SAN FRANCISCO — A nonprofit organization is offering $20,000 for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect in the armed robbery of a Taco Bell last month in Palo Alto, police said.
Mothers Against Murder, a nonprofit organization based in Los Altos, is putting up the reward money, the Palo Alto Police Department said in a news release Friday.
The robbery happened around 12:45 a.m. on Dec. 20 at the Taco Bell at 910 East Charleston Road.
An employee was alone inside the eatery and about to close up for the night when the suspect walked through the door and confronted him with a handgun, police said.
The suspect initially demanded money from the registers, which the victim handed over, police said. He then asked for any additional money in the store. The victim told the suspect he would get some from the back, but then ran out a rear door to safety.
Police said the victim reported the robbery to his supervisor, who in turn notified police.
The victim described the suspect as a male in his late teens or early 20s and either White or Latino. The suspect also spoke to the victim in English and said he was last seen wearing a ski mask.
Following the robbery, the suspect got into a dark-colored sedan and drove off on San Antonio Road toward Highway 101, police said.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 650-329-2413; those wishing to remain anonymous can call or text 650-383-8984 or email paloalto@tipnow.org.