Alleged Getaway Driver in 2 Stanford Shopping Center Purse Snatchings Nabbed

PALO ALTO, CA – Police in Palo Alto on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of being the getaway driver involved in two recent robbery incidents this week at Stanford Shopping Center.

Delbin Noe Hernandez-Elvir, 38, of San Francisco, was arrested on suspicion of robbery, attempted robbery, providing false information to a peace officer and on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant, police said.

On Tuesday, police received a report of an attempted robbery that had just occurred at the Stanford Shopping Center at 180 El Camino Real.

The victim, a woman in her 40s, was walking with her mother to their parked car when a vehicle, with its passenger door open, pulled up next to them. A man then approached the victim from behind and tried to grab her purse, police said.

The woman was knocked to the ground and dragged about three feet by the man, but she was able to retain possession of her purse. The suspects fled the scene. The victim sustained minor injuries to her left hip and left knee from falling to the ground, but did not require medical attention, police said.

During the investigation, police were able to get a description of the suspect vehicle as a dark four-door sedan, and the vehicle's license plate number from a nearby witness.

The victim described the man who tried to steal her purse as a Hispanic male with a thin build, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 140 pounds, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled tightly around his face.
The victim also said there were two Hispanic males in the back seat, and she said the driver was a heavyset Hispanic male with black curly hair, police said.

Police said the vehicle matched the description of a suspect vehicle involved in a robbery that occurred on Saturday, Jan. 7, also at Stanford Shopping Center.

In that case, a man allegedly ripped a purse off a woman's shoulder as she walked at 6:21 p.m. to her parked car on the first floor of the parking garage on the south side of the shopping center, police said. The suspect reportedly fled as a passenger in a waiting vehicle that was described as a black small coupe or sedan.

The victim described the suspect in that incident as a Hispanic male in his 20s or 30s wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled tightly around his face. The victim also reported that there were three others, two men and a woman, of similar ages and Hispanic, in the car, police said.

On Wednesday, police located the vehicle, a black 1996 Lexus ES-300 four-door sedan, in San Francisco and took the driver, identified as Hernandez-Elvir, into custody. Detectives said they also located the stolen purse and personal property of the victim from Saturday night’s robbery.

Police said the ensuing investigation revealed the suspect was involved in both robbery incidents.

A passenger in the vehicle, identified as Oscar Manuel Elena, 33, was arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, police said. Detectives said they are continuing their investigation into Elena’s involvement, if any, with either robbery.

Leads are being pursued to identify the other suspects and passengers in the car at the times of the crimes. Anyone with information can to call 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. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.

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--Bay City News contributed to this report/Images via PAPD