The Palo Alto Police Department is warning residents of a new crime trend in which burglars are breaking into homes during the evening hours and stealing jewelry and other valuable belongings.

Police said in a statement on Saturday that there have been a total of 11 residential burglaries since Oct. 9 that fit the trend. Burglars are targeting unoccupied homes between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m., smashing glass doors in rear yards to get inside, and rummaging through rooms. They appear to be focused on jewelry and safes, police said.

In one incident, a locked gun safe with firearms inside was found stolen.

Police believe the same crew of two to four suspects are involved, describing them as males in their 20s and wearing hooded sweatshirts, face coverings and gloves. Surveillance footage has not been released, as "nobody is readily identifiable" in the videos.

The burglaries have occurred in multiple areas of the town. In some cases home security alarms have gone off, police said.

Officers are conducting increased patrols in residential areas, and the department is asking anyone who sees suspicious activity to immediately report it to police dispatch at 650-329-2413. Tips can also be sent to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text/voicemail to 650-383-8984.

Residents are asked to consider placing a lock on side yard gates, securing windows and doors overnight and turning on alarm systems.

— Palo Alto Weekly staff

$40K worth of Burberry bags stolen

Five men who entered a Burberry store at Stanford Shopping Center allegedly threatened employees and stole an estimated $40,000 worth of handbags on Saturday, Palo Alto police said.

Police received a call at about 6:58 p.m. regarding an in-progress shoplift at the British clothing shop located at 180 El Camino Real. The men, who were not armed, entered the store and took several handbags. They threatened to hurt store employees and pushed a security guard, but no one was injured, Sgt. David Lee said.

The shoplifters were described only as 20-year-old men wearing gray hooded sweatshirts and black masks. No suspect vehicle description is known.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should call the Palo Alto Police 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.

— Sue Dremann

Sentencing set for Theranos ex-CEO, former COO

On Monday, a federal judge rejected efforts by Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes and her former business partner and ex-lover, Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, to avoid their imminent sentencing dates.

Holmes, convicted of four counts of wire fraud based on her misleading statements about the now-defunct company's blood-testing technology, had moved for a new trial based largely on a surprise visit paid by the prosecution's star witness, Adam Rosendorff, to her residence in August of this year. He reportedly went to Holmes' home to tell her that "the prosecutors tried to make everybody look bad."

U.S. District Judge Edward Davila denied Holmes' motion on Monday after a limited evidentiary hearing in October found that Rosendorff testified credibly that the government was "comprehensive" and not "cherry picking or being selective" when it presented his testimony at trial.

Holmes also sought a new trial based on prosecutors' arguments to the jury during Balwani's case, but Davila denied this as well, concluding that a new jury hearing about prosecutors' statements would most likely not reach a different conclusion.

Davila also denied a third motion by Holmes seeking a new trial based on prosecutors' failure to produce certain emails about the loss of the Theranos patient database, concluding that Holmes and her lawyers already had the information.regarding the government's unsuccessful efforts to recover the database.

Earlier in the day, Davila denied Balwani's motion for a judgment of acquittal. Balwani was convicted of all 12 counts of wire fraud.

Holmes is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18.

Balwani, originally set to be sentenced before Holmes, on Nov. 15, secured a three-week delay until Dec. 7 to allow more time for a pre-sentence investigation report.

— Susan Nash / Bay City News Foundation