Palo Alto police responded to eight home burglaries and one attempted home burglary on Friday, and they are warning residents stay on the alert.
Three burglaries occurred on the 300 block of Sheridan Avenue between 7:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., and another three on the same floor of an apartment complex on the 400 block of Grant Avenue between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to Lt. Zach Perron.
The apartment complexes in these burglaries are both secured, with locked interior hallways that require a key to gain entry. The suspects pried open the front doors and stole electronics and jewelry from inside.
Another two occurred between 8:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. at homes on the 1100 block of Middlefield Road and the 1600 block of Portola Avenue. The homes in those incidents were entered through a rear door, and electronics and jewelry were stolen.
A resident on the 1100 block of Hamilton Avenue also reported that a suspect tried to force entry to a pet door some time between Feb. 22 and Feb. 24. The suspect did not succeed in gaining entry.
Police are investigating links to other burglaries in all these cases.
In many recent cases, the burglars have rung the doorbell to see if anyone is home before entering. Police are urging residents to speak through their doors or otherwise acknowledge that someone is home.
Residents are also asked to secure side gates and lock doors and windows when no one is home.
To report any suspicious activity, call 911 immediately. Anyone with information on these burglaries or other recent incidents should call (650) 329-2143. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or texted or phoned in to (650) 383-8984.