PALO ALTO — A man climbed into a parked car early Friday morning in Palo Alto and touched his exposed penis while holding a knife to a 7-year-old boy, police said.
The infant and an 11-month-old boy were left in their mother’s car around 12:35 a.m. in the 100 block of Hamilton Avenue while she briefly went into a nearby business where her boyfriend was working, police said.
About 10 minutes later, she returned to find an unknown man sitting in the driver’s seat, touching himself and holding the knife to the older child, police said.
According to police, the woman ran inside to get help. When she returned with her boyfriend, they scared the man, who then fled on foot.
It was later determined that the man sexually assaulted the 7-year-old and struck the baby in the face after removing the child from a car seat, police said. The mother also discovered her boyfriend’s wallet containing money missing from the center console of the vehicle.
Joshua Keenan Brass, 30, of East Palo Alto was arrested around 4 a.m. near the intersection of Emerson Street and Lytton Avenue, police said. He was charged with indecent assault on a minor, assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse, assault with intent to commit a sex act and kidnapping with intent to commit a sex act, police said.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Palo Alto Police Department at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be sent by email to paloalto@tipnow.org or by text or voicemail to (650) 383-8984.
