Palo Alto police caught five teenagers early Monday morning in connection with eight auto burglaries in the area around Greer Park, according to a news release from the Police Department.
Officers were alerted about possible auto burglaries by a witness who observed a group of people banging on car windows and heard the sound of car alarms near Amarillo Avenue and West Bayshore Road, just west of U.S. Highway 101, at about 3:40 a.m. After the witness called the city's dispatch center, an officer arrived and observed a vehicle with five males matching the witness's description, in a car traveling south on Tanland Drive at Amarillo.
After police stopped the vehicle and detained the five people, officers found gloves, burglary tools and various, possibly stolen items inside the vehicle, according to the news release issued Tuesday. Officers then canvassed the area and reportedly saw eight vehicles that had their windows smashed.
Once officers determined that the five people were responsible for the auto burglaries, they contacted the people whose property was stolen and returned the items, according to the news release.
The five people included an 18-year-old Newark man, a 19-year-old man from East Palo Alto and an 18-year-old man also from East Palo Alto. All three were arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor possession of burglary tools and three felonies: auto burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime and vandalism.
The other two people in the car were 17-year old boys from Redwood City, both of whom were cited for the same alleged crimes and released to their parents.
Police are investigating whether any of the five people were responsible for other recent auto burglaries in the city.
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. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the police's free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.
Editor's note: The Weekly'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. See our guidelines here.
Comments
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 7, 2020 at 12:39 pm
on Jan 7, 2020 at 12:39 pm
Thank you PAPD.
Now can we use this as an example of what happens to those who desire to make Palo Alto their playground. We have a good PD that catch villains. Go away, we don't want you here.
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Jan 7, 2020 at 1:27 pm
on Jan 7, 2020 at 1:27 pm
Sadly, these criminals are likely back to it (crime) shortly.
Be aware of the lax CA laws passed by our state “representatives” and minimal enforcement and prosecution.
See: San Francisco, very specifically.
It’s open season (state of CA, not particularly referring to our local city jurisdiction).
Crescent Park
on Jan 7, 2020 at 2:13 pm
on Jan 7, 2020 at 2:13 pm
[Post removed; off topic.]
Crescent Park
on Jan 7, 2020 at 5:17 pm
on Jan 7, 2020 at 5:17 pm
[Post removed; off topic.]
Community Center
on Jan 7, 2020 at 6:33 pm
on Jan 7, 2020 at 6:33 pm
[Post removed.]
Community Center
on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:53 am
on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:53 am
Thanks to the PD for catching these criminals. But sadly - like others have pointed out in earlier posts - these perps will be be back on the street again to commit more crimes like this. Certainly there is nothing to deter them bases up recent changes to CA law.