lloyd lacuesta, ktvu news. >>> temperatures continue to cool off rapidly. coming up the neighbors that will start off friday morning in the upper 20s. >>> a warning for drivers tonight, what you can't see can hurt you. how all the rain we've had is contributing to black ice. >>> but up first, quiet >>> water inundated parts of pleasantton tonight after a fire hydrant opened up. this is new video that just came into ktvu. the pleasantton fire department isn't sure about the cause but crews had the water turned off within about 10 minutes. >>> san leandro police are investigating a fatal officer shooting in oakland. two officers spotted a stolen jaguar last night. the officers chased the vehicle to the 10,000 block of bancroft avenue. the passenger ran away and the driver attempted to hit one of the officers with the car. that's when an officer opened fire. friends gathered to remember her today. >> i don't think she would do anything to the police. that's her in her heart i don't believe she would do anything like that. >> reporter: the second suspect was ta

lloyd lacuesta. >>> the nasdaq also bounced up gaining 30 points. >>> storm tracker 2 monitoring rainright now in the bay area. what to expect for the morning commute. tomorrow's forecast in just about ten minutes. >>> tonight we have new information about a san francisco man shot and killed inside his own apartment. his neighbors are on edge. >>> and a high school runner collapsed just feet from the finish line. what the >>> san francisco police tonight identified a 37-year- old man as the victim of a deadly shooting we first brought you as developing news last night. it happened in the city's richmond district on 23rd avenue near anza street. an area not known for violent crime. ktvu's amber lee is there with what we learned tonight. >> reporter: tonight the medical examiner's office told us that the man shot and killed has now been identified as travis del rio. tonight we saw four police officers in front of the four unit apartment building where del rio lived. neighbors describe him as a nice guy and can't believe the shooting happened. >> i heard the gunshot, i didn't identify th

lloyd lacuesta, ktvu news. >>> temperatures continue to cool off rapidly. coming up the neighbors that will start off friday morning in the upper 20s. >>> a warning for drivers tonight, what you can't see can hurt you. how all the rain we've had is contributing to black ice. >>> but up first, quiet a scene tonight in one south bay city and crews rush to shut down a main that's gushing out hundreds of gallons a minute. >>> water inundated parts of pleasantton tonight after a fire hydrant opened up. this is new video that just came into ktvu. the pleasantton fire department isn't sure about the cause but crews had the water turned off within about 10 minutes. >>> san leandro police are investigating a fatal officer shooting in oakland. two officers spotted a stolen jaguar last night. the officers chased the vehicle to the 10,000 block of bancroft avenue. the passenger ran away and the driver attempted to hit one of the officers with the car. that's when an officer opened fire. friends gathered to remember her today. >> i don't think she would do anything to t

lloyd lacuesta. >>> the nasdaq also bounced up gaining 30 points. >>> storm tracker 2 monitoring rainright now in the bay area. what to expect for the morning commute. tomorrow's forecast in just about ten minutes. >>> tonight we have new information about a san francisco man shot and killed inside his own apartment. his neighbors are on edge. >>> and a high school runner collapsed just feet from the finish line. what the bay area girl did next that has many that has made for an inspiration for many others. it is a story you won't want to miss, next. >>> san francisco police tonight identified a 37-year- old man as the victim of a deadly shooting we first brought you as developing news last night. it happened in the city's richmond district on 23rd avenue near anza street. an area not known for violent crime. ktvu's amber lee is there with what we learned tonight. >> reporter: tonight the medical examiner's office told us that the man shot and killed has now been identified as travis del rio. tonight we saw four police officers in front of the four unit apartment building where del ri

ktvu's lloyd lacuesta is now in san jose with this story. >> reporter: markets are giving the options of carrying groceries in a paper bag, plastic bag or reusable bag. now san jose the largest city in northern california is going to push the issue farther. tomorrow the city council will vote on a proposed ordnance that calls for the complete banning of plastic bags and imposing a charge on paper bags. the one day you don't bring your bag. >> reporter: consumers have mixed feelings about the proposed plastic bag ordnance. >> there's really no such thing of a free plastic bag. people have to pay for it. i think it's good for the consumers. >> i understand about the plastic bags and clogging up everything. i don't like the idea of being charged. >> reporter: this is what the proposed ordnance would do. ban grocery stores from handing out plastic bags. stores which charge 10-cents for a paper bag with that price raising to 25-cents in a years time. that price would be waved for those on welfare and food stamps. >> you'll have a number of people who do what i to, which is carry a canvas b

ktvu's lloyd lacuesta is now in san jose with this story. >> reporter: markets are giving the options of carrying groceries in a paper bag, plastic bag or reusable bag. now san jose the largest city in northern california is going to push the issue farther. tomorrow the city council will vote on a proposed ordnance that calls for the complete banning of plastic bags and imposing a charge on paper bags. the one day you don't bring your bag. >> reporter: consumers have mixed feelings about the proposed plastic bag ordnance. >> there's really no such thing of a free plastic bag. people have to pay for it. i think it's good for the consumers. >> i understand about the plastic bags and clogging up everything. i don't like the idea of being charged. >> reporter: this is what the proposed ordnance would do. ban grocery stores from handing out plastic bags. stores which charge 10-cents for a paper bag with that price raising to 25-cents in a years time. that price would be waved for those on welfare and food stamps. >> you'll have a number of people who do what i to, which is carry a canvas b

live in san francisco, lloyd lacuesta, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 2010 was a deadly year for police. the police fatalities rose 27% this year compared to last with 160 officers nationwide killed in the line of duty. among the hardest hit agency, the california highway patrol which lost five officers. the law enforcement officers memorial fund says police are having to fight conventional crime along with the war on terror without getting extra support. >>> a man police say is armed and dangerous is on the lose tonight. police in san jose and santa clara police say that on christmas eve joseph jenkins robbed a men's warehouse and then carjacked a car. >>> early christmas morning, a sedan struck a 24-year-old bicyclists at the intersection of 26th and bartlet street. residents say that intersection needs a stoplight because of the busy traffic. >> i don't cross there because i'm afraid of the traffic. >> reporter: police are asking anyone with information on the hit and run to call them. >>> exactly when san francisco mayor gavin newsom will leave office is still up in the air tonight.

live in san francisco, lloyd lacuesta, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 2010 was a deadly year for police. the police fatalities rose 27% this year compared to last with 160 officers nationwide killed in the line of duty. among the hardest hit agency, the california highway patrol which lost five officers. the law enforcement officers memorial fund says police are having to fight conventional crime along with the war on terror without getting extra support. >>> a man police say is armed and dangerous is on the lose tonight. police in san jose and santa clara police say that on christmas eve joseph jenkins robbed a men's warehouse and then carjacked a car. >>> early christmas morning, a sedan struck a 24-year-old bicyclists at the intersection of 26th and bartlet street. residents say that intersection needs a stoplight because of the busy traffic. >> i don't cross there because i'm afraid of the traffic. >> reporter: police are asking anyone with information on the hit and run to call them. >>> exactly when san francisco mayor gavin newsom will leave office is still up in the air tonight.

live at sfo, lloyd lacuesta. >>> heavy fog caused hundreds of san francisco and oakland bound travelersto end up at maneta airline. >>> a massive dig out is now under way after a giant snowstorm pounded the northeast. thousands of travelers have been left stranded and airports are only now beginning to reopen. >> i'm asking new yorkers to call 911 only for genuine emergencies. >> reporter: new york city's all three major airports were hit hard by the storm thousands of passengers have been stranded there since yesterday. about 20-inches of snow fell in the area. >> they are not helping anyone, they split up my family. took my two kids, took them off the plane. put me and my wife on to a new flight without my kids. they put my kids on stand by. how can i fly to disney world and leave my kids on stand by at the airport. >> no one knows, no heat, no nothing. you're not going any where. >> reporter: amtrak service between boston and new york city were stopped for several hour, service on the long island railroad was also suspended for more than 12 hours. states of emergency have been declar

live at sfo, lloyd lacuesta. >>> heavy fog caused hundreds of san francisco and oakland bound travelers to end up at maneta airline. >>> a massive dig out is now under way after a giant snowstorm pounded the northeast. thousands of travelers have been left stranded and airports are only now beginning to reopen. >> i'm asking new yorkers to call 911 only for genuine emergencies. >> reporter: new york city's all three major airports were hit hard by the storm thousands of passengers have been stranded there since yesterday. about 20-inches of snow fell in the area. >> they are not helping anyone, they split up my family. took my two kids, took them off the plane. put me and my wife on to a new flight without my kids. they put my kids on stand by. how can i fly to disney world and leave my kids on stand by at the airport. >> no one knows, no heat, no nothing. you're not going any where. >> reporter: amtrak service between boston and new york city were stopped for several hour, service on the long island railroad was also suspended for more than 12 hours. states of emergency have been decla

live in san jose, lloyd lacuesta, ktvu, channel 2 news. >> police say gang violence may have led to the death of a man who was shot inside his redwood city apartment. officers found 30-year-old robert florence inside his home on wayne court at 2:00 this morning suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. he was taken to stanford hospital where he was pronounced dead. police tell us they think the shooting was gang related but have not made any arrests. >> attorneys for a patient at napa state hospital is accused of assaulting a therapist say their client is not mentally competent to stand trial. a judge has now ordered 24-year- old shawn michael voucher to submit to a psychiatric evaluation. he has pleaded not guilty to assaulting the therapist earlier this month. the therapist sustained four skull fractures. the psychiatric report is due back on january 11th. >>> a morgan hill man is in jail tonight facing animal cruelty charges after a malnourished goat was discovered in the trunk of his car. the police officers in morgan hill say they heard the goat crying out during a traffic stop last

live in san jose, lloyd lacuesta, ktvu, channel 2 news. >> police say gang violence may have led to theeath of a man who was shot inside his redwood city apartment. officers found 30-year-old robert florence inside his home on wayne court at 2:00 this morning suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. he was taken to stanford hospital where he was pronounced dead. police tell us they think the shooting was gang related but have not made any arrests. >> attorneys for a patient at napa state hospital is accused of assaulting a therapist say their client is not mentally competent to stand trial. a judge has now ordered 24-year- old shawn michael voucher to submit to a psychiatric evaluation. he has pleaded not guilty to assaulting the therapist earlier this month. the therapist sustained four skull fractures. the psychiatric report is due back on january 11th. >>> a morgan hill man is in jail tonight facing animal cruelty charges after a malnourished goat was discovered in the trunk of his car. the police officers in morgan hill say they heard the goat crying out during a traffic stop last fr

lloyd lacuesta with our report. >> reporter: domestic strawberries are out of season right now. but in santa cruz county they can be found in some markets. these are from watsonville. strawberries are $160 million a year industry here. the number one crop in this county. california grows 90% of the nation's strawberries. but they are vulnerable to pests. now the state has approved the use of the pesticide methyl iodide, a potential carcinogen. >> i am paying attention to what the scientists are saying and i have listened to them talk about it and it scares the day lights out of me. it is a very dangerous chemical. >> reporter: he is an organic grower. but he is still worried about growers using the pesticide posing possible danger to workers and people who live near the strawberry fields. he is part of a coalition of environmental and farm worker groups asking governor elect jerry brown to stop the use of the pesticide. >> this is a cancer-causing pesticide that is being pushed by the largest private pesticide company in the world. we believe that those corporate interests have

ktvu's lloyd lacuesta is there and join us now with late details. >> reporter: frank it happened right here at this bus stop across the street from newwark memorial high school where a 17- year-old student was stabbed to death at 3:45 this afternoon. police say he was at the bus stop waiting for a ride home when the witnesses say two men assaulted him. tonight we talked to a grieving mother. >> my son is a good son. he used to go to church. he would go to school and then come home. >> reporter: she says a car accident delayed her this afternoon from picking up her son justice after football practice. so he was waiting for a bus. she says her son called his girlfriend on his cell phone after he was stabbed. >> he just said he got stabbed. and so by the time the girlfriend was there, the other football player friend of his saw him in the middle of the road. >> reporter: police say he died on the street. justice was a star linebacker for his high school and had plans to play college football. his mother says he was devote today his family and not involved in any trouble. she suspects that

lloyd lacuesta with our report. >> reporter: domestic strawberries are out of season right now. but in santa cruz county they can be found in some markets. these are from watsonville. strawberries are $160 million a year industry here. the number one crop in this county. california grows 90% of the nation's strawberries. but they are vulnerable to pests. now the state has approved the use of the pesticide methyl iodide, a potential carcinogen. >> i am paying attention to what the scientists are saying and i have listened to them talk about it and it scares the day lights out of me. it is a very dangerous chemical. >> reporter: he is an organic grower. but he is still worried about growers using the pesticide posing possible danger to workers and people who live near the strawberry fields. he is part of a coalition of environmental and farm worker groups asking governor elect jerry brown to stop the use of the pesticide. >> this is a cancer-causing pesticide that is being pushed by the largest private pesticide company in the world. we believe that those corporate interests have

ktvu's lloyd lacuesta is there and join us now with late details. >> reporter: frank it happened right here at this bus stop across the street from newwark memorial high school where a 17- year-old student was stabbed to death at 3:45 this afternoon. police say he was at the bus stop waiting for a ride home when the witnesses say two men assaulted him. tonight we talked to a grieving mother. >> my son is a good son. he used to go to church. he would go to school and then come home. >> reporter: she says a car accident delayed her this afternoon from picking up her son justice after football practice. so he was waiting for a bus. she says her son called his girlfriend on his cell phone after he was stabbed. >> he just said he got stabbed. and so by the time the girlfriend was there, the other football player friend of his saw him in the middle of the road. >> reporter: police say he died on the street. justice was a star linebacker for his high school and had plans to play college football. his mother says he was devote today his family and not involved in any trouble. she suspects that

lloyd lacuesta has the report. >> reporter: at night go below the city and you'll find a community ofhidden people, the homeless. >> this is where the sub city is lloyd. all along the river. >> reporter: scott wagers of the community appliance minister was out to be the with church members handing out blankets. in the shadow of hp pavilion this mans says he has been spending nights here for the last five months. >> it gets frozen down here. once in a while you get a breeze from south and north and it gets you real cold. >> reporter: it didn't take long for word to get out about the free blankets. at st. james park there was a line of 80 people waiting. >> it's hard the get blankets and sleeping bags and everything else. why don't you go to a shelter? >> i was supposed to go to the armory last night but i didn't want to go because my friend needed help out here. >> last night, i thought i was going to die. >> reporter: last year in santa clara county, 4,500 people died on's. it is getting worse with unemployment and foreclosures. >> you know blanket on a cold night, we'll do a little b

lloyd lacuesta has the report. >> reporter: at night go below the city and you'll find a community ofhidden people, the homeless. >> this is where the sub city is lloyd. all along the river. >> reporter: scott wagers of the community appliance minister was out to be the with church members handing out blankets. in the shadow of hp pavilion this mans says he has been spending nights here for the last five months. >> it gets frozen down here. once in a while you get a breeze from south and north and it gets you real cold. >> reporter: it didn't take long for word to get out about the free blankets. at st. james park there was a line of 80 people waiting. >> it's hard the get blankets and sleeping bags and everything else. why don't you go to a shelter? >> i was supposed to go to the armory last night but i didn't want to go because my friend needed help out here. >> last night, i thought i was going to die. >> reporter: last year in santa clara county, 4,500 people died on's. it is getting worse with unemployment and foreclosures. >> you know blanket on a cold night, we'll do a little b

lloyd lacuesta spoke to police about this string of crimes, loyal. -- lloyd. >> reporter: what would you do if someone came up and demanded this from yo or simply takes it and runs away. >> my shoes would come off and i would go running after him. >> i would probably take him down. >> reporter: you would fight back. >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: why? >> it's just my nature. >> reporter: police say that's the wrong idea. in the downtown and in the neighborhood, there's been several shootings. >> it's a nice purse, give it up. someone wants it, give it up and try to give us a description and leave the area, as soon as you can call us 911. >> reporter: we walked the street with lieutenant sandra brown. she says 12 victims were robbed at gunpoint. and in some cases victims were thrown to the ground. >> there is nothing that you own that you have on your person is worth fighting over. if a suspect demands your purse, take it off and give it to him. if a suspect demands your wallet, take it off and give it to them. >> reporter: a woman near walking near this woman's home was robbed. >> it's sc

lloyd lacuesta spoke to police about this string of crimes, loyal. -- lloyd. >> reporter: what would you do if someone came up and demanded this from yo or simply takes it and runs away. >> my shoes would come off and i would go running after him. >> i would probably take hi down. >> reporter: you would fight back. >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: why? >> it's just my nature. >> reporter: police say that's the wrong idea. in the downtown and in the neighborhood, there's been several shootings. >> it's a nice purse, give it up. someone wants it, give it up and try to give us a description and leave the area, as soon as you can call us 911. >> reporter: we walked the street with lieutenant sandra brown. she says 12 victims were robbed at gunpoint. and in some cases victims were thrown to the ground. >> there is nothing that you own that you have on your person is worth fighting over. if a suspect demands your purse, take it off and give it to him. if a suspect demands your wallet, take it off and give it to them. >> reporter: a woman near walking near this woman's home was robbed. >> it's sca

live in newark, lloyd lacuesta. >>> vallejo police are defending their actions tonight following an officer involved shooting. police have released surveillance video. police also released this picture of 34 guy jerode taken from the video. the afternoon he was shot, jerode was in this video and carrying a gun. students say he may have being carrying the gun in case someone tried to take the equipment they were using. >>> at sentencing, jensen faces the possibility of life in prison. >>> police say they have more evidence against yusef. >> daryl: bey iv. andy told the killers that he would be rewarded financially if they killed bailey. >>> the department of motor vehicle said today the employee who sent a letter to a transgender woman has quit. >>> california's utility commission has ored pg & e to reduce gas flowing through it's two large áers east bay pipelines. the news comes as new doubt surfaced about the accuracy of pipeline inspections. ktvu's mike mibach is live in oakland with details. >> reporter: beneath the ground that i'm standing on near 880 and 29th street is one of two massi

live in newark, lloyd lacuesta. >>> vallejo police are defending their actions tonight following an officer involved shooting. police have released surveillance video. police also released this picture of 34 guy jerode taken from the video. the afternoon he was shot, jerode was in this video and carrying a gun. students say he may have being carrying the gun in case someone tried to take the equipment they were using. >>> at sentencing, jensen faces the possibility of life in prison. >>> police say they have more evidence against yusef. >> daryl: bey iv. andy told the killers that he would be rewarded financially if they killed bailey. >>> the department of motor vehicle said today the employee who sent a letter to a transgender woman has quit. >>> california's utility commission has ored pg & e to reduce gas flowing through it's two large áers east bay pipelines. the news comes as new doubt surfaced about the accuracy of pipeline inspections. ktvu's mike mibach is live in oakland with details. >> reporter: beneath the ground that i'm standing on near 880 and 29th street is one of two massi

live in san jose, lloyd lacuesta. >>> a controversial baptist church says it plans to protest outsideizabeth edward's funeral. westboro also says edwards didn't pray for a cure for cancer. >>> in london, the worse violence protest in years erupted today after parliament tripled university fees. >>> thousands of demonstrators battle with police across the city attacking two government buildings, store windows and setting fire to a christmas tree in chicago square. 23 protesters and 12 police officers were injured. about two dozen people were arrested. in one of the more shocking instrument, a group of about 20 people attacked a car carrying prince charles and his wife camilla. the couple appeared to be stunned but were not injured. nonetheless, police launched an investigation. >>> two years after her son was gunned down in golden beat park, a san diego mother isn't giving up her search for the killer. today christine evans was back in the park with two private investigators. 20-year-old brandon evans was shot and killed near the park's horseshoe pit on december of 2008. the private is

live in san jose, lloyd lacuesta. >>> a controversial baptist church says it plans to protest outside of elizabeth edward's funeral. westboro also says edwards didn't pray for a cure for cancer. >>> in london, the worse violence protest in years erupted today after parliament tripled university fees. >>> thousands of demonstrators battle with police across the city attacking two government buildings, store windows and setting fire to a christmas tree in chicago square. 23 protesters and 12 police officers were injured. about two dozen people were arrested. in one of the more shocking instrument, a group of about 20 people attacked a car carrying prince charles and his wife camilla. the couple appeared to be stunned but were not injured. nonetheless, police launched an investigation. >>> two years after her son was gunned down in golden beat park, a san diego mother isn't giving up her search for the killer. today christine evans was back in the park with two private investigators. 20-year-old brandon evans was shot and killed near the park's horseshoe pit on december of 2008. the priv

lloyd lacuesta has the live report. >> reporter: this is the napier street shelter, there is nothingout the situation facing people who come here seeking help. but tonight, there was laughter here generated by professional comedian who knows too well about being homeless. >> i'm doug ferrari and i'm here to give you my confession, and the priest said sorry i don't have that kind of time. >> for ant an hour tonight, the troubles of 76 people living in this emergency shelter were forgotten. doug ferrari was once at the top of the world of comedy performing with jerry williams and sinefeld but then he tumbled. ten years ago friends rescued him. >> we pulled him out of a skid row hotel where he had scraped up enough money to spend the night and we got him some help, and for the last ten years he's been working to you know kind of pay back the favor. >> reporter: among the jokes, ferrari doesn't hesitate telling his story. >> i was mad, bad and dangerous to know baby. i'm telling you, they called me consumed man because i could smoke or drink anybody under the floor. >> reporter: ferrari

ktvu's lloyd lacuesta live in santa cruz with our report. >> reporter: we're learning that donna collins was discharged from dominican hospital a few minutes ago. today she talked to the media for the first time since she was found. she said she was in an area called fall creek when the unexpected happened. >> i just slipped and lost footing and ended up in a ravine and luckily the ravine had a spring in it that i could catch water. >> reporter: what was supposed to be a two hour hike became a six day ordeal. collin said she didn't have the upper body strength to pull herself out of the steep ravine. each time she tried she would slide back down. but the experienced triothalon runner did not give up. >> it's that survival instinct. i kept thinking, i'm going to hear my name. i'm going to hear my name. i knew people were looking for them. >> reporter: on saturday, joe deguara and 7-year-old dillan decided to hike in fall creek after hearing debra was missing. he said, are you debra collins, i said yes. i was so shocked he knew my name. i said, i'm found. >> reporter: the sheriff's departm

lloyd lacuesta has the live report. >> reporter: this is the napier street shelter, there is nothingout the situation facing people who come here seeking help. but tonight, there was laughter here generated by professional comedian who knows too well about being homeless. >> i'm doug ferrari and i'm here to give you my confession, and the priest said sorry i don't have that kind of time. >> for ant an hour tonight, the troubles of 76 people living in this emergency shelter were forgotten. doug ferrari was once at the top of the world of comedy performing with jerry williams and sinefeld but then he tumbled. ten years ago friends rescued him. >> we pulled him out of a skid row hotel where he had scraped up enough money to spend the night and we got him some help, and for the last ten years he's been working to you know kind of pay back the favor. >> reporter: among the jokes, ferrari doesn't hesitate telling his story. >> i was mad, bad and dangerous to know baby. i'm telling you, they called me consumed man because i could smoke or drink anybody under the floor. >> reporter: ferrari

ktvu's lloyd lacuesta live in santa cruz with our report. >> reporter: we're learning that donna collins was discharged from dominican hospital a few minutes ago. today she talked to the media for the first time since she was found. she said she was in an area called fall creek when the unexpected happened. >> i just slipped and lost footing and ended up in a ravine and luckily the ravine had a spring in it that i could catch water. >> reporter: what was supposed to be a two hour hike became a six day ordeal. collin said she didn't have the upper body strength to pull herself out of the steep ravine. each time she tried she would slide back down. but the experienced triothalon runner did not give up. >> it's that survival instinct. i kept thinking, i'm going to hear my name. i'm going to hear my name. i knew people were looking for them. >> reporter: on saturday, joe deguara and 7-year-old dillan decided to hike in fall creek after hearing debra was missing. he said, are you debra collins, i said yes. i was so shocked he knew my name. i said, i'm found. >> reporter: the sheriff's departm

lloyd lacuesta has that story. >> reporter: the rain is gone and a mild night in palo alto. university avenue is lit up with holiday lights. people are out and about and police say so are the criminals. what would you do if someone came up and grabbed that off your shoulder and then ran? >> a great question. i would probably, i don't know, chase after them. >> reporter: not a good answer. >> i wouldn't recommend chasing. i would recommend cooperating and being a good victim, calling a police and giving us whatever kind of suspect description you can. >> reporter: police are on alert in palo alto. in recent weeks there have been a rash of strong arm robberies in the downtown and shopping areas of this city. in some of the incidents, the robbers brandished guns. >> these are violent people. this is a face-to-face crime. it's not someone breaking into a car where no one is there. we don't want people to get hurt. >> reporter: this is the time of the year when criminals are out with the shoppers looking for people overloaded with bags and by themselves. the police say the savvy

lloyd lacuesta has that story. >> reporter: the rain is gone and a mild night in palo alto. university avenue is lit up with holiday lights. people are out and about and police say so are the criminals. what would you do if someone came up and grabbed that off your shoulder and then ran? >> a great question. i would probably, i don't know, chase after them. >> reporter: not a good answer. >> i wouldn't recommend chasing. i would recommend cooperating and being a good victim, calling a police and giving us whatever kind of suspect description you can. >> reporter: police are on alert in palo alto. in recent weeks there have been a rash of strong arm robberies in the downtown and shopping areas of this city. in some of the incidents, the robbers brandished guns. >> these are violent people. this is a face-to-face crime. it's not someone breaking into a car where no one is there. we don't want people to get hurt. >> reporter: this is the time of the year when criminals are out with the shoppers looking for people overloaded with bags and by themselves. the police say the savvy