One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Teens Crash Mansion, Throw Party, Make Off With Stuffed Snow Leopard
Armor (Photo by Matthew Benoit via Shutterstock)
Fifteen high school students have been arrested for throwing a party at the mansion of an out-of-town La Habra Heights millionaire, in a tale that sounds a little like the San Gabriel Valley equivalent of the Bling Ring (which is to say there were no tabloid celebrities involved).
The teens broke into the home around 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 23, and they didn't leave until the next morning, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
"They just had a free-for-all once the place was broken into. Once entry was made, it was like, 'Oh, this is fun,'" Lt. Arthur Scott told KTLA.
They made off with a suit of armor, a stuffed snow leopard worth $250,000, art and clothes, KTLA reported. Unlike the Bling Ring, they weren't all that subtle about leaving their mark: they vandalized the place, too. Between the thieving and vandalizing, they caused an estimated $1 million in damage.
The arrested suspects were high school students from Whittier and La Habra. Sheriff's officials say they'll have some of the confiscated items for show at a press conference shortly.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
