Annals of sloppy burglaries

Officers from the Chico Police Department arrested a Chico woman for burglary last week after finding a couple of pieces of evidence at the victim’s house.

It was back in October that residents of a home on Shadowtree Lane told officers they’d returned home from dinner one evening to see a woman running from the back of the residence and speeding away in a car. Once inside, they discovered their big-screen TV and other electronics had been stolen.

According to a CPD press release, the burglar left a photo keychain and a piece of plastic at the scene of the crime. Officer Kevin Bartine, with help from Lifetouch, a photo-portrait company, identified the child in the photo as a local elementary school student.

The ID led to his mother, Madeleine Maria Alvelais, 31, of Chico. Alvelais’ car was missing the piece of plastic on its side mirror. She was arrested when detectives who obtained a search warrant found the stolen items in her possession.