duo ran to a waiting vehicle, a 2010 Lexus 4-door, and started to flee the scene, Liu reported. But as they accelerated they collided with a passing Samtrans bus.
They maneuvered around the bus and fled the scene at a high rate of speed. Police were initially unable to locate the suspects, but within an hour an East Palo Alto code-enforcement officer saw a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle.
Police detained Thomas Clark and another individual with the vehicle in front of the Clark house. Further investigation revealed Thomas Clark’s role in the robbery and the identity of Marlyn Clark as the second suspect.
Police detectives located and arrested Marlyn Clark a short time later as he was attempting to cash an unemployment check at a local market.
Further investigation revealed that the brothers split the $10 the victim had in his wallet and discarded the wallet in Menlo Park. The wallet was recovered.
The Clark brothers were booked into the San Mateo County Jail for robbery, conspiracy and elder abuse.
Lexus owners need to steal money from old men on the street? Or did they steal the Lexus, too?
Why are people so awful? Harm a senior citizen for ten crummy bucks? It is really very depressing. Want money? SELL YOUR LEXUS.
People from Palo Alto should start helping people from East Palo Alto. You can no longer afford to live in the bubble, otherwise, the crimes will immigrate to you front door.
If every Palo Altan volunteers just 2-3 hours a month teaching small children in East Palo Alto, play basebal,…etc, You’ll have a generation (just like yours) that does not need to steal to make a living.
It’s easy and lazy to complain in forums and blogs, Think about it.
Barbara, do you think that Palo Alto has the market cornered on ethical behavior? Sheesh. There are plenty of people who volunteer in EPA. I agree there aren’t enough, but it’s a bit of a stretch to believe that 2-3 hours a week helping a kid will prevent them from committing crimes – are you that influential? Don’t you think your comments may have been a tad condescending? Of course, on the other hand, maybe it would help lower crime rates. The socioeconomic disparity between EPA & its immediate neighbors has increased dramatically in the last 20 years. I’d say that robbing a senior of $10 is one of the most disgustingly petty, nasty things I’ve heard about in awhile. Maybe instead of teaching kids volunteers can guard seniors going about their business in broad daylight 😉
Hurray for the police! Thank you!
Re above comments, it’s the home life that is the root of the problem. We can’t change their parents.
I know these two guys,this is not about where there from.They have two good parents who would not condone to this act in any shape or form.Grown men not wanting to change is what this is about.Sad what the old man had to go threw, they could had killed him.Then they would be subject to life for 10 bucks. chicken feed.Blame them they know right from wrong.
Shame on them! Any crime against another person is horrid but there is something particularly heinous when it comes to crimes against the elderly, and of course children. I hope these 2 don’t get off on some technicality and get whatever the law can throw at them!!!
And Barbara if you have some magic formula about helping children learn to break out of the cycle of generational poverty and rise above, please share it with all of us. I have worked with “people from East Palo Alto” for 18 years and guess what- they are people too, just like you and me. Some make good choices and some don’t. Some can make lifestyle changes to better their lives and some can’t. Your comment makes it seem as though you view the children of EPA as inferior and in need of assistance from Palo Altans to keep them from turning criminal. Do
I have that right? if you are a child living in EPA who goes with out playing a few hours a week of “baseball….” with someone from Palo Alto then a criminal you will be?
So Barbara, you think everyone from East Palo Alto are theives and low lifes? My 15 year old grandson who lives in EPA is an honor roll student and is a star on his baseball team. Yes, he knows how to play baseball !!!!
Obviously, these are two young men who have their heads way, way up their a****.
I know these guys too. They come from a good two parent christian home, and they did not grow up in poverty. They are two grown men, who decided to rob a defenseless old man. It has nothing to do with where they are from. People make choices in life, they unfortunately chose wrong.