Robert De Niro's Home Gets Broken Into; Would-be Burglar Arrested

A 30-year-old woman recently broke into the Manhattan home of legendary "The Godfather Part 2" actor and multi-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro. Law enforcement sources stated that the incident happened early on Monday and that the would-be burglar has already been arrested.

According to CNN, the burglar was identified as Shanice Aviles, who was arrested on Monday after De Niro's house was broken into. She was already arrested twice this month over various burglary charges all over New York.

Robert De Niro Inside Home When Burglar Broke In

Police found Aviles "attempting to remove property" in the living room of a townhouse on East 65th Street in Manhattan. As they arrested her, police found whose home the burglar broke into as the legendary actor came down to the living room as the woman was being arrested.

The Associated Press reported that De Niro was upstairs while Avila was trying to steal Christmas presents from right under his nose. However, a representative for the actor said that De Niro would not be making any statements regarding the incident.

De Niro was reportedly asleep when Aviles broke into his home. His daughter was also inside when the incident happened, though none of them knew what was really going on downstairs, according to sources familiar with the matter.

As for the home that the woman broke into, the representative stated that this was just a temporary home that the acting legend was renting. The basement door had signs of forced entry, and police believe that this was where the burglar entered the home.

According to The New York Post, when officers found her, she was already in the De Niro living room and fumbling with his iPad. One officer stated that she was attempting to steal presents from the legendary actor's Christmas tree.

Would-be Robert De Niro Home Burglar Has History of Break-ins

Aviles, who already has a lengthy rap sheet, was charged with burglary after her arrest. Police were reportedly following her as she is already known to the NYPD as a frequent burglar. Officers from the 19th Precinct saw her on Manhattan's Upper East Side suspiciously trying different doors before finally getting inside the De Niro home.

Law enforcement told CNN that she is "the poster child" for bail reform problems that the state of New York is facing, as the state implemented new bail reform laws in 2020 that made burglary a non-bailable offense.

However, the law was tweaked, and it allowed judges to set bail if cases involved a person who was arrested again. Police have pointed out that judges do not seem to be applying that exception, as suspects are often back on the streets after posting bail.

The burglar had 27 arrests so far, as well as two active bench warrants for failure to appear in court.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Robert De Niro's Home Burglarized While He Was Inside - Inside Edition