Burglar moves into house, eats food, wear clothes, steals purse

Homeowner comes home, confronts burglar on camera

ORLANDO, Fla. – Maritza Williams told News 6 she went to Michigan last week to visit her grandchildren, leaving her home in Orlando's Orlovista neighborhood vacant for several days.

She said her husband travels for work and was not home last week either.

Williams said a woman and possibly a man took advantage of the vacancy and moved in.

"My porch light was on, and my mail has been piling up a little bit," Williams told News 6 in a Skype interview from Michigan.

Williams said her husband came home over the weekend and discovered the front door had been broken, the back door was open and the house was a mess.

"My husband said they found some blankets," said Williams. "They went through all our drawers, they stole undergarments, bars of soap, they stole my water, my ham, my food, everything."

Williams said her husband realized that someone had been living in the house so he parked his car up the street and waited with his cellphone.

"Obviously they were going to come back because the blankets were there, and surely enough, this woman entered my home through the back door," said Williams. "As she opened up the door, my husband and his co-worker caught her and she ran out, and that's when my husband started videoing her."

Williams shared her husband's cellphone video with News 6. It showed a woman in pajamas and a T-shirt walking away from the camera.

"You the one who broke my house!" Williams' husband is heard saying to the woman in the video.

"No it wasn't me! No I've never been in your house!" the woman responded. "I've never been in your house. I live right around the corner. My friend stays here! She goes to church with me. She gave it to me about a month ago to wear! At church, oh my God!"

Williams said the woman was lying and it was clear the woman had been in the house because the clothing belonged to Williams and her husband.

"She said I gave it to her at church. Unfortunately, I don't go to church," said Williams. "She had gone through all my documents in my house. My husband said the title to my car and my personal accounts were on my dresser.

The clothes she's wearing, that's all our clothing. She was wearing my husband's pajamas, my T-shirt and my blue Aeropostale sweater.

And that little purse that she's got on her side that's the little purse that I need back."

Williams explained the purse was given to her by her long-lost sister the first time they'd met after 40 years.

"It was a little war between Honduras and Salvador and over 2,000 kids got kidnapped, either for organ parts or human trafficking slavery," said Williams. "And I'm one of them that got stolen for basically slavery. My family searched for me and they spread out all over trying to search for me and I put a blog out and they finally found me and I got to meet my sister. And my sister who gave me that purse I've only met her once in over 40 years."

Williams said all she wants is the purse back.

"I just can't believe people do that," said Williams, who was in tears. "And they're just taking items and they don't know how much it could mean to somebody. It means nothing to them! She don't know the value of that little purse."

Neighbors told News 6 they had seen a car backed into Williams' driveway and a couple coming and going over the past few days. Neighbors said they didn't suspect anything suspicious because occasionally Williams rents out a room in her home.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said it had received the cellphone video and sent it to detectives to get results.

"I don't know who you are. I don't mind about the clothing. I just want my little purse back, please," said Williams. "Please... I'm begging you."


About the Author:

Erik von Ancken anchors and reports for News 6 and is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist in the prestigious and coveted "On-Camera Talent" categories for both anchoring and reporting.

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