Police search for well-dressed suspects in Stanford mall robbery

Police on the Peninsula are trying to track down a group of robbers who allegedly attacked a shopper at one of the Bay Area's most high-end shopping centers.

The shopper, a man in his 60s, was attacked by three to four well-dressed men at the Stanford Shopping Center about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the northeast parking lot outside the Macy's men's store.

"The man had gone to a jewelry store at Stanford Shopping (Center) with the intent to have some jewelry he owned appraised, and when he returned to his car with the jewelry, he was approached by the suspects," said Palo Alto police Lt. Zach Perron.

That's when police said the victim was pistol-whipped by an armed man while the others grabbed the jewelry then drove off in a black Dodge minivan, police said.

"For one thing, the suspects did appear to be very well dressed," Perron said. "There were multiple suspects. Again, the man had been followed out from a jewelry store, so it indicated to us more than likely this was something that had been planned."

Police said the primary suspect is a man in his 30s with a goatee. He was wearing a hip-length black jacket, white slacks, black shoes, a black driving cap and was armed with a handgun.

A longtime resident William Cullen said he left the same parking lot just a half-hour earlier, and he was shocked to learn of the incident.

"You just don't see that happening here," Cullen said. “In fact, they patrol the parking lot all day long. Every time I've been here, I see the guys, like, two or three times coming through here. In fact, I saw the guy yesterday when I was here."

The mall also has closed-circuit television, which police are reviewing.

The victim was treated for minor injuries.

Investigators said they believe this was a coordinated effort, and they are trying to determine if a larger crime ring could be involved.