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Palo Alto police arrest woman who allegedly stole Amazon van

PIX Now Evening Edition 2-25-24
PIX Now Evening Edition 2-25-24 12:40

PALO ALTO -- A woman who allegedly took off in an unoccupied Amazon delivery van was arrested by Palo Alto police, they said Sunday.

On Thursday afternoon, an Amazon delivery driver called the police and said that a person had just stolen his van which was loaded with packages.

Elena Flores
Elena Flores.  Palo Alto Police Dept

The delivery driver had parked the van in the 400 block of West Charleston Road in Palo Alto while he hopped out to make a delivery, leaving the keys in the ignition and the engine running, police said.

When he returned, he saw the van being driven away. He watched it make a U-turn on West Charleston Road and then head southwest on El Camino Real.

Amazon dispatchers worked with police to track the van's trave and the woman ended up parking it at an Amazon facility in the 900 block of McLaughlin Avenue in San Jose. 

All of the packages inside the van were accounted for and the woman allegedly told police that she just needed to get back to San Jose.

Detectives booked 36-year-old Elena Flores of San Jose into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of felony vehicle theft and committing a felony while out on bail, which is also a felony.

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