Woman Busted for Pilfering from Fire-Damaged Home

A Greenwich woman has been arrested on a variety of burglary, larceny and forgery charges involving the theft of appliances and home furnishings from a fire-damaged house on Byram Shore Road.

Police said the suspect duped four friends - including a juvenile - to help pilfer the items from the home. "She duped them into helping her. She told them she was the former housecleaner," according to Greenwich Police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray. The quartet was not charged in connection with the 8 PM incident Oct. 15.

A neighbor who had been watching the house since, called police to report suspicious truck at the home in the 200 block of Byram Shore Road. Police said they found a washer and dryer in pickup truck. According to a police report, the woman apparently went to the home twice on Oct. 15 to steal the items. Police say that about 6 PM, the woman stole a variety of wicker furniture, tables and other home furnishings. The total value of the items - which were recovered - was more than $5,300, police said.

The woman initially was arrested on burglary and larceny charges and held in lieu of $10,000. But a short time later, police discovered the woman used an alias and signed documents using the false identity.

The woman, identified as Laura Laguerra, 52, of 172 Byram Shore Rd., She was charged with one count each of 1st-degree burglary at night, 3rd-degree burglary and interfering with an officer; 2 counts of 3rd-degree larceny and 5 counts of 2nd-degree forgery. She was held in lieu of $50,000 bond and scheduled to appear Oct. 24 in state Superior Court in Stamford.