Victim, Intruder Wind Up Real Princes : Burglar With Tidy Streak Comes Clean

The case involving a burglar who broke into a residence here and literally cleaned up the place has been neatly solved, authorities said Monday.

The case was closed after the mother of a 12-year-old mentally disabled neighbor came forward and told the victim that her son had broken into the home and spent considerable time tidying up the place, police Cmdr. Vern Gardner said.

The cleaning “victim,” who asked not to be identified, said the mother was apologetic, Gardner said, adding that the man asked that charges not be pressed.

“She said my house caught her son’s attention because the flowers outside were dry,” the victim told the Gilroy Dispatch. “There’s been no reccurence. I’m glad it wasn’t more serious than it was.”

Gardner said he was “glad it ended on a light note. We didn’t want to pursue it. It wouldn’t have benefited anybody.”

About two weeks ago, the youth broke into the home and made the bed, washed the dishes, folded the laundry, dumped the trash and stacked the newspapers. The only thing reported missing was a set of old drapes, which the burglar replaced with his own.

The intruder left a cryptic note, written in a childish scrawl with a purple marker and pinned to the victim’s front door. The note read in part:

“Dear Sir, I hope you don’t mind. I cleaned your house. Don’t worry. I won’t take anything because my father is a Duke in Spain. Don’t worry. I’ll clean your house for as long as you live here.” The note was signed, “Prince Eddie.”

The victim later found the drapes he thought had been stolen--left neatly folded in a closet.