From CityNews.ca Staff

A woman is accused of using her own children to help in her quest to steal items from people's homes. And she's alleged to have done it right out in the open. Peel Police say the woman would go to open houses while the owners were away and only the real estate agent was inside.

When the realtor was distracted and with her kids as cover, they allege she would rifle through the possessions of the people who lived there, taking anything of value that could be easily be secreted, before finishing her tour of the home and walking out undetected.

In some cases, the owners only found out their items were missing when they returned. Others are still unaware of the thefts.

Cops contend her spree started on April 26th and continued until she was arrested on May 21st. All the houses said to be involved were in Brampton but cops admit it's possible the suspect could have travelled to other areas of the city. And they're still not sure how many homes may have been hit.

They're asking anyone who had an open house during that time period to look around and see if anything is missing. Investigators have recovered a quantity of property they believe is stolen, but have yet to match all of it up with its owners.

The woman has been charged with sevencounts of theft, as well as possession of stolen property obtained by crime. She can't be identified to protect the names of her kids, but she's due in court to face the charges.

Cops are reminding vendors to secure any valuables, like jewellery, iPods, electronics, cash or anything that could be easily taken by a stranger, before they open up their house to the public.

If you think you've been a victim, call (905) 453-2121, ext. 2233 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).