Police are investigating an assault that occurred Friday July 24, 2026. An unknown suspect struck the victim in the head while he was walking to his car on the 1800 block of El Camino Real. The suspect is unknown and at large.
On Friday, July 24, 2026, at about 6:17 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call of a man that had walked into a restaurant, Sundance Steakhouse, and was bleeding from the head. Palo Alto Police Officers responded along with the Palo Alto Fire Department. The victim, a man in his seventies, was found to be suffering from a head wound. The man was transported to a local hospital by Paramedics from the Palo Alto Fire Department for treatment of his injuries. Police searched the area and detained a male in his forties for investigation but ultimately released him after further investigation. The suspect is unknown and still at large.
The victim reported that the assault occurred in a private parking lot on El Camino Real north of Leland Avenue. The victim reported that as he approached his car, he was struck in the head from behind with an unknown object. The man fell to the ground and the suspect was standing over him. The victim pushed the suspect and the suspect fled on foot in an unknown direction. The victim described the suspect as a Hispanic or light-skinned male with a goatee. The victim said the suspect was wearing a baseball hat and possibly a dark colored shirt. The suspect did not steal any property from the victim; the suspect’s motive is unknown at this time. Detectives are actively investigating this case.
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-Investigate-Assault-as-Possible-Elder-Abuse
