Prowler arrested by Palo Alto police following kitchen confrontation

Palo Alto police booked 28-year-old Thomas Albert Yencken of Palo Alto into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for prowling, trespassing, and vandalism. 

A man was arrested in Palo Alto on Sunday after he allegedly entered a resident's home, police say. 

Officers with the Palo Alto Police Department responded to a call from a resident on the 1700 block of Emerson Street just before midnight on Sunday. The caller said they interrupted someone who had entered their home. Officers did not immediately locate the suspect. 

Police later found that the intruder entered the home of a man in his 50s while the resident was in an upstairs bedroom. The resident said they heard noises downstairs and went to investigate. The man said he found a stranger in his kitchen who told him that he had mistakenly entered his home. The suspect fled on foot. 

Upon review of the resident's security camera footage, police investigators learned the intruder gained access to the home by prying a lock on a patio door adjacent to the kitchen. The victim did not report any missing items or damage, according to police. 

The suspect, Thomas Albert Yencken, 28, of Palo Alto, was located in the area a short time later and was taken into custody without incident. 

Yencken was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for prowling, trespassing and vandalism, all misdemeanor charges. They recommended a burglary charge to the district attorney's office. 

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