The Los Angeles Police Department announced on Tuesday that four people have been arrested in connection to a string a burglaries targeting the homes of the rich and famous.
Three teenage boys, and the mother of one of the suspects, were taken into custody and charged with burglary for robbing the homes of Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig, Rams wide receiver Robert Woods, Rihanna and Christina Milian.
Police believe the crew may also be responsible for several other celebrity home burglaries, and said they found a list containing the names and addresses of more than a dozen athletes, musicians and actors the teens planned to burglarize.
Captain Lillian Carranza, with the Los Angeles Police Department Commercial Crimes Division, said during a press conference on Tuesday that the crew picked their victims by studying their touring and travel schedules and watching their social media postings.
The suspects were arrested after they burglarized the home of Rams wide receiver Robert Woods
Police said the crew also burglarized the homes of Rihanna (left) and Dodgers Yasiel Puig
The same crew is also responsible for burglarizing Christina Milian’s home earlier this month while she was out of town
‘The burglars believed no one would be home, and the homes would contain sought after valuables that they might be interested in,’ she said.
Carranza said the teens constantly changed their attire and appearance to prevent getting caught. She said they would wear button-down shirts and drive luxury cars through Los Angeles neighborhoods where celebrities lived.
She said the teens described their method of targeting homes as ‘flocking’.
‘They flock like birds to areas where the rich and famous resided,’ Carranza said.
When they found their potential target home, she said the teens would switch into a larger vehicle, change clothes and then carry out the burglary.
‘Once a potential target home was selected, a larger vehicle would be utilized to give the suspects the opportunity to change into more comfortable clothing and hoodies to avoid being recognized and cart away the stolen goods,’ Carranza said.
She said one teen would knock on the front door to make sure the house was empty as the other two teens broke in through a window or door. The suspects would make their way to the master bedroom where she said they would steal cash, watches, firearms, jewelry and anything else they could carry.
The teens are seen on surveillance video breaking into Yasiel Puig’s Encino home earlier this month
Police said the teens would head straight to the mater bedroom to find cash and other valuables to take. The suspects are pictured in Puig’s home
The burglaries would be done quickly, and the suspects would leave the homes within minutes before the alarm company could notify the homeowner.
Carranza said earlier this month, the teens ransacked and burglarized the Encino home of Yasiel Puig. Surveillance video caught two teens rummaging through the baseball star’s bedroom searching for valuables.
Police said they dragged a safe down the stairs causing $10,000 in damages. Puig was playing a game at Dodger Stadium when his home was burglarized. It was reportedly the fourth time his home had been broken into.
Days after the Puig robbery, police believe the crew robbed Woods’ Woodland Hills home while the athlete was away at a game at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
The suspects were caught after they were stopped in an unrelated traffic incident. Police arrested them after the found a firearm and what appeared to be stolen property in the vehicle.
Police said the teens are 18 and two 19 year olds. The 34-year-old mother of one of the suspects was also arrested
It was later determined that the property in the car belonged to Woods. A search warrant of their home uncovered more than $50,000 in cash, plus watches, jewelry and designer purses.
The LAPD said they believe the group also burglarized the homes of Rihanna last week and Christina Milian. They also found a list of other potential targets including Viola Davis, Matt Damon and LeBron James.
The teenage suspects are said to be 18 and two 19 year olds. They were all booked on burglary charges.
The 18-year-old’s 34-year-old mother was also arrested for grand theft in association with stolen property.
Police said this is an ongoing investigation, and more arrests are expected to be made.