On Sunday in Palo Alto, a man, later identified as Andru Sheldon, a 20-year-old from Redwood City, was arrested for a flurry of criminal activities spanning two cities, including robbery and fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run, as released in a joint press statement by the Palo Alto and East Palo Alto Police Departments.
According to the City of Palo Alto, the incidents began at approximately 10:16 AM in East Palo Alto, with Sheldon and two accomplices, who remain at large reportedly, committing an armed robbery against a juvenile in Jack Farrell Park and, a mere minute later, attempting to rob a woman in downtown Palo Alto. The suspects were said to be armed with a firearm, and the woman negotiated to retain certain personal items before the assailant fled in a stolen green Kia Soul.
Pursued by the Palo Alto Police, Sheldon ultimately crashed the vehicle in East Palo Alto, where officers were able to detain him while his cohort managed to elude capture after the pursuit ended at the intersection of University Avenue and Donohoe Street, and a collision involving an innocent bystander occurred, who thankfully sustained only minor injuries and received treatment at a local hospital.
During the subsequent investigation, police discovered a replica firearm inside the stolen vehicle, with which officers believed Sheldon to have carried out the attempted robbery in Palo Alto, in addition to personal property belonging to the East Palo Alto robbery victim; the array of charges against Sheldon includes robbery, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property, among other misdemeanors and felonies.
The East Palo Alto Police Department is handling Sheldon's arrest and has booked him into the San Mateo County Main Jail. Meanwhile, the Palo Alto Police extend a call to the community for any information linked to the incidents or the whereabouts of the remaining suspects, directing tips to their 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413 or via the "TipNow-Palo Alto" app.
