A man and a woman under investigation for a series of open-house burglaries across California pleaded not guilty to felony charges.

Sara Neal, 28, and Richard Maloney, 29, were arrested June 19 in Huntington Beach, in southern California, in connection to a spree of open-house burglaries that spanned as far north as San Francisco — and authorities in Laguna Beach, Orange, Brea and Irvine now suspect the duo of similar crimes up and down the Pacific Coast, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In each case, Maloney distracted a real estate agent overseeing the open house while Neal scoured rooms and pilfered goods, police told the paper.

“Neal admitted to the Laguna Beach crimes, while Maloney remained vague about his involvement,” LAPD Sergeant Jim Cota told local outlets. “Neal and Maloney are believed to be responsible for over seven residential burglaries related to open houses throughout the State of California.”

Maloney pleaded not guilty to one felony count of first-degree burglary and one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime involving a burglary. Neal pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of first-degree burglary, two felony counts of conspiracy to commit a crime and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance, court records show.

Courtesy of Huntington Beach Police Department

Both are now scheduled to appear in court for a trial on July 1. Their bail has been set at $110,000 for Neal and $50,000 for Maloney, respectively. According to earlier coverage, police first started tracking Neal and Maloney after several reports of burglaries during open houses earlier in the spring.

After a car suspected of being associated with the crimes was seen in Huntington Beach last week, police followed it, searched it and discovered ‘large amounts’ of stolen property from open house burglaries from as far away as San Francisco, a seven-hour drive from Huntington Beach.

A third person, Keith Allen Gorden, was charged with felony first-degree burglary and felony conspiracy to commit a crime in connection with an April burglary of an open house in Huntington Beach. The LAPD did not immediately return Inman’s request for comment on the details of the case.

Neal admitted to the crimes during interviews with detectives Tuesday at Orange County Jail while Maloney was “vague about his involvement,” police told the LA Times. While Huntington Beach is the only city to officially charge Neal and Maloney with the crimes, authorities in Laguna Beach, Orange, Brea and Irvine are investigating a similar spree of open-house burglaries.

Nationwide, open houses are often targets for all kinds of crime. In April, a man allegedly used a stun gun in an attempt to sexually assault an agent who was showing him an open house. In early 2018, meanwhile, an agent holding an open house alone was robbed at gunpoint.

Email Veronika Bondarenko

How do you stay ahead in a changing market? Inman Connect Las Vegas — featuring 250+ experts from across the industry sharing insight and tactics to navigate threat and seize opportunity in tomorrow’s real estate market. Join more than 4,000 top producers, brokers and industry leaders to network and discover what’s next, July 23-26 at the Aria Resort. Hurry! Tickets are going fast, register today!

Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy tickets together. Contact us to find out more.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×