Two suspects said to be involved in a series of auto burglaries were arrested in a downtown Palo Alto parking lot after colliding into a police car, police announced on Sunday.
Two suspects said to be involved in a series of auto burglaries were arrested in a downtown Palo Alto parking lot after colliding into a police car, police announced on Sunday.
On Thursday at 6:31 p.m., officers responded to reports of "suspicious behavior" at City Parking Lot H at 520 Cowper Street, said police. Witnesses said a black sedan was circling around the lot as a person got out of the car and looked into other vehicles, which is typical behavior of burglars looking to break into cars.
Officers trapped the vehicle and its two occupants in the parking lot. According to police, when an officer tried to approach the suspects, the car drove into an occupied patrol car and stuck it twice. The car proceeded to collide into a second occupied patrol car, which caused it to strike three parked vehicles. The car continued to drive into two more parked cars, said police.
Police arrested the two suspects in the vehicle without incident.
Inside the vehicle, police said they found an illegally-modified fully automatic firearm and a semi-automatic handgun, along with magazines. Also inside the car was property said to be stolen in three separate auto burglaries that happened the same day. All recovered property was returned to its owners, said police.
The two officers inside the patrol car mentioned pain from the collisions but denied medical attention. One suspect was evaluated by medical personnel for reports of head pain but was released at the scene.
Both patrol cars sustained minor damage, as did four of the parked vehicles. One parked vehicle sustained major damage, and the suspect vehicle sustained moderate damage and was towed by police as evidence.
The two suspects were identified as Tommy Miller of South San Francisco and Nino Fiapoto of San Francisco. Fiapoto is on probation in San Mateo County for a previous conviction of a felon in possession of a firearm, and was also booked has an outstanding warrant for the same offense in San Mateo County.
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