Man arrested in homicide at downtown Palo Alto parking structure

An autopsy performed on July 26 revealed that the victim died by homicide from blunt force trauma to his head.

Palo Alto police arrested a man Thursday in the July 25 killing of a man who was found dead in a downtown parking structure, according to a department press release.

The suspect, Alvaro Javier Lopez, 34, was arrested around 10:51 a.m. Thursday inside a parking garage at 528 High Street.

Authorities said he was a suspect in the death of James Allen Rudolph, a 60-year-old unhoused man. Police began the investigation after a passerby reported finding a body in a parking structure in downtown Palo Alto at 445 Bryant Street on July 25.

An autopsy performed on July 26 revealed that Rudolph died by homicide from blunt force trauma to his head.

Detectives identified Lopez, who is believed to be unhoused, as the suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest. Police did not say in their release Friday how investigators had linked Lopez to the killing.

He was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail and was scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon. He also has three additional court appearances scheduled in August.

The investigation into the homicide is ongoing.