Woman burglarizes neighbor's Irvine apartment, gets caught hiding in closet, police say

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- A resident living at Skyloft luxury apartments in Irvine made a startling discovery after coming home on Dec. 1 from a weeklong vacation.

"As she approached her closet, she opened the door and noticed a woman crouching in the closet. She did not know this woman," Irvine police Sgt. Karie Davies recounted. "The woman was holding some kitchen utensils and a pizza cutter."

Door surveillance camera from another apartment captured the suspect, identified as 43-year-old Wendy Wilkinson, trying to get away.

Officers found out Wilkinson was also a resident of the complex and lived about 100 feet away from the victim.

"They knocked on the door, found the suspect hiding in her own closet and noticed some items that didn't appear to be hers, also a receipt for a storage unit," Davies said.

A search warrant of that unit and Wilkinson's apartment uncovered the victim's stolen property.

"So we're talking purses, duffle bags, TVs, passports, the victim's ID card for her work," Davies said.

Police don't know how Wilkinson gained access to the victim's apartment, but believe she had time to go in and out over several hours or days.

"She was able to almost wipe her out of items from her apartment," Davies said.

The victim has since moved out of her apartment.

Eyewitness News reached out to Legacy Partners, the company that manages Skyloft, but has not heard back.

Davies said Wilkinson faces a burglary charge and may be connected to another burglary in Riverside County.

She recommends residents invest in home surveillance cameras.

"That way, if anyone comes in your home - whether it's maintenance or anybody else - you know it," Davies said. "You get notified on your phone right away, and you can investigate right then and there to see if it's somebody that you know that should be there or somebody that should not be there."