Man arrested in connection with street robbery

Authorities Thursday morning arrested a 36-year-old East Palo Alto man in connection with a street robbery more than three weeks ago in Palo Alto.

The robbery happened about 8:10 p.m. on Feb. 7 in the 700 block of De Soto Drive, the Palo Alto Police Department said in a news release. The victim, a woman in her 60s, was sitting in her car in the driveway of her home using her phone when a man approached her and ordered her to hand over her purse and phone.

Police said the man had one hand under his sweatshirt and appeared to be pointing something at the woman. She handed over her property and the man left the scene.

Officers found the phone discarded in the area and returned it to the victim after processing it for fingerprints. A fingerprint lifted from the phone was used to identify the suspect, police said.

Officers obtained warrants for the suspect and about 5:20 a.m. Thursday, the police department's Special Weapons and Tactics team arrested him at his home in the 1600 block of Bay Road.

The suspect was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on robbery charges and a felony probation violation. At the time of the purported robbery, he was on probation in the county for a prior conviction of possessing narcotics in a jail, police said.

A search of the suspect's home did not turn up any weapons or evidence from the robbery, police said.

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.