News Summary
A Mission Viejo couple’s cherished Babe Ruth baseball and valuable baseball cards were stolen while they were on vacation. After returning home, Dave and Barbara Bauer discovered missing items and a disordered house, leading them to report a theft valued at $200,000. Two suspects, arrested after a swift investigation, face multiple charges. The incident highlights the risks of hiring house sitters and the importance of vetting individuals entering homes.
Mission Viejo — A couple’s treasured Babe Ruth baseball and several valuable baseball cards were stolen while they were away on vacation, leading to significant financial and emotional distress. Dave and Barbara Bauer, who left for a two-week trip to Spain in April, hired housesitters through Trusted Housesitters to care for their home and pets in Mission Viejo. Upon returning home, the Bauers found their house in disarray, with signs of disturbance throughout the property.
In August, after noticing several missing items from their secure lock box, they discovered that the autographed Babe Ruth baseball, which was purchased by Dave in 1987, along with baseball cards valued at approximately $100,000, were gone. The lock box required effort to access, raising suspicions about the motives behind the housesitters’ actions.
After reporting the theft to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), detectives moved quickly to investigate. Within an hour of the report, four deputies arrived at the Bauers’ residence, and an investigative team subsequently identified the suspects involved. In late September, detectives arrested 43-year-old Luis Francisco Antepara and 29-year-old Ashley Elizabeth Luhring, both from Fullerton, following the investigation into the thefts.
Both suspects pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree burglary and two counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information. According to the detectives, Antepara and Luhring are believed to have committed similar crimes while housesitting for multiple families across Southern California, including locations in Lake Forest, Oceanside, Palos Verdes, and unincorporated Orange County.
Authorities discovered that the accused used aliases based on previous homeowners to create profiles on the Trusted Housesitters website and allegedly ordered food using a credit card stolen from one of the families they had previously housesat for. The total estimated value of items stolen by the suspects has reached $200,000, comprising various household items, jewelry, and comics, including a first edition of Amazing Spiderman worth around $15,000.
Barbara Bauer has expressed her disbelief that someone could betray their trust in such a manner. In light of these events, the couple has decided that in the future they will only rely on individuals they personally know and trust for house-sitting services, vowing to avoid the Trusted Housesitters platform entirely.
A spokesperson for Trusted Housesitters noted that they cannot comment on the pending legal matter but emphasized that all sitters undergo thorough background checks and verification processes. Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s investigators believe that other victims of similar thefts might still be unaware of their missing belongings and are working to locate owners for the recovered stolen items.
This incident comes as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities homeowners face when hiring service personnel for house sitting. As investigations continue, individuals are encouraged to exercise caution and consider the backgrounds of those entering their homes.
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Additional Resources
- OC Register: OC House Sitters Accused of Stealing Autographed Babe Ruth Baseball
- Wikipedia: House Sitting
- OC Register: House Sitters in Legal Trouble
- Google Search: Trusted Housesitters Scams
- OC Register: House Theft Investigation Update
- Google Scholar: House Sitting Theft
- OC Register: Trust Issues in House Sitting
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Burglary
- OC Register: Valuable Items Stolen
- Google News: House Sitting Theft
Author: STAFF HERE MISSION VIEJO WRITER
The MISSION VIEJO STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREMissionViejo.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Mission Viejo, Orange County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Oso Fit 5K Fun Run and Community Health Fair, Walk Against Drugs & Community Fair, and National Night Out. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce and Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo, plus leading businesses in retail and education that power the local economy such as The Shops at Mission Viejo, Capistrano Unified School District, and Amazon Delivery Station. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAnaheim.com, HEREBeverlyHills.com, HERECostaMesa.com, HERECoronado.com, HEREHollywood.com, HEREHuntingtonBeach.com, HERELongBeach.com, HERELosAngeles.com, HERESanDiego.com, and HERESantaAna.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into California's dynamic landscape.
