Palo Alto home burglarized for third time in 3 years
PALO ALTO, Calif. - Police in Palo Alto say a multi-million dollar home was burglarized for the third time in three years this week.
The latest burglary at the Crescent Drive home happened on Thursday night. The homeowners, an elderly married couple, told police that they were asleep when the thieves broke in around 8:30 p.m.
The wife, a woman in her seventies, said she was awoken by the home's burglar system, and that when she went downstairs; she saw two people wearing masks and hooded sweatshirts. The wife told police that she screamed and that the thieves ran out the front door. Neighbors say police arrived minutes later.
"They were right on it, looking for footage, and doing their investigations," said a neighbor. "It’s scary. There couldn’t be worse people for it to happen to. Very nice people and have been here for many years."
Off-camera, the elderly couple told KTVU that this latest burglary has them seriously considering moving. Police were also called to their home in February 2022, around the same time in the evening, after thieves broke in. The husband was fast asleep, but the break-in triggered their alarm.
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A similar burglary at their home was reported In November 2021, this time early in the morning.
In each case, the thieves broke in through a back glass door.
"I’m very concerned about how many robberies we’ve had in our area in general," said a neighbor. "Break-ins on this street. Break-ins on the streets around us…coming in through the back doors and smashing doors and robbing homes."
The same neighbor said she is hoping police will beef up patrols on the block.
"Definitely scary for us…as a family with two young children," said the neighbor. "We definitely will be more vigilant. I mean we do have security and dogs, and yeah we try to do our best, but now we will step up because we need to protect ourselves."
Neighbors say they are now considering starting a neighborhood watch.
In the latest burglary, police say it's unclear if anything was taken, but investigators say in both other cases, nothing was reported missing from the home.
Police say they are still unsure if the same criminals are behind any of the three burglaries. Residents with video, photos, or information are being asked to call Palo Alto police.