Police are investigating a pair of incidents that occurred Friday afternoon, each of which involved two suspects conspiring to remove a ring from an elderly victim. In one case, the suspects successfully stole the victim’s ring. The victims were not physically injured, and the suspects are unknown and at large.
On Friday, February 21, 2025, at about 5:41 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a man in his eighties reporting that he had been the victim of a theft near the intersection of Nelson Dr. and Adobe Pl. at about 3 p.m.
The investigation revealed that the victim was walking on the sidewalk when a dark grey sedan, driven by a man with a female passenger, pulled up next to him. The woman asked for directions, to which the victim responded. The woman then got out of the car and attempted to place jewelry on the victim. The victim declined and tried to push the suspect away. The female got back into the car and the suspects drove off.
When the victim returned home, he realized that the female suspect had stolen his own ring (with a value of over $1000) at the same time she had attempted to place the new jewelry on him.
The victim described both suspects as Middle Eastern and recalled the female suspect wearing a light-colored scarf over her hair.
On Saturday, February 22, 2025, at about 9:30 a.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a woman in her seventies reporting that she had been the victim of an attempted theft near the intersection of Williams St. and Stanford Ave. at about 4:30 p.m. the previous day.
The investigation revealed that the victim was walking on the sidewalk when a dark grey sedan, driven by a man with a female passenger, pulled up next to her. The woman asked for directions, to which the victim responded. The woman then got out of the car and attempted to place jewelry on the victim. The victim refused and clung tightly to her own jewelry suspecting that the woman was trying to steal from her. The female suspect got back into the car and the suspects drove off.
The victim described both suspects as Middle Eastern. The victim described the female suspect as short and stocky, wearing a light-colored scarf over her hair.
Detectives believe that these two incidents are related and are investigating to see if there is any connection between these two cases and any other similar crimes in other cities.
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 paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.
To read this release on the City's website, click here:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/News-Articles/Police-Department/Police-Investigate-Pair-of-Incidents-Targeting-Elderly-Victims
