Palo Alto Police Search For Labor Day Sex Crimes Suspect; Suspect Sketches Released
PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- Investigators have released sketches of a man they believe committed at least two sex crimes in Palo Alto parks over Labor Day weekend.
Police that at about 9:30 a.m. on Labor Day their dispatch center received a call of an indecent exposure that had just occurred at El Camino Park at 155 El Camino Real. The investigation revealed that the suspect had approached the victim, a woman in her twenties, as she was practicing soccer by herself.
The man complemented her appearance in Spanish, and then watched her from about 50 feet away. He then exposed himself to her. When she went to retrieve her cell phone to call for help, he walked away.
At about 10:29 a.m., the dispatch center received a call of a sexual battery that had just occurred at Timothy Hopkins Creekside Park
in the 500 block of Palo Alto Ave.
The victim, a woman in her twenties, reported that she and her boyfriend had been taking a nap on the grass. Shewas awakened by the unknown suspect touching her private parts over her clothing. Her boyfriend woke up and challenged the suspect, who left on foot.
Due to the geographic proximity, the timing of these two incidents, and the similar suspect description, detectives believe the same
suspect is likely responsible for both crimes.
The two victims described the suspect as a Hispanic male between 40 and 50 years of age, about 5'8" to 5'10" tall. He was wearing a tan or gray T-shirt, jeans, a hat, and work boots. The indecent exposure victim reported that he had been carrying a beer. Both victims independently met with a police sketch artist later in the week, who produced the two sketches.
Anyone with information about these incidents 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.
