Between November 2014 and February 2015 several businesses, including Café Zoe, Jan’s Deli, Menlo BBQ, Galata Bistro, Mardini’s, and Cool Kafe were burglarized. The suspect would enter businesses by either forcing the door or smashing a window and take whatever was left in the cash register. Video surveillance of a possible suspect was obtained from some of these businesses.
On February 10, 2015, a suspect matching the description was located during a traffic stop by Sergeant Kevin Paugh. The suspect, Alfred Lee Banks, 61, a resident of East Palo Alto was identified as the suspect from the commercial burglaries. He was booked into the San Mateo County Jail on 5 counts of burglary along with violating his probation and an outstanding warrant.
