Nine of 10 alleged gang members who are each facing 33 felony charges for allegedly breaking into the homes of celebrities including Rihanna and Dodgers player Yasiel Puig have pleaded not guilty, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
The crime ring is accused of targeting homes and commercial properties across a wide swath of Los Angeles County, extending from Santa Monica to Pasadena, from October 2017 through October 2018, the DA’s office said in a news release announcing the charges. The ten defendants range from 18 to 25 years of age.
Three other suspects charged in the case remain at large, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In addition to Rihanna and Puig, the homes of NFL player Robert Woods, rapper Chief Keef, singer Matthieu Tota and film and television producer Daniel Fogelman were targeted, according to prosecutors.
People of Asian descent were targeted in particular, with the suspects using real estate apps and other online information to case the homes, L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Richard Ceballos told the Times.
Ten of the 13 defendants were identified in a news release from the DA’s office Wednesday, following
They include: Lance Williams; Hassan Deontre Murphy, 19; Devin Garner; Jshawne Lamon Daniels, 20; Damaji Corey Hall, 18; Tyress Williams, 19; Donnie Faizon, 21; Elan Lamberto Gabourel, 25; Joseph Holley, 22; and Ron Simmons, 20.
The charges include counts of criminal street gang conspiracy, first-degree residential robbery, first-degree residential burglary, first-degree burglary with a person present, home-invasion robbery, second-degree commercial burglary and elder or dependent adult abuse, infliction of injury.
Of those identified, all except Elan Lamberto Gabourel have entered a not guilty plea, the DA’s office said. An arraignment date has not been set for Gabourel, who is in custody outside of California and is being brought to L.A. County, a DA’s spokesman said.
Areas where properties were targeted include Temple City, Beverly Hills, Arcadia, Monterey Park, Walnut, Studio City, North Hollywood, Encino, Tarzana, Toluca Lake and Woodland Hills, according to prosecutors.
The case is still under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, along with assistance from police departments in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Arcadia and Torrance.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 11.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated that all named defendants had entered not guilty pleas; in fact, Gabourel has not yet been arraigned. The story has been updated.
