Bass break-in suspect struck during security shift change, was allegedly targeting mayor

Break-in suspect was targeting Mayor Bass: DA

Ephraim Hunter has been charged with breaking into Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' home. District Attorney George Gascón said he believes Hunter was targeting the mayor.

LOS ANGELES - More details are emerging about the weekend break-in at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' Windsor Square home, including that the suspect got into the house amid a "gap" in security, and that he was allegedly targeting the mayor.

It all happened early Sunday morning, around 6:45 a.m. Police say a man, identified as 29-year-old Ephraim Matthew Hunter, broke into Getty House, the official mayoral residence, through a glass door. That triggered an alarm, and police rushed to the scene. Hunter was taken into custody and treated for minor injuries.

When the break-in happened, one of the biggest questions was how could someone have slipped into a home with such a large exterior wall and a robust security presence? At a press conference Tuesday, interim LAPD Chief Dominic Choi shed some light on that. According to Choi, Hunter's timing was just right. He'd jumped the fence during a shift change, a time between when the overnight security team had left the residence, and before the daytime team got to the home.

DA: Karen Bass targeted in LA break-in

LA County DA George Gascón believes Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was targeted in the home break-in incident from over the weekend.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: LA Mayor Karen Bass home during break-in; suspect in custody

Choi said Hunter "jumped over the fence quickly, and was able to break in through the back of the house. And to my understanding, this happened so quickly that even if somebody had been there, he probably still would have been able to access the inside of the residence." Choi added that that particular gap in shifts has since been fixed.

Mayor Bass was home at the time of the break-in, as well as her daughter, son-in-law and grandchild. Many wondered whether she was intentionally targeted. Shortly after announcing charges against Hunter Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said officials believed Hunter was in fact targeting Bass, but wouldn't offer further details.

Suspect breaks into Mayor Bass' home

A man was arrested after authorities said he broke into Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' home.

"We believe that he was targeting the mayor, but this is an ongoing investigation," Gascón said, adding that "there were actions while he was inside the property that are consistent with the fact that he knew this was the Mayor's home, and that he was looking for her."

On Monday, Bass said that she and her family were "fine," and said she wouldn't be commenting further on the incident.

Hunter has been charged with two felony charges of residential burglary with someone present and vandalism. He's being held on $100,000 bail. If convicted on the charges, he faces more than 13 years in prison.