2 More Palo Alto Residents Report Overnight Attempted Break-Ins At Their Homes
PALO ALTO (CBS SF) – Police in Palo Alto have announced two more reports of attempted home break-ins this week as the city deals with a rise in overnight burglaries.
The latest reports involved two attempted break-ins that took place early Sunday morning.
A resident on the 700 block of Channing Avenue reported to police on Monday that he was awakened by the sound of rattling and banging sometime between 3:15 and 4:15 the previous morning. The sound was apparently loud enough to awaken his child, who started to cry. Police said the resident found a window in his living room was ajar.
An investigation revealed that the suspect had pried opened the locked window, but a security rod prevented the window from opening fully and no entry was made.
On Tuesday morning, an elderly woman living on the 3300 block of South Court notified police about an attempted break-in that took place at 3:15 a.m. on Sunday. The woman said she was awakened by light from a flashlight in her backyard, but she did not hear anything and went back to sleep.
Police said the next day, she found her unlocked side yard was opened. A screen was also removed from a bathroom window and a window was opened, but no entry was made.
Earlier this week, police announced one other attempted burglary took place on Sunday morning, at a home on the 1100 block of Fulton Street.
The Palo Alto Police Department said as of Tuesday, there have been six burglaries or attempted burglaries of occupied homes since October 12, all taking place in the early morning hours. During the incidents, no confrontations between suspects and residents has taken place. Investigators have not determined if any of the incidents are connected.
In response to the rise in break-ins, police have increased overnight patrols in neighborhoods, in both marked and unmarked vehicles.
Police urge residents to keep side gates locked, along with keeping windows and doors secured overnight. Residents who decide keeping keys outside their homes in the event if they are locked out should consider leaving a spare key with a trusted neighbor instead.
Anyone with information about the break-ins are asked to contact Palo Alto police at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be sent to paloalto@tipnow.org or via text or voicemail at 650-383-8984 or through the department's mobile apps.