PALO ALTO – A 26-year-old Half Moon Bay man has been arrested on suspicion of breaking into a home in Palo Alto and swinging a large pair of hedge shears at a resident who confronted him, police said.
The harrowing encounter was reported at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday on the 1100 block of Oregon Avenue, the Palo Alto Police Department said in a news release Tuesday.
An investigation revealed that a resident, a woman in her 30s, had received a notification from a security camera of motion detected at the front door, police said. She then heard the sound of breaking glass and screamed.
The woman’s husband, a man in his 30s, went to investigate while she called police and stayed with their two children.
The husband found a man he did not know standing outside the shattered glass front door holding a large pair of hedge shears, police said.
The suspect continued to smash the glass and eventually stepped into the home, police said.
The husband shouted at the suspect to get out of his house. The suspect in turn swung the shears three to four times at the husband but did not hit him, police said.
The husband grabbed the shears from the man and hit him in the shoulder with them, police said. The suspect then left the home. At about 11:50 p.m., an officer found the suspect walking on a nearby off-ramp from Highway 101 and arrested him.
Paramedics treated the husband and the suspect at the scene for minor injuries caused by broken glass.
The suspect was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose on charges of residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and being under the influence.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 650-329-2413. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call or text 650-383-8984 or email paloalto@tipnow.org.
Source: www.mercurynews.com