'Dinnertime' burglars targeting unoccupied Palo Alto homes
PALO ALTO -- A wave of home burglaries has swept over Palo Alto in the last month with the suspects targeting unoccupied residences during the dinner hours.
Palo Alto police said there have been 11 burglaries fitting the description since October 9. The suspects break into the homes while the residents are away and then steal jewelry and other valuables.
"The trend indicates the crimes are occurring in unoccupied homes between 7 and 9 p.m., often on Friday and Saturday nights, in multiple neighborhoods of town, usually with entry being made via smashing glass doors in rear yards," police said in a news release. "Some of the homes have had alarms sound; other homes have not had their alarms armed. In all cases, the homes have been unoccupied at the time of the crimes."
Once inside the homes, the burglars freely rummage through the rooms and appear to be focused on stealing jewelry and safes.
Investigators are also working with regional law enforcement departments to explore any possible connection to similar cases in other cities.
"It appears as though at least several of the cases have been committed by the same group of between two and four suspects," according to the news release.
Investigators said a review of the available surveillance footage indicates that the suspects appear to be Hispanic males in their twenties, typically wearing hooded sweatshirts, face coverings, and gloves.
In responses, police have increased patrols, both marked and plainclothes, in residential areas.
Investigators were asking local residents to keep an eye out for suspicious activity, and immediately report it by calling our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413.
If you have a side yard gate, police recommend putting a lock on it to prevent easy unauthorized access to your property. Police also recommend securing all windows and doors overnight and arming your alarm system whenever you are not home
Here is a list of the residential burglaries that police believe are associated with this trend, along with additional information of note on some:
- October 9, 4200 block Manuela Drive. Three suspects in a dark gray sedan.
- October 22, 1000 block Moffett Circle. Two suspects.
- October 22, 700 block Rosewood Drive. Two suspects in a gray sedan.
- October 22, 900 block Van Auken Circle.
- October 28, 4200 block Briarwood Way.
- October 28, 4200 block Briarwood Way (separate from above).
- October 29, 3400 block Waverley Street.
- October 29, 700 block Florales Drive. Four suspects in a white SUV.
- November 3, 2300 block Waverley Street.
- November 4, 3600 block Louis Road. Locked gun safe with 9 firearms (all legally owned and registered) secured inside stolen.
- November 5, 200 block Tennyson Avenue. Two suspects in a white SUV.
Anyone with information about this crime trend or any of these burglaries is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.
