“The case has resulted in immediate and ongoing changes to how we do business,” said Caltrain spokesperson Alex Eisenhart, indicating stricter controls are now in place to avoid such mismanagement in the future.
The Secret Apartment Saga: How it All Began
Sources say Navarro’s secret hideaway at Burlingame Station was cleverly hidden behind a door made to look like a utility closet. Navarro built the sweet little space from scratch, complete with state-of-the-art gadgets. Sounds like something ripped right from a spy movie, doesn’t it?
Not only do we have the apartment decked out with a kitchen and full bathroom, but Navarro didn’t stop there. He set up some serious surveillance inside, probably to ensure he wasn’t busted by fellow employees. The man practically created his very own “Caltrain Crib.”
Meanwhile, Worden was up to his own mischief at the Millbrae Station. Sources revealed he embezzled $8,000 to turn an office into a luxury suite, complete with high-end finishes and plush furnishings. It was undoubtedly a sight to behold, until the Caltrain staff came across the renovation unexpectedly.
Both Navarro and Worden’s unsanctioned construction projects are jaw-dropping, not just because of the audacity, but also because of the skill involved in keeping it all under wraps. It’s safe to say these guys might’ve had promising careers in renovation—if only they’d kept it legal.
Getting Caught: An Unhappy Ending
Unfortunately for our covert constructors, their creative run came to a halt when an anonymous tip led authorities to their operations. Worden was the first to go down in 2020, while Navarro lived out two more years secretly in his private, public-funded pad before getting the knock on his secret utility-closet-cum-front-door in 2022.
Today, there’s no more nesting in the station for Navarro and Worden. The duo have been sentenced to jail time and ordered to repay the stolen funds. As the saying goes, “If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned”—or in this case, if you build luxury apartments with stolen funds, be prepared to trade them for jail cells.
Navarro and Worden might just be the Al Capone and John Dillinger of the Caltrain—it certainly wasn’t tax evasion or bank robbing, but you’ve got to admit, building secret luxury accommodations with taxpayer money? That’s one for the books.
Remain tuned in for more groundbreaking celebrity and entertainment news. After all, in a world where public officials build secret apartments in train stations, anything can happen—and we’ll be right here to tell you all about it.
