Police are investigating a grand theft case on a residential street Saturday, where two suspects conspired to remove a necklace from an elderly female victim. The victim was not physically injured, and the suspects are unknown and at large.
On Saturday, July 13, 2024, at about 12:15 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a woman in her eighties reporting that she had been the victim of a grand theft on the 2600 block of Cowper Street about fifteen minutes earlier.
The investigation revealed that the victim was walking with her husband when a light-colored sedan, driven by a man with a female passenger, pulled up next to her. The woman asked her for directions to the freeway, to which the victim responded. The woman then motioned the victim closer to the car, thanked her for the help, and got out of the car. The woman then placed a ring on the victim’s finger and a necklace around the victim’s neck, apparently to thank her for giving them the directions. The victim said that wasn’t necessary, and unsuccessfully tried to hand the items back. The female got back into the car and the suspects drove off in an unknown direction.
When the victim returned home, she realized that the female suspect had stolen her own gold necklace from around her neck (with a value of over $1000) at the same time she had placed the new necklace on her. The victim then notified police.
The victim described the suspects as Middle Eastern. She said they were both between 50 and 60 years old. The female was heavy-set and was wearing a black head covering. The male had a black beard and was wearing a baseball cap and white shirt. The victim could not recall any further details about either suspect, or their white sedan.
No similar jewelry swap crimes have been reported to police recently in Palo Alto. The most recent such case occurred in February 2023. To read the news release about that event, click here. Detectives are investigating to see if there is any connection between the two cases, or with any other similar crimes in other cities. The prior case remains unsolved as well, with no suspects identified.
Police recommend that adult children and caregivers of elderly residents discuss these recent incidents with them and make them aware of the scam. Police recommend that you always remain aware of your surroundings and be cautious if approached by a stranger or occupants of an unfamiliar vehicle. Police recommend maintaining a safe distance from any stranger or unfamiliar, unoccupied vehicle. Be aware of robbery attempts like these, and other criminal behavior that may occur, and promptly report suspicious behavior or crimes to the police by calling our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413, or 9-1-1 if it is an emergency.
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.
