Man arrested on suspicion of breaking into Palo Alto home
PALO ALTO – Authorities last week arrested a 23-year-old Santa Clara man on suspicion of breaking into a home in Palo Alto.
An in-progress residential burglary was reported at 1:32 p.m. Friday in the 400 block of Fernando Avenue, the Palo Alto Police Department said in a statement. A woman in her 80s told authorities she heard a banging noise on the first floor, went to investigate and found a man she did not know walking up the stairs to the second floor.
Police said the woman screamed and the man ran from the home.
An investigation revealed that the man had forced entry into the residence by breaking a glass panel on a rear door, police said. The woman told authorities the man had rummaged through parts of the first floor and had stolen a small portable vacuum cleaner. Officers later found parts of that vacuum scattered outside the home.
Around 3:15 p.m., an officer spotted the man on the east side of El Camino Real near Fernando Avenue. Police said the man immediately ran across El Camino Real and disappeared onto the property of the Creekside Inn at 3400 El Camino Real.
Employees at the inn directed officers to the man on a fifth-floor balcony. Officers arrested the man and recovered a vacuum attachment that had been stolen from the home, police said.
The man was booked into Santa Clara County jail on a residential burglary charge. He also had two outstanding misdemeanor warrants for battery and domestic violence.
Police said they did not have any evidence linking the man to a recent series of dinnertime burglaries. Since October, 11 homes in the city have been broken into between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m., with rear windows being smashed in.
Anyone with information related to the Friday case can contact police at 650-329-2413. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call or text 650-383-8984 or email paloalto@tipnow.org.