Palo Alto police investigate 2nd mail carrier robbery in a week
PALO ALTO – For the second time in less than a week, police in Palo Alto are investigating a strong-arm robbery of a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier who was delivering mail.
Shortly before noon Thursday, a supervisor from the Postal Service notified police that one of their carriers was robbed in the parking lot of the Southwood Apartments located at 2850 Middlefield Road.
Investigators said the postal carrier was in the midst of delivering mail when two suspects approached him and demanded his keys, which he complied.
The suspects then asked for his wallet and phone. After he refused, a fight broke out between all three people. The victim, identified as a man in his 60s, was knocked down to the ground by the suspects, who then fled the scene.
According to the victim, the suspects both had one hand reaching into their waistbands during the robbery but he did not see a gun.
Police said the victim suffered minor injuries to his face, rib cage and knee. He declined medical attention at the scene.
The suspects are described as two men in their 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall with average builds and no facial hair. At the time of the incident, they were wearing black hooded sweatshirts.
They were last seen driving southbound on Middlefield Road in what the victim described as an older model black Nissan Altima sedan with paint that looked old.
Thursday's robbery follows an incident on Saturday where a letter carrier was robbed while delivering mail on Ilima Court. A 19-year-old man and a juvenile were arrested in connection with the incident along with another robbery of another letter carrier in Belmont earlier that day.
It was unclear if the incidents were related.
Anyone who has information about the robbery is asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455. Tips can also be submitted to Palo Alto Police at 650-329-2413 or anonymously by emailing paloalto@tipnow.org or sending a text or voicemail to 650-383-8984.