Criminal charges were expected to be filed Tuesday against a 29-year-old man suspected of breaking into Mayor Karen Bass’ official residence in the Windsor Square area early Sunday morning.
Ephraim Hunter, of Los Angeles, has remained jailed on suspicion of burglary since his arrest following the break-in. He is jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail, according to jail records.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón scheduled a late-afternoon news conference to announce charges in the case.
The break-in occurred around 6:40 a.m. Sunday at Getty House, 605 S. Irving Blvd. in the Windsor Square neighborhood. Bass and her family were home at the time, but they were not harmed.
Getty House is the official residence of the city’s mayor.
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.
LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi told reporters Tuesday that the break-in occurred during a shift change among security officers, so there were no security personnel present at the time. But he said given the size of the Getty House property, even having a security officer there may not have prevented the break-in, which occurred through a back entrance of the home.
He said, however, that the scheduling of security personnel at the property has been adjusted to remove any “gap” in coverage. He noted that the mayor’s standard LAPD security detail was scheduled to begin its duties at 7 a.m. Sunday, and they were heading to the home when the break-in occurred.
It remained unclear whether the intruder specifically targeted the mayor’s residence or if it was simply a random crime. Choi said there was nothing in Hunter’s background to suggest the crime was a “targeted or purposeful” effort to victimize the mayor.
A woman identifying herself as Hunter’s mother told the Los Angeles Times Monday that she spoke to her son from jail following his arrest, and said Hunter had no idea the house was the mayor’s residence.
“He didn’t know that at all,” Josephine Duah told the paper. “He just was running. … He thought somebody was chasing him and he hopped some fences and he went in the house. … I’m wondering if, mentally, he was relieved if he saw police.”
She told The Times her son had been struggling with drug addiction and possibly suffered from hallucinations. She said her son told her he was running because somebody was “trying to shoot him.”
Citing unnamed law enforcement sources, The Times reported that the burglar managed to reach the second floor of Getty House during the break-in, forcing Bass to hide in a “safe area” of the home, similar to a “panic room.”
In 2015, Hunter was charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and assault and battery for allegedly joining three other people in attacking a man in Massachusetts. According to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office, the assailants attacked the victim with a hammer and a snow brush. Police found the victim unconscious and he was taken to a Boston hospital and survived his injuries.
Hunter and three other suspects were found in a van with a hammer, a shoe believed to belong to the victim, the victim’s pants and some blood in the van’s door area, according to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.
According to court records, Hunter was convicted and spent seven years in prison.
Speaking to The Times, Duah insisted her son was innocent in that case, saying he was present at the time but did not take part in the assault.
Bass, speaking to reporters during a budget briefing Monday morning, thanked police for their quick response.
“I just want to thank the Los Angeles Police Department again for responding to the incident at the Getty House yesterday,” Bass said. “Investigations are ongoing, so I won’t have any further comment at this moment. But again, I want to thank the Los Angeles Police Department for their work.”