Police stepped up patrols around Mayor Karen Bass’ home on Monday after a man was taken into custody for allegedly smashing a glass door and breaking into the residence.
According to the mayor’s office, the break-in occurred Sunday at the mayor’s official residence, Getty House, 605 S. Irving Blvd. in the Windsor Square neighborhood. Bass and her family were safe and unharmed.
The LAPD confirmed that the suspect broke a glass door while Bass and her family were inside, triggering an alarm that alerted police. Officers responded immediately and located and arrested a man at the scene without incident.
The Los Angeles Times, citing court records, reported that the suspect — whom they identified as Ephraim Hunter — was previously charged with kidnapping and attempted murder in Massachusetts.
Hunter, 29, of Los Angeles, was booked on suspicion of burglary Sunday afternoon, and was being held on $100,000 bail, according to The Times and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department jail records.
The case has yet to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and the matter is being investigated by the LAPD’s elite Robbery-Homicide Division, The Times reported.
The Times also reported that Hunter “made it to the second floor of the home, causing Bass to hide in a safe area designed to protect against intruders, akin to a panic room.”
It was unclear if Bass was targeted or if the break-in was simply a random crime. A possible motive was not yet clear. It was not disclosed whether any weapons were recovered.