Jan. 06--LAFAYETTE -- A disgraced former real estate agent once convicted of stealing from open houses and selling his loot on eBay was believed to be at it again when a 12-year-old girl's webcam apparently caught him in the act, police said.
Prosecutors last week filed charges against Alamo resident Douglas John Calandrella, 46, who was arrested in late November. He remains in custody in West County Jail in Richmond, where he is being held without bail for violating probation.
According to police, on Nov. 13 Calandrella visited one home each in Lafayette and Orinda that were being displayed to prospective buyers. While inside, he rifled through bedrooms and stole jewelry, including a necklace and a watch, they said.
It was a familiar routine for him, police said. In March 2010, Calandrella -- then a real estate agent -- was arrested for using his access to lockboxes to rummage through homes in San Ramon that were up for sale, police said. He put up 53 of those items for auction on eBay, authorities said, and was caught only after a victim bought back his own property and Calandrella ?incriminated himself when he issued a receipt.
Calandrella was convicted later that year of first-degree burglary -- the same charge he now faces, police said.
This time, a watchful 12-year-old girl got him in trouble. The Orinda resident hid her laptop and turned on the webcam so she could keep an eye on what open-house attendees were doing
in her room while she was away.
"It captured pictures of this guy going in and going through her stuff," said Lafayette police Chief Mike Hubbard.
The girl handed over the footage to the real estate agent, who recognized Calandrella as a visitor at a Lafayette home being shown that same day to would-be buyers.
Investigators searched Calandrella's home Nov. 28. They found items they believe were stolen in similar ways and arrested him. He confessed, police said, to some of the new allegations.
They also found his vehicle's GPS system had a series of programmed addresses, including the Lafayette and Orinda homes, police said, suggesting there are people out there who might not know they're victims.
Anyone who believes their home may have been a target or has information for investigators can contact Lafayette police at 925-283-3680.
Copyright 2012 - Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.
