Carjacking suspects arrested
Palo Alto – Kids don’t play with BB guns in the same way anymore. A woman had her car stolen after being held up by a man at gunpoint, using what was later revealed to be a BB gun, on California Avenue on Saturday, January 5.
Amador Valentin Rivera
The woman, who is in her 30’s, was approached by 18 year old Amador Valentin Rivera as she sat in her parked car at the corner of California Avenue and Park Boulevard. Mr. Rivera knocked on her window, pointed a BB gun at her, and demanded that she give him her car.
The woman got out of the car and immediately called 9-1-1 as Mr. Rivera sped away. The police arrived within 30 seconds after being dispatched and got a description of the car, a Honda 1999 Accord, from the victim who was not harmed.
Within minutes, another police officer spotted the car matching the same description, with three occupants, turning onto El Camino Real from College Avenue. The officers stopped the car, and “recovered a realistic looking BB gun from the passenger compartment,” said Officer Marco Estrada. The car had not been damaged.
The victim was parked near here when accosted by Rivera and threatened with a realistic looking gun
One suspect in custody is a 16 year old juvenile who had assisted Mr. Rivera in the carjacking. According to Officer Estrada, the victim saw Mr. Rivera pick up someone on the corner of California Avenue after he drove away with her car. The third occupant was determined to have no knowledge of the carjacking and was released.
Both Mr. Rivera and the juvenile will be tried for carjacking, a felony.
Police ask that anyone who may have information about this crime contact our 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.
Read More:
examiner.com: Palo Alto police arrest alleged carjackers
PaloAlto Patch: Woman Carjacked at gunpoint in Palo Alto
MercuryNews.com: Two arrested on suspicion of carjacking woman in Palo Alto
