3 Teens Arrested After Palo Alto Robbery, Attack

PALO ALTO, CA — Three 15-year-old boys were arrested for allegedly attacking and robbing a man in the downtown Palo Alto area on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The robbery was reported at 12:34 p.m. on Lytton Avenue near Tasso Street.

Officers responded and learned a man in his 20s had been walking east on Lytton and passed a group of boys on bicycles. One of the boys tapped the man on his back while another grabbed the man's cellphone out of his hand, according to police.

The man tackled the boy who stole his phone, and another suspect then punched him in the face while another demanded the victim's earbuds, police said.

The victim's co-worker was nearby, heard the altercation and came to the victim's aid. The suspects fled on their bikes south on Tasso Street but a sergeant found and detained them about 40 minutes later in the 1400 block of Edgewood Drive, according to police.

Officers found the victim's stolen phone in the backpack of one of the suspects and returned it to the victim, who declined medical attention for injuries in the attack, police said.

The teens, two from East Palo Alto and one from Menlo Park, were booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of felony robbery. Their names are not being released, and police are investigating where they are responsible for other similar robberies in the city.

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