Recognize This Face? Palo Alto Police Release Sketch Of Prowling Suspect

SOUTH BAY, CA -- Palo Alto police have released a sketch of the suspect in two prowling incidents that took place April 2 in the College Terrace neighborhood.

In the first case, police responded to a call around 8:42 p.m. on April 2, reporting a suspicious person in the 2300 block of Yale Street, Lt. Zach Perron of the Palo Alto Police Department said.

The caller, a woman in her 50s, told police a man tried to make small talk with her around 8:20 p.m. when she was unloading her car. She said she felt uncomfortable, as though the man were coming on to her. She ended the conversation and the man walked away, Perron said.

The victim said 20 minutes later she heard the doorknob of her locked front door being shaken, Perron said.

The doorbell rang, and when she went to the door she saw a man walking away, Perron said. She asked him what he wanted, but he didn't respond and walked southbound on Yale Street. Police couldn't find the suspect.

In the second case, a call came in around 11:12 p.m. reporting a suspicious person in the 200 block of College Avenue, Perron said. As with the first case, police couldn't find the suspect.

The caller, a woman in her 20s, said she discovered a man not known to her standing in the bushes in her side yard, Perron said. He was apparently trying to look through closed blinds into the bedroom of her
roommate, who is also in her 20s.

The victim said she asked the man if she could help him and he walked away without responding, Perron said.

Both victims described the suspect as a clean-shaven white male in his mid-40s to mid-50s, about 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall with a medium build and short brown hair that may be graying, Perron said. The suspect was wearing blue jeans and either a short-sleeved blue T-shirt or a red plaid shirt.

Perron said these cases may be connected to a March 21 incident that happened around 10:50 p.m. in the 1100 block of Emerson Street. In that case, a woman in her 70s called police after seeing a man in her backyard looking into her home, Perron said. When the woman yelled at him, he ran away. Police were unable to find the man.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to call the PAPD's 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the PAPD's free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.

Previous coverage: Palo Alto Prowler: Police Investigating Multiple Incidents

Image via Palo Alto police