On Tuesday, five suspects were arrested in Palo Alto after an automated license plate reader detected a car that had been carjacked at gunpoint in Berkeley the previous day. Palo Alto Police Department also recovered a loaded firearm and handed over three carjacking suspects to the Berkeley Police Department.
The stolen vehicle, a black 2021 Toyota Corolla, was reportedly carjacked at gunpoint in Berkeley on Monday, involving three suspects armed with a black semi-automatic handgun.
The following day, at around 12:47 p.m., Palo Alto PD officers were alerted by the city’s new automated license plate recognition camera system that the stolen vehicle had entered Palo Alto.
The vehicle was found in a parking stall at Stanford Shopping Center. It was parked next to a white 2011 Infiniti G-37, and the occupants of both vehicles were seen interacting with each other, leading officers to believe they were associated.
When police cars moved in, the two vehicles attempted to depart simultaneously. As they reached the exit to El Camino Real, officers initiated a traffic stop on both vehicles. In an attempt to escape, the driver of the Corolla collided with a police vehicle, causing damage but no injuries.
Of the seven suspects apprehended, three were arrested by the Berkeley PD in relation to Monday’s carjacking. Two were released without charges, while 19-year-old Jayvontay Brown of San Francisco and 20-year-old Jeremiah McCardie of Oakland were arrested by Palo Alto PD.