House Cleaner Made Himself At Home With Unauthorized Key
San Andreas, CA — A shocked owner arrived home to find the house cleaner he hired for a job months ago apparently helping himself to his residence and possessions.
According to Calaveras County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Greg Stark, around 9:30 Monday morning, the victim arrived at place in the 1900 block of Pine Drive in the Meadowmount area of Arnold. Once he let himself in, he found Brad Ernest Burch, 55, of Arnold, who he had previously hired to do some cleaning work last December.
“When the homeowner told Burch he was going to notify law enforcement, Burch fled the residence,” Stark recounts. “During the investigation deputies learned he had made himself an unauthorized spare key for himself, and from what the homeowner could tell, Burch was sleeping at the residence when the homeowner arrived.”
Upon their arrival, a deputy began checking the area, noticed the suspect walking nearby, and attempted to contact him but he fled on foot. However after a brief chase, Burch was subdued after a struggle and arrested for burglary, committing a felony while on bail, and resisting arrest.
After investigators located an electronic tablet device belonging to the victim at a nearby residence where Burch was staying. “The homeowner is still doing an inventory to see what else might be missing,” Stark adds.
Stark says the incident provides a cautionary tale of sorts. Although the majority of service providers are reputable he says, “Make sure you do your research, check valid references, and keep in mind that online reviews can be hard to verify.” He also recommends those with security alarms to change the code regularly if sharing it with others.
