Police Investigate Assault at Train Station

Published on January 23, 2023

Palo Alto, CA – Two suspects assaulted a man at the University Avenue train station on Saturday afternoon, taking and smashing his cell phone in the process.  The victim sustained minor injuries and the suspects are at large.

On Saturday, January 21, 2023, at about 3:46 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a report from a passerby of an in-progress physical fight on the platform at the train station at 95 University Avenue.  Officers responded and eventually located the victim on Quarry Road at El Camino Real.  The two suspects were gone.

The investigation revealed that the victim, a man in his fifties, had been standing on the train platform.  The victim told police that he was approached by a man he had not met, and a verbal altercation ensued.  The man punched him in the face and they both fell to the ground.  A female suspect then approached and struck the victim several times in the head with an aluminum thermos.  The male suspect reached into the victim’s jacket and took his cell phone, and the victim believes the suspect then smashed it into the ground.  Both suspects then ran off together in an unknown direction.  Police found the cell phone nearby with a cracked screen and returned it to the victim.

The victim sustained multiple lacerations to his head.  Paramedics from the Palo Alto Fire Department evaluated his injuries, and he declined any further medical treatment.

The victim described the first suspect as a Black male of unknown age with dreadlocks, wearing all black clothing.  The victim described the second suspect as a Black female of unknown age wearing a beanie and a black jacket.  The victim could not describe the suspects any further.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 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.