Teens Arrested for Robbery, Assault in Palo Alto

Police arrested two 16-year-old boys on suspicion of assaulting and robbing a man in downtown Palo Alto late Tuesday night, police said today.

Around 11:45 p.m., a man arrived at the Palo Alto police station to report that he had just been attacked and robbed by three suspects in the 400 block of Hamilton Avenue, according to police.

Police said the man, who is in his 30s, reported that he was walking west on Hamilton Avenue when a suspect jumped onto his back and knocked him to the ground. Three suspects surrounded him, punched him in the face and may have kicked him, according to police.

One of the suspects demanded his belongings and threatened to stab him, and the victim handed over his credit card and cellphone, police said. The suspects fled and police were unable to locate them during an initial search.

Around 12:20 a.m. today, a Menlo Park police officer who had heard an earlier radio broadcast about the robbery found three people matching the suspect descriptions near the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and O'Connor Street in East Palo Alto, police said.

As the officer approached them, one of the suspects fled, but he was able to detain the other two. The third suspect remains at large despite an extensive search of the neighborhood.

Officers found the victim's credit card and cellphone on the two suspects, who are both 16-year-old East Palo Alto residents, police said. Both were arrested on suspicion of strong-arm robbery and taken to Juvenile Hall in San Jose.

Police do not believe the suspects are linked to any other recent robberies in Palo Alto.

Anyone with information about the third victim's whereabouts may call Palo Alto police at (650) 329-2413.

Anonymous tips can be sent via email to paloalto@tipnow.org or by text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.

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