Two men suspected in a street robbery were arrested in Redwood City Sunday morning in connection with robbing a woman of her necklace and cellphone in Palo Alto's Southgate neighborhood.
Officers responded to a report of the robbery at 11:38 a.m. in the 300 block of Manzanita Avenue in Palo Alto. A woman in her 50s reported that she had been walking east on a sidewalk when she said hello to a man, who suddenly ripped her necklace off her neck and shoved her to the ground, according to a police press release.
When the woman took out her cellphone and told the man she was going to take a photo of him, he walked back toward her, and she threw her device into a nearby yard.
The man retrieved the phone and fled on foot. Officers who responded to the scene were unable to locate him. The woman was left with injuries to an ankle and shin but declined medical attention.
The ensuing investigation led police about 5 miles north to Redwood City, where they found a man matching the suspect's description sitting in a parked car with another man around 1:15 p.m. on Redwood Avenue near El Camino Real.
When officers attempted to detain the alleged robber, he fled on foot. The other man walked away but eventually returned to the vehicle, a silver 2017 Volkswagen Golf, which officers determined had been reported as stolen Saturday in Berkeley. The car was processed for evidence and later returned to the owner.
Police chased and arrested the alleged robber, a 28-year-old Oakland resident, who was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of two felonies robbery and possession of the stolen property and misdemeanor resisting arrest. He is on parole for a prior robbery conviction and probation for grand theft, police said.
Police said they did not find the woman's necklace but found her mobile phone in the pocket of the other man, a 24-year-old Antioch resident who was arrested on suspicion of two felonies, possession of stolen property and accessory to a felony and an outstanding warrant for fare evasion.
The woman's necklace was costume jewelry valued at less than $50, according to police.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the department's 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent by text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984.
Editor's note: Redwood City Pulse's policy is to withhold the names of those arrested for most crimes until the district attorney has determined there is sufficient evidence to file charges in the case. I Read our guidelines.
Pulse Staff contributed to this report.
