PALO ALTO — Police are probing the carjacking of a motor home in Palo Alto, an overnight theft that occurred while the owner was asleep in an adjacent vehicle.
The carjacking occurred in the 400 block of Matadero Avenue near El Camino Real, according to information released by the Palo Alto Police Department.
“An unknown suspect took a motor home and struck another vehicle,” police officials stated. “The suspect is at large.”
Police received a report of the carjacking around 12:35 a.m. early on Friday, Oct. 20, shortly after the crime occurred.
“The investigation revealed that the victim, a man in his 60s, had been asleep in his parked vehicle when he was awakened by the sound of the engine starting on his motor home, which was parked along the curb line immediately behind him,” Palo Alto police reported.
The victim observed a suspect sitting behind the wheel of the motor home and raced over to the driver’s side and jumped up on the step to confront the intruder, the police department said.
“A brief struggle ensued as the victim unsuccessfully attempted to pull the suspect from the vehicle,” Palo Alto police stated in a prepared release. “The suspect then backed up the motor home, colliding with the vehicle parked behind it. The victim fell from the step and the suspect fled in the motorhome.”
The victim sustained minor injuries and declined medical attention.
“It appears that the suspect accessed the motor home via an open window and located a set of keys inside,” police stated.
The vehicle was last seen heading northbound on El Camino Real, according to the police department.
“The victim described the suspect as a white male in his 20s, standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing approximately 190 pounds,” police said. “He had dark hair and a closely trimmed mustache and was wearing a white shirt and blue pants.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Palo Alto Police Department 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.
No other similar incidents have been reported in Palo Alto, according to the police department.
“The victim’s motor home, a tan Ford Fleetwood with a brown stripe, remains outstanding,” police stated.
Source: www.mercurynews.com