Jennifer Gomez, a notorious cat burglar, recently appeared on the podcast “Locked In With Ian Bick” to reveal the details of her professional career as a thief. Over a series of more than 200 home break-ins, she amassed about $7 million. Reflecting on her approach, she explained the deliberate strategies that allowed her to target some of the wealthiest areas in Florida.
According to the New York Post, the 41-year-old explained her preference for high-end homes, saying, “I always wanted homes that were nice. I mean, at least million-dollar homes. I would always try to find a home that was in a cul-de-sac so I wouldn’t get lost in there or a home that backed up to a street.” Growing up with parents who were both physicians, Gomez was familiar with the lifestyle of the wealthy and used this knowledge to her advantage. “They’re probably going to have a privacy fence of some kind. I can hide behind that when I get in their backyard. I’m completely concealed,” she said.
Gomez preferred to break into houses during rainy weather. “Because people are not outside, they’re not gardening; there’s not landscapers, there’s not anyone jogging in the neighborhood. And even if they are somewhere they can see me, there’s, like, rain droplets on the window, so they really don’t know what they’re looking at,” she explained.
Gomez’s acute attention to detail helped her identify homes with security systems, which she saw as indicators of valuable assets waiting to be taken. On the podcast, she mentioned that the presence of a security system signaled something worth protecting, and she would find ways to bypass them.
Elaborating further on her tactics, Gomez ensured no one was home before breaking in. “I’m like, ‘Miss Sarah, Miss Suzanne. Hey, are you in there? Hey! Open up. Come to the door. Your daughter wanted me to check on you,'” she shared. If someone was present, she would simply walk away.
To avoid attracting attention, Gomez did not wear makeup, chose shoes of different sizes, and traveled in a simple Chevy Impala.