PALO ALTO — A resident ignored the doorbell and minutes later a burglar entered, apparently thinking it was an empty residence.
It was July 10 after 11:00 am. A call concerning a burglary in progress came in from the 4000 block of Wilkie Way.
A previous burglary occurred on June 30, in which the victim came home to an open door at their apartment. That incident, in the 300 block of Curtner Avenue a half-mile away, is possibly related to this one.
The suspect encountered the female occupant while he was still inside the home and quickly escaped before police could arrive.
At first, tghe suspect rang the doorbell to see if anyone was home at the residence.
The homeowner, not knowing who was knocking, ignored the door and remained in the interior of the home. Several minutes later the suspect let himself into the residence and was now face to face with the female occupant.
The suspect quickly left the scene as the female victim yelled at the suspect to leave while calling the police.
Palo Alto Police describe the suspect as a 17 to 21 year old approximately 5 feet 8 to 11 inches tall, weighing approximately 150 pounds.
The suspect wore a grey baseball style hat. Police are looking into whether this is the same suspect who burglarized other residential homes in the area.
Anyone with information about this incident cancall 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 voicemail to 650-383-8984. You cna submit tips anonymously through our free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.
