LAPD announces arrest in recent celebrity burglaries

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11/ CNS) - At least one suspect was behind bars Tuesday in connection with recent burglaries at the homes of Los Angeles celebrities, including one at the home of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods.

Details of the arrest were released at an afternoon news conference by Capt. Lillian Carranza, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division, and detectives from that unit.

Police did not provide any details of the arrest prior to the news conference, but the Los Angeles Times and TMZ identified the suspect as 19-year- old Tyress Williams, who was taken into custody Friday night near Woods' Woodland Hills home.

According to Los Angeles County jail records, Williams was booked shortly after midnight Saturday morning and he is being held in lieu of $700,000.

Woods' home was burglarized Thursday while he was playing against the Minnesota Vikings at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

According to The Times, detectives who detained Williams found items inside his vehicle that had been taken from Woods' home, along with items stolen during recent break-ins at the homes of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and singers Rihanna and Christina Milian.

In the Woods case, police said three burglars entered a home in the 23100 block of Mariano Street by breaking a glass door in the back of the home before taking unspecified property. In the Rihanna case, officers responded to a home in the 7800 block of Hillside Avenue about 9:30 p.m. last Tuesday, according to the LAPD.

An alarm was sounding and lights were flashing at the home, but no one was inside at the time, police said.

"During recent months, the Los Angeles Police Department has become aware of a series of residential burglaries targeting actors, producers, musicians and professional athletes living in the Los Angeles area,'' according to the LAPD's announcement of Tuesday's news conference. ``Initially, it was believed that the homes were being burglarized at random. Detectives learned, however, that this wasn't the case. The victims' homes had been selected based on social media posting, touring or travel schedules of the owners.''

In May, a Fullerton man was arrested after an assistant for Rihanna found him inside the singer's home at the same address. Police alleged Eduardo Leon, 26, broke into Rihanna's house and spent 12 hours inside.

Leon was charged with stalking, first-degree residential burglary and vandalism.

Celebrities including Alanis Morissette, Nicki Minaj, Emmy Rossum, Jaime Pressly, David Spade, Derek Fisher and Byron Scott have all been victimized by burglaries or attempted burglaries in the Hollywood or Beverly Hills area over the last couple of years.