Police Investigating Strong Armed Robbery

Published on May 23, 2025

Palo Alto, CA - Police are investigating a strong-armed robbery case that occurred Thursday afternoon, where a suspect took a woman’s purse and necklaces by force.  The victim suffered minor injuries and the suspect is at large.

On Thursday, May 22, 2025, at about 2:30 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a woman reporting a robbery that had just occurred on the 300 block of Hamilton Avenue.  Officers responded immediately but could not locate the suspect.

The investigation revealed that the victim, a woman in her forties, was walking through a parking lot carrying her toddler when a male approached her from behind and grabbed her around her neck and demanded her purse.  The suspect then forcibly took her purse and necklaces.  The suspect pushed her to the ground and then fled on foot.  The victim did not see a weapon.  The victim complained of pain to her knee and neck.  The victim’s toddler was not injured.  Paramedics from the Palo Alto Fire Department treated the victim at the scene.

The victim described the suspect as a Hispanic male with short black hair and a thin build, wearing a blue shirt and blue shorts. 

Police are actively investigating this case. There have been no similar incidents in Palo Alto recently.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413.  Anonymous tips can be sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984, or submitted using the “TipNow-Palo Alto” app, which is available via the App Store or Google Play.