According to Palo Alto police, a woman was arrested on Sunday after allegedly driving off in an unoccupied Amazon delivery van. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon when an Amazon delivery driver notified authorities that his van, loaded with packages, had been stolen.
The driver had momentarily left the van unattended in the 400 block of West Charleston Road in Palo Alto to make a delivery, leaving the keys in the ignition and the engine running, as per police reports. Upon his return, he witnessed the van being driven away, making a U-turn on West Charleston Road before heading southwest on El Camino Real.
With the assistance of Amazon dispatchers, law enforcement tracked the van’s movements, leading to its discovery parked at an Amazon facility in the 900 block of McLaughlin Avenue in San Jose. Fortunately, all packages within the van were found intact. The woman allegedly confessed to police that she was simply trying to return to San Jose.
The 36-year-old suspect was subsequently booked into county jail on charges of felony vehicle theft and committing a felony while out on bail.