Carjacked Motorhome Recovered In East Palo Alto; 1 Arrested

EAST PALO ALTO, CA — A man arrested Wednesday in East Palo Alto is accused of carjacking and elder abuse after police said he stole a motorhome and got in a physical struggle with the victim in Palo Alto last week.

Police said a man in his 60s phoned 911 shortly after midnight last Friday to report a carjacking on Matadero Avenue. The victim told officers he was asleep in a vehicle parked in front of his motorhome when he was awakened by the noise of the engine starting. The man went outside to investigate and saw a stranger in the driver's seat.

According to investigators, a struggle ensued, which ended with the victim falling off the step of the motorhome as the suspect drove away.

On Wednesday, officers working for the East Palo Alto Police Department spotted the stolen motorhome driving in their jurisdiction, near the Ravenswood Shopping Center. Police pulled the vehicle over, detaining the man driving and a female passenger without incident, and notified detectives in Palo Alto.

Police said investigators confirmed the male driver was the suspect wanted in the carjacking and determined the woman was not connected and released her. Palo Alto detectives took the man into custody and returned the stolen motorhome to its owner.

In a news release Thursday, police identified the suspect in the case as Omar Alexis Romero, 27, of East Palo Alto. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of felony carjacking and elder abuse.