Palo Alto custodian knocked unconscious in carjacking; vehicle found on fire in Oakland
PALO ALTO – Police in Palo Alto are searching for two suspects after a custodian was knocked unconscious and his SUV was taken during a carjacking over the weekend.
According to officers, the carjacking took place sometime before 5:50 a.m. in a parking lot on the 700 block of Page Mill Road.
A preliminary investigation determined that the victim, a man in his 50s, was emptying out garbage bags into a dumpster when he noticed a brown sedan with a person he described as a White female seated inside.
As the victim was returning to his SUV, which had been idling, police said he heard a man's voice from behind before he was struck on the shoulder. The man fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
When he regained consciousness, both his vehicle and the sedan were gone. He called police after searching the parking lot for his vehicle.
The victim's vehicle, a blue 2019 Toyota 4Runner, was found on the 600 block of Embarcadero West in Oakland around 9 a.m. Saturday. Police said the SUV was ablaze and the suspects were not found.
Police said the victim did not see the male suspect and was not able to provide an additional description of the woman.
Anyone with information is asked to call Palo Alto Police at 650-329-2413. Tips can also be given anonymously by emailing paloalto@tipnow.org or by sending a voicemail or text to 650-383-8984.