Four arrested in Palo Alto shoplifting also tied to Concord carjacking
PALO ALTO — Four people riding in a car that was carjacked out of Concord were arrested following a strong-arm robbery at a grocery store last weekend, police said.
Two of the four whom police apprehended were juveniles.
It all happened on July 2, when police received reports about 9:30 p.m. that four people shoplifted merchandise from a Safeway in the 2800 block of Middlefield Road, according to a statement from Palo Alto police.
Arriving officers spotted a 2007 Toyota Corolla with no license plates driving north away from Safeway in the 2400 block of Middlefield Road and attempted to stop the car once it started going west on the Oregon Expressway, police said. The driver did not pull over until the Toyota reached the 200 block of Page Mill Road. Police said they detained all four people there.
According to police, the car had been carjacked in downtown Concord earlier July 2.
Police said the ensuing investigation revealed that the four suspects entered the Safeway with open backpacks and took laundry detergent off the shelves. A store employee confronted them and told them to leave the store, only to have one of the suspects threaten to kill her, police said.
The employee backed off, police said, and the four suspects left the store, throwing some cooked chicken on the ground as they did. Police said officers found the laundry detergent and some of the cooked chicken in the Toyota.
Concord police also responded to the scene and arrested the two adults on suspicion of felony carjacking and conspiracy, according to Palo Alto police. Palo Alto police said they also will pursue charges for robbery and conspiracy against the two adults.
The two juveniles — a 17-year-old and 15-year-old — were arrested on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy, police said. The 17-year-old was released to his parents with a criminal citation. The 15-year-old was taken to Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall.
Police returned the Toyota to the carjacking victim.