Accused Palo Alto Bank Robber Arrested After Chase

PALO ALTO, CA — Police caught and arrested a man who they say entered a Palo Alto Bank of America Monday morning, demanded money from a bank teller and then fled on his bicycle.

Police responded around 11:56 a.m. to the Bank of America at 395 Quarry Road, and determined that a man wearing a face mask had handed a note to a teller demanding money. The teller gave him cash and the man put the money in his pockets and fled on his bicycle, police said.

Officers found the man on the Palo Alto High School campus, chased him south off campus onto a bike path, where they caught and arrested him at 12:16 p.m.

The man was uninjured and police recovered the cash in his pockets. One officer received moderate injuries during the foot pursuit and was hospitalized, police said.

The suspect, David Esqueda Jr., 33, of Redwood City, was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of felony charges of robbery and commercial burglary, and a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.

Esqueda also had an outstanding warrant out of Palo Alto for driving with a suspended license and was on court probation in San Mateo County for misdemeanor assault on a peace officer, police said.