Palo Alto, CA -- For the past three months, the city of Palo Alto has had a significant rise in the number of reported auto burglaries - 155 to be exact! On July 20, 2003, Police arrested two unrelated suspects in connection to these recent cases.

The first arrest was made at approximately 4:00 AM. A citizen phoned police and reported a subject with a flashlight going through her neighbor's vehicle, which was parked directly in front of her residence. Officer Ben Becchetti responded to the area and located the subject in the area of Cowper and Hawthorne. The subject was identified as Eric Forslund, 10-18-73.

Forslund was subsequently arrested for possession of stolen property, petty theft with a prior theft arrest, vehicle tampering, and a $25,000 arrest warrant issued by Stockton Police Department for possession of drug paraphernalia.

The second, unrelated, arrest was made several hours later.

Community Services Officer Anita Henley recovered evidence at the scene of an auto burglary reported on June 24, 2003. The evidence led to the positive identification of a suspect. On Friday July 18, 2003, Detective Zach Perron created a wanted person flyer with suspect Sergio Farias Prado's information and sent it to local law enforcement agencies. Since Friday, police had been looking for Prado. On July 20, 2003, Palo Alto Police Officer Jose Martinez recognized Prado in the wanted person flyer. Officer Martinez and Officer Marianna Villaescusa had contacted Prado on June 29, 2003 while investigating a hit and run collision. With this new information, Police located Prado, hiding in a narrow kitchen food closet, in his East Palo Alto apartment.

Prado, who was on active parole, was arrested and booked into San Mateo County Jail on an outstanding $25,000 felony narcotics arrest warrant issued by East Palo Alto Police Department and a parole violation.

Palo Alto Police located numerous suspected stolen items and a sawed-off shotgun in Prado's apartment. Charges will be filed in both Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties for auto burglaries, possession of stolen property, and weapons charges.

The outstanding collaborative efforts by Palo Alto Community Service Officers, Patrol Officers, and Detectives resulting in clearing numerous unsolved cases.

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