Whatcom woman posing as hotel housekeeping reportedly steals credits cards and $2,300 cash
A Whatcom County woman is suspected of posing as a housekeeping employee at a Bellingham hotel to get access to a guest room and steal the victim’s keys, wallet, credit cards and approximately $2,300 in cash.
The Everson Police Department booked Jennifer Lynn Santoro, 37, into Whatcom County Jail on Thursday, Feb. 24, on suspicion of charges including second-degree burglary, second-degree theft, first-degree criminal impersonation and attempting to elude police. Jail records show she was released on $10,000 bail on Friday, Feb. 25.
Bellingham Police were called July 18, 2021, to the Four Points Sheraton hotel on Lakeway Drive after receiving a report of a burglary, Whatcom County Superior Court documents show.
Officer spoke to the victim, who reported that she rented a room before a woman knocked on her door and stated she was housekeeping and was just there to check to make sure there was an appropriate amount of supplies in the room, documents state.
The victim allowed the woman, who was later identified as Santoro through fingerprints left in the room, and she went around the room checking various areas, according to documents. The victim reported she did not watch Santoro the entire time she was in her room.
After Santoro left, the victim found her wallet and keys were missing, documents state. The victim told police that Santoro was the only person in the room who could have stolen the keys and wallet, which she reported included credit cards and approximately $2,300 in cash.
Investigators also found that surveillance video in the hotel captured a woman that resembled Santoro in the hotel, according to documents.
At approximately 1:54 a.m. Jan. 10, Bellingham officers spotted Santoro in a car in the parking lot at Winco, where she had permanently been banned from entering, documents state. A check of records revealed outstanding warrants for Santoro, including for the suspected hotel burglary.
The officer spoke to Santoro and told her to turn the car off, but Santoro put the car in reverse and drove away, according to documents, and she refused to stop.
A second officer spotted Santoro’s vehicle near Sunset Drive and activated his emergency lights, but Santoro’s car got onto southbound Interstate 5 and sped away at more than 100 mph, documents state, prompting police to end the chase.
