Burglars made off with a safe containing more than US$1mil (RM4.6mil) in cash and jewels from the home of Tina Knowles-Lawson, the mother of singers Beyonce and Solange Knowles, a law enforcement source confirmed to The LA Times on Monday (July 10).
The theft at the Hollywood Hills home was discovered last week by a worker, according to the law enforcement source. The 69-year-old entrepreneur was out of town when the burglary occurred.
Exactly how and when the thieves entered the home isn't clear, but they were able to remove the safe and its contents, according to Los Angeles police. Burglary crews targeting celebrity homes have been known to slide entire safes out through patio doors and even push them off balconies.
Investigators are examining security camera footage from the home and neighboring properties. In April, a man was arrested after damaging Knowles-Lawson's mailbox.
A law enforcement source who was not authorised to discuss the investigation said the theft was likely not random and the burglars presumably had information from someone who knew of the high-value items on the premises and the existence of the safe.
Celebrity homes have long been targets for burglars looking for lucrative scores.
In 2018, LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division nabbed a crew that had been scouring celebs' social media posts, noting when they'd be away from home.
They targeted the likes of former DodgerYasiel Puig, singer Rihanna, This Is Us producer Daniel Fogelman and former Ram Robert Woods.
Authorities say the ring had plans to hit the homes of Laker LeBron James and actor Matt Damon, but LAPD detectives apprehended some of them before they could. Eventually, 13 men police say had ties to a South LA gang were charged with the series of sophisticated burglaries. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
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