Palo Alto home burglary interrupted by surprised resident
PALO ALTO -- A person in Palo Alto on Friday interrupted an attempted burglary of his home, the Palo Alto Police Department said Monday.
Police received a call from a resident in the 1500 block of Dana Avenue reporting a suspicious circumstance. The resident, a man in his 20s, said that someone had broken the glass of the rear door of his home at about 8:30 p.m.
According to police, the man had been upstairs when he heard a loud crash. When he ran downstairs to see what happened, he saw the shattered glass, heard the sound of a person running outside, and then heard a car driving away.
The victim did not see the suspect, nor does it appear that the suspect ever gained entry into the home, police said. Nothing was stolen.
Police believe that the suspect assumed no one was home, but then heard the occupant running downstairs and fled the scene.
Palo Alto Police reminded people that most residential burglaries happen during the day when homes are likely to be unoccupied.
Residents who have a side yard gate should put a lock on it to prevent easy access to the property. Windows and doors should also be secured overnight.
Hiding a key to your house outside also poses a potential risk, police said. As an alternative, consider leaving a spare key with a trusted neighbor.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the 24-hour Palo Alto PD dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can also be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org.
