Intruder Breaks Into LA Mayor’s Home While She Was in It
An intruder broke into the home of LA Mayor Karen Bass in the early hours of Sunday. According to a statement from the mayor’s office, Bass was inside when the incident occurred.
The intrusion happened around 6:40 a.m. at the official residence of the Los Angeles Mayor. According to Zach Seidl, Deputy Mayor of Communications, the individual smashed a window to break into the house. It’s unclear how long they were inside.
“At some point, the individual made his way through the house, an alarm was activated by the residents in location, officers from our Olympic Station responded, and they managed to take the suspect into custody without incident,” said LAPD Lieutenant James Mylonakis.
Acknowledging their efforts, Seidl reported, “Mayor Bass and her family were not injured and are safe. The Mayor is grateful to LAPD for responding and arresting the suspect.”
By late Sunday, LAPD had identified the suspect as Ephraim Matthew Hunter, a 29-year-old resident of LA. He was booked for burglary, with jail records indicating that he’s being held on a $100,000 bail. It’s unclear whether he has representation from a lawyer.
The motive for the incident remains under investigation, by LA’s Robbery-Homicide Division.
“As an Angeleno, I’m very concerned, obviously,” Lt. Mylonakis remarked. “It’s just the mayor of the city and we’re concerned for any resident that has somebody just come into their home. So, we treat this very seriously.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time the LA mayor has been a target of a break-in.
In September 2022, Bass’ personal residence in Baldwin Vista was burglarized by two individuals during her run for public office opposite American businessman Rick Caruso. “Two firearms, despite being safely and securely stored, were stolen. Cash, electronics and other valuables were not,” the Congressperson said in a statement.
The suspects, who have since been identified as Patricio Munoz and Juan Espinoza, pleaded no contest during a court appearance in downtown L.A. in June 2023. Forty-two-year-old Munoz was sentenced to 2 years in prison while 24-year-old Espinoza, who was on parole at the time of the burglary, was sentenced to 32 months.
Earlier this month, Bass delivered her second State of the City Address. She announced during her speech, “Over the last year, we have done big things together. Thousands more unhoused Angelenos came inside and homicides and violent crime came down last year.”
Has there been any change, though?
The incident took place at a time when the county has been experiencing more crime under the rule of the “progressive” district attorney George Gascón. Many claim that Gascón’s blanket bans against certain severe punishments have kept gang members safe from advanced sentencing.
The DA defended his term by saying that he is “trying to dramatically change a system that has served no one, not the victims of crime, not those who are accused and not the public.”
Unfortunately, this doesn’t explain why the Cuban-born DA seems to be in the habit of reassigning his high-ranking staff to dead-end jobs should they speak out against him or criticize his policies.
