Two women having lunch Tuesday afternoon at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto were robbed at gunpoint, police said.
The women were sitting outside True Food Kitchen about 2:45 p.m. when a suspect approached, displayed a handgun and demanded their purses. After they handed over the purses, the women said they heard a pop or click come from the gun, police said.
It was initially reported that the suspect had fired into the air before leaving the scene. Witnesses reported seeing an orange color on the gun, which may have been a replica weapon, according to police.
No damage or projectile was found at the scene, and no injuries were reported.
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The suspect was last seen on a bicycle riding northbound towards Sand Hill Road. He is described as being in his late teens or early 20s, with short curly hair, about 6 feet tall with average build. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with red lettering, black pants, red shoes, and a face covering.
Police released a surveillance image of the suspect riding a blue bicycle.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the police dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.
