Police: Teen Breaks Into Home, Asks Couple For WiFi Password
PALO ALTO, Calif. (CBSLocal) - A teenager is in serious trouble after going on a bizarre crime spree when his phone reportedly ran out of data.
The 17-year-old suspect from Palo Alto was arrested after allegedly breaking into an area home, waking up a sleeping couple, and asking them to give him their WiFi password.
"The male victim got out of bed, confronted the suspect, and pushed him down the hallway and out the front door of the house before calling police. No one was injured," Pal Alto police said in a news release.
The couple - both reportedly in their 60s - told officers that two kitchen knives went missing from their home during the teen's alleged break-in, however police didn't find any weapons on the suspected burglar when he was caught.
According to authorities, the teen's crime wave allegedly started a day earlier on July 21. The teen is believed to be the same person who came up to the window of a different home and asked a woman inside for her Wifi password. The teen reportedly claimed his phone was out of data. When the woman and another teen in the home ordered the suspect to leave their property, he allegedly fled on one of the their bikes.
Officers say they found the stolen bike near the same location where the suspected WiFi-seeking crook was stopped by police. According to the release, "officers returned the bicycle to the victim and are recommending that the District Attorney's Office add a charge of misdemeanor petty theft against the suspect."
The suspect - who was not publicly identified because he's a minor - was taken to Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall and is facing a felony charge of burglary. He's also been charged with prowling and providing false information to an officer, both misdemeanors.