LAPD makes arrests in celebrity burglaries
LOS ANGELES — Detectives are expected to share details Tuesday about the arrests they’ve made in connection with recent burglaries at the homes of Los Angeles celebrities.
Capt. Lillian Carranza, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Commercial Crimes Division, and detectives from that unit will detail the arrests at a news conference at 3 p.m. at LAPD headquarters, police said.
Just last week, a burglary was reported at the home of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods, whose Woodland Hills home was burglarized Thursday just as Woods finished playing against the Minnesota Vikings at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Also last week, a possible burglary was investigated at the home of nine-time Grammy-winning singer Rihanna.
In the Woods case, three burglars entered a home on the 23100 block of Mariano Street by breaking a glass door in the back of the home before taking unspecified property, while in the Rihanna case, officers responded to a home on the 7800 block of Hillside Avenue about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the LAPD.
An alarm was sounding and lights were flashing at the home, but no one was inside at the time, police said.
“During recent months, the Los Angeles Police Department has become aware of a series of residential burglaries targeting actors, producers, musicians and professional athletes living in the Los Angeles area,” according to the LAPD’s announcement of Tuesday’s news conference. “Initially, it was believed that the homes were being burglarized at random. Detectives learned, however, that this wasn’t the case. The victims’ homes had been selected based on social media posting, touring or travel schedules of the owners.”
In May, a Fullerton man was arrested after an assistant for Rihanna found him inside the singer’s home at the same address. Police alleged Eduardo Leon, 26, broke into Rihanna’s house and spent 12 hours inside.
Leon was charged with stalking, first-degree residential burglary and vandalism.
Celebrities including Alanis Morissette, Nicki Minaj, Emmy Rossum, Jaime Pressly, David Spade, Christina Milian, Yasiel Puig, Derek Fisher and Byron Scott have all been victimized by burglaries or attempted burglaries in the Hollywood or Beverly Hills area over the last couple of years.