Palo Alto Occupied Home Burglary Probe Widens

PALO ALTO, CA — A crime that police say is a rarity in this South Bay city is suddenly surging.

Two more Palo Alto residents have come forward to report attempts to breaking into their homes early on Sunday morning, bringing the total number of cases of this nature since Oct. 12 to six, according to police.

The most recent incidents occurred in the 700 block of Channing Ave. and the 3300 block of South Court. Window security rods prevented the suspect from entering both homes.

Police have increased patrols in both marked and unmarked vehicles in neighborhoods during the overnight hours.

Detectives are still searching for any evidence that might connect the cases.

A man in his 30s told police he and a young child were awakened by rattling and banging noise between 3:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m. at his Channing Ave. home.

The suspect had pried open the locked window, but a security rod had prevented it from opening fully. No entry was made into the home. There is no surveillance video, police said.

The man reported the incident upon learning of a spate of overnight burglaries.

A woman in her 90s said she was awakened by light from a flashlight in her backyard at around 3:15 a.m. at her South Court home.

The next morning, she discovered her unlocked side yard gate was open and a screen had been removed from a bathroom window, which was opened slightly.

A security rod that prevented it from opening fully and no entry was made into the home.

The woman notified police after learning about the recent overnight burglaries from a family member.

In the previous four overnight burglaries reported this month the residents were asleep and discovered personal property missing when they awoke.

There have been no confrontations between suspects and residents, and there is no evidence that the suspects have entered occupied bedrooms.

The previous reported incidents occurred in the 1100 block of Fulton St. (early Sunday morning), the 1100 block of Hamilton Ave on Oct. 22, the 700 block of Gailen Ave. and the 3800 block of Nathan Way (both on Oct. 11).

Despite this recent spate of overnight residential burglaries, such cases are extremely rare in Palo Alto, police said.

Most residential burglars commit their crimes during the day, when homes are unoccupied and the chance of a confrontation with a resident are correspondingly reduced.

Police recommend that residents with side gates at their homes put locks on them to prevent easy unauthorized access to their property.

Residents who choose to hide a key outside your residence in the event they get locked out should recognize the potential risk. As an alternative, residents should leave a spare house key with a trusted neighbor.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Palo Alto Police Department's 24-hour dispatch center at 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 PAPD's free mobile app, downloadable at www.bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or www.bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.