Through investigation and follow up, police arrested the suspect in the sexual battery case that occurred on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
On Thursday, February 19, 2026, at about 3:10 p.m., the victim, a female in her fifties, came to the Palo Alto Police Department to report that she had been touched while she was sleeping. The victim reported that she was sleeping with all her belongings around her on the 200 block of University Avenue at approximately 2:00 a.m. The victim reported that she was awoken when she felt the suspect touching her. The victim sat up and the suspect fled the scene. On February 25, the Police Department distributed a news release about the incident and included a surveillance photo of the suspect.
Through the ensuing investigation, 33-year-old Dylan Dotson of San Jose was identified as the suspect. Dotson is currently on parole for criminal threats. Detectives located Dotson in Palo Alto on March 3 and placed him under arrest.
Dotson was booked at the Santa Clara Count Main Jail for a violation of parole and for sexual battery (a misdemeanor). The case was reviewed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and on March 5 they charged Dotson with one count of sexual battery (a misdemeanor).
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be sent via text message by texting the keyword PAPD and the tip to 847411, or submitted using the "Palo Alto PD Tips" app, which is available via the App Store or Google Play.
To view this release on the city's website, click here: https://www.paloalto.gov/News-Articles/Police-Department/Downtown-Sexual-Battery-Solved-Suspect-in-Custody
