By Lauren McSherry

Police warn that Los Altos homes are prime targets for burglaries facilitated by cleaning services. Although Los Altos police have not linked any recent burglary cases to specific cleaning agencies, they are investigating potential leads, said Los Altos Police Sgt. John Hughmanick.

The most brutal case possibly connected to house cleaners is the Oct. 25 murder of Mountain View resident Doris Condon, who lived behind Los Altos High School, Hughmanick said. Three burglars allegedly beat Condon to death after they broke into the senior’s home. Another recent burglary case involved a cleaner who stole checks and then forged them.

In January, a Mountain View resident had $30,000 in valuables stolen after interviewing potential cleaning services in his home.

“I’m inferring that is what probably happened,” said the resident. “The robbery occurred at the specific hour in the morning when I wasn’t at home. They didn’t trash the place. They must have been tipped off to the big items. I’ve been living there for five years without any problem. It was a specific, targeted event.”

Police said that homes in the Los Altos area are attractive to thieves because the residences sit on large lots, which enables burglars to enter houses during daylight hours without being seen.

The types of belongings that are stolen vary. “It’s really situational,” Hughmanick said. “It’s a tough one to get your arms around. It can be a range of things. There have been some burglaries where expensive china was stolen. It has to do with the flavor of the particular thief. Jewelry is always popular. Cash is a popular commodity. We see it come cyclically. We see one burglar looking for silver, and another looking for jewelry, electronic equipment, that sort of thing.”

According to Hughmanick, residents should take precautions when hiring a cleaning service. He said that anyone who is hiring people to do work inside a home, should ask for references and do a background check. In addition, checks, bank statements and credit cards should be kept out of view and under lock and key.

“You want to be careful,” Hughmanick said. “It might be worth making a trip to a criminal court to make sure there are no active criminal records on the individual.

For people who are considering bringing someone into your home, my recommendation is consider being home when they’re in your home.”