Homeowners thought they were hiring cleaners, but according to Los Angeles police, they instead got cleaned out.
Following an investigation, LAPD officials announced Thursday they arrested two women who they suspect posed as a cleaning crew to gain access to homes in the San Fernando Valley, where they allegedly stolen thousands in cash, jewelry and high-end bags.
Nikol Quiroga, 30, and Sandra Aguillon, 49, both Colombian nationals, have been booked on suspicion of grand theft and are suspected to be part of a “larger transnational organized crime group,” according to a news release from the LAPD.
The women are accused of making fake profiles on a cleaning service app, which allowed them to gain access to the homes, police said.
During the investigation, detectives recovered $50,000 in cash, jewelry and high-end handbags belonging to multiple victims in a search of the women’s apartment and vehicles. Police also found in their possession Wi-Fi jammers, which can be used to disarm cameras and alarms, cellphones, trail cameras, GPS trackers and stolen license plates, the release said.
For some time now, officials have been warning about so-called “burglary tourism,” in which theft rings from South America have traveled to the United States to target homes in affluent neighborhoods. In May, seven Colombian nationals were arrested on suspicion of burglarizing homes in Burbank.
Detectives said they continue to search for additional victims and suspects in the San Fernando Valley case. Anyone with information can call LAPD’s commercial crimes division, major theft task force at (213) 486-5920 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
