Pedestrian Robbed By Armed Man Near Palo Alto High School

PALO ALTO, CA – A man in his 50s was robbed of his wallet and cell phone in Palo Alto by a male wielding a black handgun, police said today.

The victim said he was walking Sunday morning on the sidewalk along on El Camino Real, adjacent to the parking lot of Palo Alto High School, when the suspect approached and asked for directions, the Palo Alto Police Department said.

As the man stopped to answer, the suspect reportedly pulled out the gun, pushed the victim off the sidewalk, "where the robbery would be more difficult for passersby to view," and ordered him to turn over his wallet and phone, police said.

After getting the man's belongings, the suspect ran to a red, late-1980s Jeep Cherokee in the high school's parking lot and drove off east on Embarcadero Road, the department said.

The robber was described as being white or Hispanic, in his 20s, about 5 feet, 2 inches tall with a heavy build, and was wearing a khaki pants and a black hooded-sweatshirt over a red T-shirt.

The victim, who was not physically injured, reported the robbery Monday shortly before 1 p.m. at the police station.

In a separate case from Aug. 21, another Palo Alto pedestrian was the victim of an armed robbery by two men on bicycles as he walked on the 1600 block of University Avenue, however investigators said they do not believe the cases are related. More on that street crime here.

Anyone with information on the recent crime can call the 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413, or anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

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