Four teenagers were arrested over a burglary that left actor Brad Pitt’s home ransacked, police said.
The suspects are allegedly behind a number of “celebrity burglaries” that targeted the houses of actors and professional athletes, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said.
He said the male suspects, two 18-year-olds, a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old, are street gang members, and property stolen in the burglaries was found when police searched their homes.
Police did not name those whose properties were targeted, but celebrities including Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, LA Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and ex-LA Football Club striker Olivier Giroud have reported break-ins this year.
The investigation started in late June after Pitt’s home was raided by a trio of masked thieves.
McDonnell said the group hopped a perimeter fence surrounding the Los Feliz home and shattered a window, hopping inside and taking items before fleeing.
Police did not confirm the home belonged to the Oscar-winning actor, but the address matched that of a property Pitt bought in 2023.
The large three-bedroom house sits just outside Griffith Park, where the famous Hollywood Sign sits. It is surrounded by a fence and greenery that shields the property from public view.
Pitt was not home at the time of the burglary and was promoting his new film, F1. The BBC has contacted representatives for the actor.
McDonnell said investigators found the suspects were part of a crew that “were burglarizing various high-profile residents throughout the city”, which he said included homes of “actors and professional athletes”.
Last week, authorities followed the four suspects and were able to arrest them on burglary charges, he added.
Police did not elaborate on what items were recovered after police searched their homes.
McDonnell said burglars like this group had become increasingly smart in their crimes – planting surveillance cameras in nearby flowerbeds or across the street from homes they target to monitor a victim’s routine.
He said thieves had also been using wi-fi jammers to knock out home surveillance systems and cameras that could alert homeowners or police of a break-in.
He noted that celebrities and athletes can be easier targets since their appearances and games are publicised online.
He noted, though, that anyone posting on social media about their travels can unknowingly be alerting a potential thief to their location.
“We don’t really give enough thought to… [while] we want our friends to know where we are and what we’re doing, you’re telling everybody else then who may be looking to exploit your situation,” McDonnell said.
By BBC News
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