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A group of three teenagers and one of their 34-year-old moms, two of which may have been involved in more than 2 dozen high-profile burglaries, were recently arrested by LAPD in connection with burglaries at the Los Angeles homes of athletes Yasiel Puig and Robert Woods, singer Rihanna and actress Christina Milian.
According to Mercury News, the arrest led to the recovery of stolen luxury items and a list of at least 10 other celebrities the group planned to target, including LeBron James, Matt Damon, and Viola Davis.
When the police stopped the three teens in an alleged stolen vehicle in South Los Angeles on Friday, they found a handgun, expensive designer handbags, lavish watches, jewelry and thousands of dollars in cash. This could very well have been just the tip of the iceberg, as the group is thought to be involved in a slew of prior burglaries in San Fernando Valley and Hollywood Hills.
Said Capt. Lillian Carranza of the Los Angeles Police Department’s commercial crimes division:
“I could not even begin to estimate at this point” how much the crew was believed to have stolen. “But it’s in the millions.”
“Detectives learned that these homes were being selected based on social media postings and the touring or travel schedules of the owners,” Carranza said.
LeBron James has reportedly acted accordingly to protect his wife and three kids. According sources associated with TMZ, LeBron has at least 10 armed security personnel at the home — including off-duty police officers. The NBA’s security team is also allegedly involved in the security plans.
On September 18th, surveillance footage in Yasiel Puig’s Encino, California home captured the three suspects attempting to steal a safe after kicking down the front door while Puig was at Dodger Stadium in a game against the Colorado Rockies. The burglars reportedly caused $10,000 in damage.
It is probable, but not certain, these are the same group of hoodlums that were responsible for three previous robberies at Puig’s other residence in Sherman Oaks, where $170,000 worth of jewelry was stolen. Puig was playing in Game 7 of the World Series.
Imagine losing Game 7 of the World Series and coming home to find your shit has been stole. Yikes.
[h/t Mercury News]