An unknown suspect robbed a pedestrian at gunpoint early Sunday morning. The victim was not physically injured, and the suspect is at large.
On Monday, September 10, 2018, at about 12:48 p.m., a man in his fifties came into the police station to report that he had been robbed about 36 hours earlier in the 900 block of El Camino Real. The victim reported that he had been walking northbound along the east sidewalk of El Camino Real, adjacent to the parking lot of Palo Alto High School, when the suspect approached him to ask for directions. When the victim stopped to answer him, the suspect produced a black handgun from his jacket and pushed the victim off of the sidewalk where the robbery would be more difficult for passersby to view. The suspect demanded the victim’s property. The victim turned over his wallet and cell phone. The suspect then ran to a vehicle in the parking lot of Palo Alto High School, and the victim last saw him driving away eastbound on Embarcadero Road. The victim did not suffer any physical injuries.
The victim described the suspect as a white or Hispanic male in his twenties, about 5 feet 2 inches tall with a heavy build. The victim said he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt over a red T-shirt, and khaki pants. The victim described the suspect’s vehicle as a red late 1980s-model Jeep Cherokee. It is possible the victim may be able to work with a police artist to produce a sketch; if that occurs, we will release it as soon as possible.
Detectives are actively investigating this case. At this point, investigators do not believe this case is related to another armed street robbery that occurred on August 21. Details of that incident, which remains unsolved, can be found here: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civica/press/display.asp?layout=1&Entry=1644.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through our free mobile app, downloadable at www.bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or www.bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.
