The forced entry of an occupied Los Altos home Friday (Oct. 28) led to a multi-agency manhunt prompting area schools to shelter in place.
Los Altos Police officers believe the suspect, described as a black male in his mid-20s, managed to evade capture by fleeing the area in a vehicle. As of Monay morning, he remained at large.
The incident took place at a home in the 1000 block of Covington Road, close to the Miramonte Avenue intersection, at approximately 11:30 a.m. The suspect, apparently intending to burglarize the home, kicked down the front door.
“The resident was upstairs, did the right thing: called 911, did not confront the individual,” said Andy Galea, Los Altos Police captain. “Apparently, the suspect left through the back door. So we got here very quickly.”
Galea’s agency was supported by officers from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain View Police Department and Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. They established a perimeter, and a Sunnyvale K-9 unit searched neighboring backyards in case the suspect “hunkered down,” Galea said.
As a precaution, law enforcement officials notified officials at Blach Intermediate School and the Bullis Charter School South Campus, who temporarily operated under “shelter in place” protocol Friday.
“Really, these two schools are outside of our perimeter, but we did it because there’s so much police activity” Galea said during the search. “We wanted to let them know because we have parents driving to and from here and everybody’s wondering.”
The St. Joseph Catholic School administration notified parents of the incident via email. The Mountain View Police Department stationed several officers at nearby St. Francis High School, but the campus maintained an air of levity as costumed students, celebrating Halloween, gathered outside for lunch.
The victim described the burglary suspect as approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall. He wore dark clothing and possibly a scarf.
