Stranger rips victim’s necklace off of his neck in his own backyard

A stranger ripped the necklace off of the neck of a man in his own backyard on Ross Road this morning, police said.

The assailant remains at large following the incident at 12:26 a.m. on the 3000 block of Ross Road.

The victim, a man in his 40s, was in his backyard when the thief emerged from the foliage and demanded money, according to police.

When the victim refused, the thief forcibly ripped a necklace from the victim’s neck and fled on foot, police said. The victim was not injured.

The victim described the suspect as a Hispanic male in his 40s, standing about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build. He was cleanshaven, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.

Police said they are “actively investigating” the case. There have been no similar cases in Palo Alto lately.