The 70-year-old victim, who declined to speak on-camera, said she couldn't open her front door when she returned to her home in the 1100 block of West Duarte Road last Saturday afternoon.
The victim was out running errands for about three hours, returning home at about 2:30 p.m. She found her front door chained from the inside and saw a rear window screen removed and the window open. She then climbed in through her window and heard the shower running.
When she called out, a woman answered back. When the woman got out of the shower, the victim asked her what she was doing. The intruder told the victim the apartment was hers.
According to police, not only did the intruder shower, she lightly ransacked the master bedroom and even prepared some food.
The victim says the woman left when she called police. The only thing missing were the victim's car keys.
Arcadia police returned to the scene Thursday and discovered that the suspect had also used the washer and dryer of a nearby neighbor.
"I opened up the drier and I found a pair of pink ladies underwear that weren't mine. So then I realized 'Wow, somebody must have broken in to do their laundry,'" said neighbor Esther Villegas.
Arcadia Police Department Lt. Bob Anderson described the suspect as a 40-year-old female African American, 5 feet 11 inches tall and about 170 pounds. She also has flower-type tattoos on both sides of her face.
Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call Arcadia police at (626) 574-5156.
