A man has been arrested for trying to take a high school student’s cellphone at the downtown Palo Alto bus station, police said.
Roderick Henry Perkins, 60, of East Palo Alto, put a blanket over the student’s head and punched him around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, police said.
The student managed to get away and call 911, police said. Officers chased Perkins from the bus station at 95 University Ave. until he challenged them to a fight, and then an officer used a Taser on Perkins, police said.
Officers brought Perkins to the hospital for medical clearance, police said.
Perkins was arrested on suspicion of robbery, child abuse, resisting arrest and providing a fake name to police.
The investigation revealed that the victim, a high school-aged boy, was sitting at the bus depot watching his cellphone. The suspect approached the victim and demanded the cell phone, police said. The juvenile refused to give the suspect the phone. The suspect then put a blanket over the victim’s head and struck the victim in the head with his fist, according to police.
The juvenile was able to remove the blanket and run from the area and called police. The victim complained of pain to his head. Paramedics from the Palo Alto Fire Department treated the victim at the scene.