Kids Found In Peninsula Burglary Getaway Car, Near Loaded Gun: PD

PALO ALTO, CA — The Palo Alto Police Department said they've arrested two San Jose residents believed to have committed a car burglary Thursday evening. Upon a search of the getaway car, officers found an unsecured two-year-old boy and three-year-old girl near a loaded handgun and stolen items from recent burglaries.

Desmond Warren Silas, 20, and parent 22-year-old Serena Kimberly Robinson were arrested on suspicion of auto burglary and child endangerment felonies, plus resisting arrest, possessing burglary tools and possessing stolen property misdemeanors. Silas was also arrested on suspicion of a felony charge of possessing a stolen firearm registered to someone else, and Robinson was also arrested on suspicion of felony charges of conspiracy to commit an auto burglary and identity theft.

Officers saw a car slowly looping through a parking lot at 450 Lytton Ave. and watched the car, as many car burglaries recently occurred in the lot, according to a Palo Alto Police Department press release sent Monday. The car parked, a man got out and began looking inside cars throughout the lot. Police say Silas broke the window of a red Toyota Rav 4 and pulled out a bag from inside the car.

Officers identified themselves and told him to stop. Silas ran away toward a getaway vehicle, but the car fled onto Lytton Avenue and left him behind, police say.

He surrendered to police and other officers stopped the getaway vehicle nearby. Police say they found Robinson's children in the car, close to a loaded, semi-automatic pistol reported lost out of Milpitas. The Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children Services was contacted and the kids were released to a relative.

A flashlight, window punch, retail security magnet remover and stolen property from two Palo Alto car burglaries this month were also found inside the car, according to the release.

Police believe Silas and Robinson committed two car burglaries in that lot, on Nov. 12 and 20, and are investigating whether they committed other burglaries. In the November burglaries, windows were smashed and items such as electronics and credit cards were stolen, police say. Purchases were made with the stolen cards.

Police say they conducted a probation search for Robinson, who is on probation out of San Mateo County for grand theft, and discovered she had a high-capacity gun magazine at her home. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office will decide whether to file charges related to the magazine and driving on a suspended license.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact the dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips may be sent to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent by text or call to 650-383-8984.