Police arrested a man on Sunday morning after being found locked in a bathroom at a residence.
On Sunday, July 19, 2026, at about 2:36 a.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call reporting a burglary that had just occurred at a residence on the 3500 block of Julie Court. The residents, a woman and man in their fifties, were alerted to a person on their property by their security cameras. When the man went out to investigate, the suspect entered the residence and locked himself in a bathroom. The Palo Alto Police arrived within minutes and entered the residence. Officers forced entry to the bathroom and were able to take the suspect into custody.
The investigation revealed that the suspect had entered the property at approximately 1:15 a.m. and was seen approaching the front door of the residence. At approximately 2:00 a.m., the same suspect approached the front door and rang the doorbell. The male resident went outside to investigate and found that one of their cars had been rummaged through. While the resident was outside, the suspect entered the home through the front door. The female resident heard the suspect inside the residence and called police. The victims did not report any items missing at this time. Neither the residents nor the suspect was physically injured. There have been no similar incidents reported in Palo Alto recently.
Police booked 46-year-old Oscar Dario Banegas from San Jose into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for residential burglary (a felony), violation of parole (a felony), possession of methamphetamine (a misdemeanor), resisting arrest (a misdemeanor), and providing false information to police (subject provided a fake name, 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/Police-Arrest-Burglar-Found-in-Residence-Bathroom
