Suspected Burglar Hits Police Car, Leads Officers On Peninsula Highway Chase Before Arrest
PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- A suspected car burglar allegedly struck an occupied Palo Alto police car and led police on a chase along U.S. Highway 101 that ended with his arrest in Los Altos on Monday, Palo Alto police said.
Andrew Peacock, 27, of Oakland, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, seven counts of auto burglary, possession of stolen property, resisting/delaying an officer and driving with a suspended license, police said.
On Monday, Palo Alto police dispatch received four reports of auto burglaries that had just happened between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at parking lots along a roughly 3-mile stretch of El Camino Real, police said.
The burglaries occurred at the Town & Country Village shopping center, a Starbucks store near Stanford Avenue, the Corner Bakery Café and Hobee's Restaurant, police said.
The cars in each burglary had their windows smashed and personal electronics left in plain view were taken, according to police.
A witness to the burglary at Corner Bakery Café called police to report the theft and provided descriptions of the suspect and suspect vehicle, which matched the one in three car burglaries last Wednesday at Edgewood Plaza Shopping Center, according to police.
Police dispatch alerted officers in area jurisdictions of the burglaries and a Mountain View police officer saw the suspect vehicle, a 2006 burgundy Mercedes sedan, at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant at 1159 N. Rengstorff Ave., police said.
Palo Alto police detectives tried to apprehend Peacock, but he allegedly drove through the parking lot and rammed into an unmarked Palo Alto police car that was blocking an exit, according to police.
The police vehicle sustained moderate damage but two detectives inside were not injured, police said.
Peacock then allegedly drove the vehicle to southbound Highway 101, where two Mountain View police officers attempted to stop the Mercedes but the suspect refused to yield, according to police.
He allegedly sped across lanes to exit at Mathilda Avenue in Sunnyvale and the officers lost sight of him, police said.
By about 11:45 a.m., a Los Altos police officer saw the Mercedes in the area of Grant Road and Fremont Avenue, where Peacock allegedly sped away from him, according to police.
The officer reported the sighting to other Los Altos officers and soon afterward, a detective from the department saw the suspect walking in the 700 block of Berry Avenue, police said.
The detective called for additional officers to the scene and watched Peacock as he went to the next block and entered Los Altos Bakery and Café at the Rancho Shopping Center, police said.
Officers found Peacock hiding inside a restroom at the bakery and detained him without incident, according to police.
Detectives found the Mercedes damaged and parked in the 700 block of Alvina Court off Berry Avenue, where they recovered the stolen property in Monday's burglaries and personal checkbooks and a cellphone that may have been taken in other auto burglaries, police said.
Peacock was found with two outstanding felony warrants for burglaries in Menlo Park and San Mateo County, police said.
A third warrant on Peacock was from Richmond police for false impersonation, evasion, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license, police said.
Peacock was also found to be on active probation for a prior burglary conviction in Alameda County, according to police.
Palo Alto police have received 192 reports of car burglaries in the first five months of 2015, which is more than half of the 313 car burglaries reported in the city last year, police said.
Police are advising people to hide their valuables, lock their doors and close their windows before leaving their vehicle.
Anyone with information on the case or suspect is asked to call Palo Alto police at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be sent by email at paloalto@tipnow.org or by text or voicemail to (650) 383-8984.
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