Florida cat burglar who broke into more than 200 homes reveals how she got away with it for so long

A former cat burglar who once terrorized upscale neighborhoods across Central Florida by breaking into more than 200 homes is now revealing how she stayed under the radar for years.

Jennifer Gomez, now 41, was arrested by Marion County deputies in 2011 after a lengthy investigation into a rash of home burglaries. Court records show she was convicted of multiple charges, including nine counts of burglary, grand theft, and dealing in stolen property.

Authorities said Gomez targeted homes for high-value items, often pawning off stolen jewelry for quick cash. She served nearly a decade behind bars and was released in February 2020, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Since her release, Gomez has gained attention for her candid social media presence on YouTube and TikTok under the name “Jen Jen Gomez,” where she details her life behind bars and her criminal past.

Gomez also recently opened up about her experiences on the podcast Florida’s Fourth Estate with News 6 anchors Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden, first saying that people need to stop making assumptions.

“These people would look at me in these neighborhoods, communicate with me, look me straight in the eyes, and never suspect anything because of the way that I look,” she said on the podcast. “Everybody that’s here to hurt you or cause you harm doesn’t look the way your mind thinks they look. There’s no stereotype.”

Gomez added: “I had a really good upbringing, actually. Everyone in my family’s very well-to-do, put together, walking the straight-and-narrow.

“My mom’s a neurologist. My dad’s a psychiatrist. I went to private schools. I’ve had a really good, nice life and was afforded a lot of good opportunities. And I kinda just pissed it all away.”

But the big question is, how did she pull it off?

Gomez said she carefully selected which homes to burglarize, focusing on affluent — but not ultra-wealthy — properties. Mansions with extensive surveillance systems were too risky.

“Rich people always want to advertise their security,” she explained. “ADT stickers, surveillance signs, picket signs in the front yard. They want you to know. But for me, that was a good thing because what you’re telling me is you have things to protect, and now I know there’s an alarm system, so I’m gonna work around it.”

Growing up in a well-off family gave her insight into how upper-class homeowners secure their properties — and what weaknesses to exploit.

Gomez also said that she preferred homes in cul-de-sacs or ones that backed up to quiet roads, allowing for a quick getaway. Dense landscaping and privacy fences offered additional cover.

“I would always try to find a home that was in a cul-de-sac so I wouldn’t get lost in there and/or a home that backed up to a street,” she said. “Not like a main street, but just maybe like a two-way street that was right outside the neighborhood because sometimes, I would have to jump the fence if I had to get out of there quickly.”

And a rainy day was the perfect time to strike, she explained, because people weren’t typically outside.

“In Florida, there’s a lot of rain and a lot of humidity, so that’s very common...” she said. “They’re not gardening. They’re not mowing their grass. There’s not landscapers. There’s not anyone jogging in the neighborhood. There’s not a mom pushing her baby.”

Gomez needed a disguise as part of the ruse to get herself inside the door, so she dressed in medical scrubs and posed as a worker from a dog “med spa.”

If no one answered the door, Gomez would knock on windows and call out names to make it seem like she was concerned for someone inside. If still undetected, she’d use a glass-cutting tool to quietly enter, usually through a master bedroom window.

“Your dog’s not gonna scare me,” she said. “If I know there’s a dog, I always brought some kind of food,” she explained. “I would bring steak, I would bring chicken, I’d have a sandwich in the car. If there’s a dog that does look a little scary, I’m giving it food, and I promise he’s fine.”

After the pets were secure, Gomez focused on three rooms: the master bedroom, an office, and sometimes a guest room. She’d look for cash, gold, or other valuables — and then waste no time getting out.

But Gomez’ life of crime came to an end in 2011 when she was arrested. On the podcast, she talked about how her crimes had been fueled by drug addiction and a toxic relationship with a Russian man who, she said, encouraged her criminal behavior.

She was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her crimes, but was released in 2020. She says she has since turned her life around and hopes her story can serve as a cautionary tale.

“I’m not proud of what I did,” she said. “But if talking about it helps someone else avoid going down the same road, then maybe something good can come out of it.”