LA Mayor Karen Bass’ Home Intruder Faces More Than 13 Years In Prison

On Sunday morning, an intruder broke into the home of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. 

The intruder, whom the LAPD has since identified as Ephraim Matthew Hunter, was formally charged with burglary and vandalism on Tuesday. Documents obtained by The Blast show that Hunter could potentially face at least 13 years behind bars upon conviction.

According to the documents, Hunter is facing one felony count of first-degree residential burglary with a person present. 

He is also facing one felony count of vandalism causing $400 or more in damage or destruction of property.

Hunter entered a plea of not guilty when he appeared at his arraignment on Tuesday, April 23, in Department 30 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. 

The 29-year-old's preliminary hearing is set for May 6, 2024, in the same department and courthouse. He is currently detained on $100k bail. If convicted, he could face a sentence of 13 years and four months in prison.

Recall that the home invasion allegedly occurred on April 21, 2024, at 6:40 a.m., with Hunter getting accused of unlawfully entering the official Getty House residence of Mayor Bass. 

He purportedly gained entry by breaking a rear glass door, resulting in damage estimated between $5k and $10k.

The suspected intruder sustained injuries from the broken glass and left blood stains throughout the residence. It was reported that Mayor Bass, along with her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild, were present at the time of the incident.

While the case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division, LA County District Attorney George Gascón addressed the situation.

After expressing his profound relief that the Mayor and her family "emerged unharmed in this recent home break-in," he claimed that his office would not tolerate the "violent intrusion." He added:

"We're fully committed to ensuring that the perpetrator is swiftly brought to justice and held accountable for his actions."

This marks the second instance of a home break-in for Bass following the September 2022 attack during her tenure in the US House of Representatives and mayoral campaign.

At the time, two men were accused of breaking into her residence in Baldwin Vista and stealing two handguns. 

Despite the previous burglary, Mayor Bass emerged victorious in the mayoral race, defeating billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso two months later.

Notably, the second intrusion coincided with the anticipation of a sentence in the case of David DePape, who attacked Paul Pelosi, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, in October 2022. 

Per The Guardian, DePape was convicted of breaking into the couple's San Francisco home and assaulting Pelosi with a hammer, resulting in a skull fracture. DePape's motive was linked to a false pro-Trump conspiracy theory.

Before the whole home invasion drama, The NY Post reported that Bass had been busy appealing to the wealthy Los Angeles community.  

During her State of the City address on Monday, April 15, the 70-year-old appealed to "the most fortunate" individuals to contribute to funding housing for the homeless.

The politician highlighted the achievements of her signature "Inside Safe" program during her address, noting that it had successfully relocated over 21,000 homeless individuals into temporary shelters. 

She emphasized her belief that her "strategy" and "system" of transitioning people experiencing homelessness into temporary housing would ultimately bring an end to the homelessness crisis in LA.

Recognizing the significant financial investment required for this initiative, Bass appealed: 

"Right now, we're working to move past nightly rentals. We are asking the most fortunate Angelenos to participate in this effort, with personal, private sector, and philanthropic funds – to help us acquire more properties, lower the cost of capital, and speed up housing."

Continuing her speech, the Democrat stressed that the success of the new program would rely on the "humanity and generosity of the private sector." 

She then described "LA4LA" as potentially bringing about a significant transformation for LA, noting it as an unprecedented partnership aimed at addressing the homelessness emergency. 

As far as Bass is concerned, the program is an opportunity to disrupt the existing "status quo" and establish a new system focused on saving lives.

Amid her efforts, the mayor acknowledged the possibility of a continued increase in the number of homeless individuals. 

Factors contributing to this include evictions and the termination of COVID-19 aid for low-income households.