San Diego

Woman Makes Self at Home After Breaking Into Talmadge Home

The burglaries occurred near Monroe and Highland avenues

Police are searching for a woman suspected of targeting houses in the Talmadge neighborhood of San Diego in several burglaries.

One of the break-ins happened Saturday around 11 a.m. while police happened to be responding to another call just next door.

The neighborhood is located along Monroe and Highland avenues.

Surveillance video shows a woman jumping over homeowner Carlos Padrigan’s backyard fence and walking into his home through an unlocked back door.

Padrigan said no one was home at the time.

"It’s a violating feeling that you thought you are safe," said Padrigan.

Prior to breaking into Padrigan’s home, surveillance video appears to show the woman running away from a neighbor’s house with a garbage bag in hand. The woman then enters the neighbor's house.

"She came out of next-door neighbor, went around and into my back door and climbed the gate," Padrigan said. "I saw it on camera."

That neighbor--who did not want to be identified--told NBC 7 that she scared the suspect off after coming face-to-face with her through the window. The homeowner then called the police.

Officers arrived approximately 15 minutes later.

While they were investigating the incident, the suspected burglar made herself at home in Padrigan's house next door.

Padrigan said when he arrived home, he noticed his garage door was up, water spilled across the floor of his house and his kitchen cabinets open.

He told NBC 7, that’s when he checked the camera and realized the woman had broken into his home.

According to the time stamp on the surveillance video, the suspect appeared to have stayed more than an hour.

"I don't know if she was eating food...I can't say for sure," Padrigan said.

She walked out of the garage with a blanket over her head. She stole Padrigan's travel bag and about $3,500 in jewelry and electronics.

"She came in with a plastic bag and got out with a traveling bag," Padrigan said. "So it was like Christmas for her."

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