Justin Bieber high-fived friends after neighbor’s home egged, cops say
Surveillance video obtained by detectives investigating Justin Bieber allegedly shows him high-fiving friends moments after eggs were thrown at his ex-neighbor’s house in Calabasas, an investigator wrote in an affidavit.
Los Angeles County prosecutors are considering whether to charge the 20-year-old Canadian-born recording artist with felony vandalism after a neighbor reported the eggs caused several thousand dollars in permanent damage to his home.
Bieber, through his attorney, has denied any wrongdoing.
But shortly after the January incident, L.A. County sheriff’s investigators searched his home for evidence.
In an affidavit in support of a search warrant in the investigation of the singer’s Instagram account, sheriff’s Det. Ginni Alvarez said they observed on security camera footage a “male white who resembled and who I will refer to as Suspect Bieber run from the direction of Victim [Jeffrey] Schwartz’s residence and up the driveway at Suspect’s Bieber residence out of view.”
The affidavit was first obtained by KTTV and broadcast Thursday evening.
The detective wrote that several males who followed Bieber are seen hiding behind vehicles in the driveway. A short time later, the detective wrote, “Suspect Bieber is observed ‘high fiving.’ Suspect Bieber and other males appeared to be laughing and celebrating.”
The detective noted she was able to confirm the young man she describes as “Suspect Bieber” is the same person the victim’s family identified in the Jan. 9 egging incident.
Alvarez noted Bieber was wearing the same white sweatshirt with black images and dark-colored baseball hat on the video as on an Instagram photo of him that day.
The pop megastar has faced mounting legal issues after being arrested in Toronto on suspicion of assaulting a limousine driver; he also faces trial in July for allegedly driving under the influence in Miami Beach.
Bieber was released Thursday night at LAX after being detained there for five hours by U.S. Customs officials.
Twitter: @lacrimes| Google+
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
