A Santa Rosa woman who detectives suspect was the main player in a spate of vacation home burglaries across Sonoma County has been arrested.
The woman, Lisa Ann Lopez, 42, of Santa Rosa, appeared in court Wednesday, when a judge increased her bail from $250,000 to $300,000.
Burglars have hit more than 50 vacation homes around Sonoma County since September, taking TVs and other valuables, sheriff's Sgt. Mike Raasch said. Detectives believe burglars were using websites advertising vacation homes to determine which ones were vacant.
He said detectives are still looking for other persons of interest in connection with the burglaries, but they believe Lopez was "the main person" behind the break-ins.
She was arrested March 29 after someone in Guerneville noticed a suspicious woman entering a nearby vacation home and alerted the Sheriff's Office.
The neighbor provided a license plate number for a burgundy BMW that was parked in front of the vacation home, in the 17000 block of Summit Avenue. Deputies arrived at the home within minutes and found that a TV had been stolen, but the woman was already gone, Raasch said.
Property crimes detectives learned that Lopez was the registered owner of the vehicle and set up surveillance outside her Santa Rosa home, Raasch said.
About two hours later, Lopez arrived in the vehicle. Detectives found the stolen TV in the back seat, Raasch said. While searching her home and car, they also found property stolen from vacation home burglaries in Sonoma, Cloverdale, Bodega Bay and Guerneville, Raasch said.
Later, detectives interviewed neighbors who said that Lopez had recently sold some TVs at a yard sale, Raasch said.
Lopez was on probation for possession of stolen property, Raasch said. Detectives arrested her on suspicion of burglary as well as possession of stolen property. Since Lopez was arrested, detectives have not received any new reports of burglaries at vacation home rentals, Raasch said.
Detectives ask that anyone with information on the thefts call Detective Donald Fletcher at 565-2185.
Lopez is scheduled to enter a plea in court May 1.
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