SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Sunnyvale police Monday announced the arrests of a trio of young women suspected in a six-month crime spree involving burglaries and identity thefts in the cities of Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Palo Alto and Santa Clara. According to Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Capt. Shawn Ahearn, the suspects, Melissa Larsen, 20, Madeline Amelia Lopez, 19, and Julia Marie Peruzzi, 18 — all Sunnyvale residents — targeted real estate open houses and retail stores, specifically looking for female employees who were working by themselves.

"One would distract the employee by plugging a toilet or creating some other diversion," Ahearn said. "The other would steal cash and/or credit cards from the employee's purse as she was being distracted. Another would drive the getaway car to Safeway or CVS and they would buy gift cards using the stolen credit cards." Eventually, Larsen, Lopez and Peruzzi were identified as the suspects by a Sunnyvale patrol officer who was investigating one of the incidents, Ahearn said.

The captain said through follow-up investigation, Sunnyvale detectives identified multiple victims of the trio's alleged spree that spanned five Silicon Valley cities. The Santa Clara District Attorney's Office then issued arrest warrants for the three women, who were arrested late last week and are facing 20 charges, Ahearn said.

"The positive outcome of this investigation was the result of the collaborative work of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara police agencies," Ahearn said. Sunnyvale authorities are continuing to investigate and ask any Sunnyvale residents who believe they may have been a victim of the crimes to contact Detective Clyde Cheng at 408-730-7712. Residents of other cities who suspect they may have been victimized by the trio should contact their local police agency.