Paul Pierce’s Home Robbed Amid Rise Of ‘Burglary Tourist,’Over $100K In Cash And A Safe Stolen
Former NBA star Paul Pierce has recently become a victim in a string of home burglaries in Los Angeles.
On Friday, his California home was robbed and assailants scored big, managing to steal multiple luxury watches and over $100K in cold hard cash, per TMZ.
The Boston Celtics Hall-of-Famer wasn't home at the time of the robbery. Authorities have been closely investigating footage of the incident searching for any clues that may help to bring the criminals to justice.
In addition to grabbing expensive jewelry and a stack of cash, the robbers also managed to swipe an entire safe. Sources told the media outlet that a "mind-boggling amount of personal treasure was stolen."
The LAPD has reportedly noticed an uptick in celebrity home invasions. It's become such an issue that the force formed a new arm of the department specifically to combat a growing faction of offenders they're calling "burglary tourist."
Wealthy Californians are falling victim to an increase in stolen luxury goods at the hands of South American gangs who fly into the state for the sole purpose of breaking into mansions.
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Allegedly, thieves from Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Colombia are responsible for upwards of 94 burglaries in just one section of the city in 2023, per the Los Angeles Times.
Thanks to security camera footage, police were able to track down a crew of Chileans riding in a 2024 Hyundai Tuscan following a series of robberies located across East Hollywood.
Although these criminals don't typically carry guns due to the risk of gun charges, they tend to carry equipment called "jamming" devices, which allows them to disarm home security systems using wifi, LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the L.A media outlet.
