Originally published as a City of Palo Alto press release –
Palo Alto, CA – A group of 30 to 40 suspects arriving in about 20 cars attempted to break into The RealReal in downtown Palo Alto on Sunday night when it was closed, but a prompt call from a private security guard and immediate response from police thwarted a successful burglary. Police were able to stop one of the cars as it left the scene and arrested the two occupants.
On Sunday, November 21, 2021 at about 11:18 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call reporting an in-progress commercial burglary attempt at The RealReal at 379 University Avenue. The reporting party, a private security guard employed by the business, had watched about 30 to 40 suspects arrive in about 20 cars and approach the closed store and attempted to break the front door with unknown objects. Officers responded immediately to find the suspects fleeing the scene in vehicles. The front glass door of the business, while smashed, had held firm and no suspects had been able to make entry into the store. The security guard could only describe those suspects he was able to see as Black males and females wearing face coverings.
An officer stopped one of the vehicles, a green 2017 Ford Escape sport utility vehicle with its headlights off and no license plates, on Willow Road at Chester Street in Menlo Park and detained the two occupants without incident. Inside the vehicle, police located at least $15,000 worth of stolen property from another The RealReal location. The property was still on clothes hangers and had price tags and security sensors still attached. Officers also located a hammer. Follow-up investigation revealed that the stolen property in the car had been taken in a similar burglary at The RealReal store in Larkspur earlier in the night.
The investigation revealed that the two suspects had come to Palo Alto with the larger group. The group intended to commit a burglary and steal merchandise from the store. The two suspects were present as the group attempted unsuccessfully to break down the glass door but fled when they heard police responding. No video surveillance of the attempted burglary is available for release.
Police are working in close collaboration with detectives from the Central Marin Police Authority on the two cases. The Larkspur burglary remains under active investigation. Detectives are also continuing the Palo Alto investigation to identify the other suspects and to determine if any connections exist between these suspects and those who have committed other similar crimes in the Bay Area.
Police booked 20-year-old Keyonni Marie Jones of Richmond and 21-year-old Imani Kevyonna Barnes of Vallejo into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for attempted commercial burglary and conspiracy, both felonies. Their booking photos are attached to this release.
With similar recent crimes throughout the Bay Area, including past incidents of organized retail theft of open businesses occurring in Palo Alto, officers have stepped up patrols both during the business day and overnight in retail areas of Palo Alto. Police thank the security guard in this case for promptly calling for help, as that prevented the burglary from being completed. Police encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious behavior in and around retail establishments in Palo Alto to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413, or 9-1-1 if it is an emergency.
Anyone with information about this incident 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.
