Johannesburg - A criminal gang has been charged with criminal street gang conspiracy and first-degree residential burglary after breaking into Los Angeles home of singer, Rihanna.
According to Metro UK, the suspects also conducted deliberate burglaries into the homes of other Hollywood A-listers including LeBron James, Matt Damon and Christina Milian by using the stars’ tour schedules and social media accounts to calculate when their homes would be empty.
Associated Press reported that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) linked together a series of raids that deliberately targeted musicians, actors and athletes for more than a year.
Four arrests were made in October and a news conference was held where the police displayed recovered items including handbags, jewellery and cellphones.
The 10 members of the gang are also charged with an additional 31 charges including conspiracy and home-invasion robbery.
In September, Rihanna’s home was reportedly robbed and police discovered that the security alarm had been tripped off. It was also reported that four people were tied up and held at gunpoint as thieves ransacked the residence, fleeing with jewellery and cash, fortunately the Love On The Brain hitmaker was not at home at the time.
Rihanna is not the first celebrity whose house has been broken into, Drake and Kim Kardashian have also been victims of burglaries.
Last year a 24-year-old female fan reportedly broke into Drake’s California home and allegedly stole the God’s Plan hitmaker’s soda and water, the case against the burglar was later dismissed.
Kim Kardashian suffered a more traumatic burglary in a hotel in Paris, where the reality star was allegedly held up at gunpoint and tied up in the bathroom as the robbers stole $10 million (R137 million) worth of jewellery.
Sources: Metro UK, Associated Press, Radar Online , ET Online
