$30K In Cigarettes Stolen From Delivery Truck In Palo Alto

PALO ALTO, CA — Three suspects got away with about $30,000 in cigarettes from a semi-trailer truck making a delivery, Palo Alto police said Friday.

Officers were alerted about 7:38 a.m. Thursday when an employee of a delivery company activated a robbery alarm at Palo Alto Shell at 2200 El Camino Real.

A man on the truck heard footsteps inside the trailer and turned around to find two suspects, one of whom reached for a bulge in his waistband and warned him to stay back. The victim assumed the suspect may have a weapon, but none was seen or displayed.

The suspects cut the wrapping off a pallet and then passed several tote boxes full of cigarettes from the pallet to a third suspect, who remained outside. The third suspect dumped the cigarettes into a vehicle, and then all three suspects fled west in the vehicle on College Avenue.

The suspects were described as Black men in their 20s, all wearing dark clothing with ski masks covering their faces. Their car was described as a newer sport utility vehicle. No similar crimes have been reported to police recently in Palo Alto.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Palo Alto police dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.

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