Break-in Reported at Home of LA Mayor

(LibertyInsider.org) – A man is in police custody after an alleged break-in at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ official residence on April 21. Authorities say 29-year-old Ephraim Hunter approached Getty House at around 6:40 am and proceeded to smash out a window.

The mayor and her family were home at the time of the break-in. However, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrived on the scene only minutes later and managed to take Hunter into custody without further incident.

LA Mayor Karen Bass’ home broken into while it was occupied, suspect in custody https://t.co/Lo7DvQ3iBW pic.twitter.com/X81LTJN3Ij

— New York Post (@nypost) April 22, 2024

Later that day, Bass’s office confirmed in a statement that all was well. “Mayor Bass and her family were not injured…” it read. “The Mayor is grateful to LAPD for responding and arresting the suspect.”

Police withheld the suspect’s identity until the next day but eventually shared his name and booking number on X (formerly Twitter). According to data matching that registration info on the Inmate Information Center, he currently faces one charge of felony burglary under California Penal Code 459.

This is the second time for Bass to experience a home invasion in recent years. In September of 2022, 43-year-old Patricio Munoz and 25-year-old Juan Espinoza forced their way into her Baldwin Visa home and stole two .38-caliber revolvers. Both men served time in prison after pleading no contest to burglary and grand theft of a firearm.

The 2022 break-in and its after-effects became a talking point in Bass’s mayoral campaign that year. Incumbent Rick Caruso accused her of failing to store the firearms properly and demanded that she provide details to ensure she was following city laws.

Bass, for her part, vehemently denied these allegations from day one and expressed shock that someone would blame the victim of a crime for its outcome. At a mayoral debate on September 21, she fired back at Caruso and called his suggestion a desperate attempt at currying favor with voters.

Mayor Bass went on to win in spite of the clash but continues to face scrutiny over what some consider her soft stance on crime. The California leader has a long and noted history of supporting more progressive criminal justice reforms, including cashless bail and a reduction in the ability to try juveniles in adult courts.