Police Investigate Armed Robbery of Tobacco Store

Published on January 14, 2022

Palo Alto, CA – Eight suspects, some armed with handguns, entered an open tobacco store last night, pistol-whipped the store clerk, and stole merchandise and the cash register.  The victim sustained minor physical injuries.  The suspects are at large.

On Thursday, January 13, 2022, at about 9:54 p.m. our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from the clerk at Raw Smoke Shop at 265 California Avenue reporting he had just been pistol-whipped and robbed by a group of eight suspects.  Police responded immediately, but the suspects had already fled the scene.

The investigation revealed that the suspects had entered the open business just before closing time.  The victim, a clerk in his fifties, was the only person in the store at the time.  At least two of the suspects were holding handguns, and maybe more.  One of the suspects ordered the victim to the ground and another pistol-whipped him in the back of the head.  The clerk stayed on the ground for the remainder of the robbery.  The suspects then stole merchandise and the entire cash register containing an undisclosed amount of money.  They fled the scene in an unknown direction, and the victim could not see from his position if they left on foot or in a vehicle.  The victim sustained minor injuries to his head but declined medical attention.

Surveillance cameras in the store captured images of all eight suspects.  Those images are attached; no additional images are available for release at this time.  The victim told police he believed most of the suspects were Black and added that they were all wearing face coverings.  The victim could not provide any further description.

Detectives are actively investigating this incident.  There have been no similar cases in Palo Alto in the recent past.

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.