Los Angeles police have formally linked a break-in at Brad Pitt’s home in the city in June to a string of other burglaries at properties belonging to celebrities.
Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell announced the arrest of four suspects, saying they were a a crew that were committing burglaries at the homes of “various high-profile residents” throughout the city, adding that “some of the burglaries included homes of actors and professional athletes”.
McDonnell did not name Pitt but said the case originated from a burglary investigation on 25 June of a resident in the 2300 block of North Edgemont Drive, which corresponds to the date and location of the robbery at the actor’s home.
McDonnell said: “Three masked suspects scaled a perimeter fence, approached the glass window and used [a] tool to shatter that window. They entered the residence, removed property, and then fled.”
After a surveillance operation, four suspects aged from 16-18 were arrested, and “numerous items taken” were recovered. McDonnell added that the suspects were “documented or affiliated with a criminal street gang”.
Pitt’s home, in the Los Feliz neighbourhood of Los Angeles, was reportedly ransacked while the actor was on a promotional tour for his most recent film, F1. Other well-known figures reporting burglaries in recent months include actors Nicole Kidman and Austin Butler, and the footballer Olivier Giroud, who played for Los Angeles FC last season.
McDonnell suggested that criminals were using increasingly sophisticated methods of targeting victims, including wifi jammers to knock out surveillance cameras, and monitoring celebrities’ movements on social media. He also said that gangs were fully aware that juveniles (under 18s) were treated differently by the US justice system.
