10 people are now facing felony charges related to a series of Los Angeles area burglaries, including a previously reported break-in at a residence owned by Rihanna.
The men have been hit with conspiracy, burglary, and home invasion robbery charges, per a report from the Associated Press. Additional planned targets, as noted on a list found by law enforcement officials last month, included Matt Damon and LeBron James. In addition to Rihanna's house, homes owned by Los Angeles Rams' Robert Woods and Los Angeles Dodgers' Yasiel Puig had also been the site of related break-ins the year.
"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," Lillian Carranza, captain of LAPD's commercial crimes division, told reporters last month when first announcing multiple arrests. "Initially, it was believed that these homes were being burglarized at random. However, detectives learned that this was not the case."
Deputy District Attorney Richard Ceballos toldNBC Los Angeles Tuesday that the 10 defendants are "reputed gang members," noting that the related burglaries spanned between October 2017 and October of this year. Before entering each residence, police said, one suspect "would typically knock or ring a doorbell" to double check the home wasn't occupied. Expensive purses, handbags, jewelry, and $50,000 in cash were among the items reported as seized at the time.
