A man tried to steal “John Wick 3” star Halle Berry’s Los Angeles home by fabricating a deed and trying to get the locks changed, according to reports.
On Tuesday, June 18, police responded to a call about a man trying to enter a home. When they arrived on the scene, employees who knew the actual owner were waiting, police told the Los Angles Daily News.
He allegedly tried to ‘steal’ Beverly Hills home, but household staff wasn’t buying it https://t.co/KxCTIOPhJi pic.twitter.com/m5yohItNPf
— L.A. Daily News (@ladailynews) June 21, 2019
“They reported that … Griffin was trying to gain entry by compromising the locks of the residence,” according to a police statement obtained by the publication. “Suspect Griffin claimed to be the new owner of the residence. The employees immediately notified the police of the suspect’s unauthorized access to the property.”
Detectives soon determined that Griffin had created false documents and was not the real property owner.
Berry told detectives she did not know who Griffin was and had not given him permission to enter her property, according to TMZ.
Halle Berry Victimized by Man Trying to Steal Her Home https://t.co/hv2Kp5tn3K
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 22, 2019
“Griffin had changed the title of the residence without the victim’s knowledge and attempted to forcibly gain entry …” according to a police statement.
After the case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Griffin was charged and arrested for “filling a false document and petty theft” according to Daily News.
The LAPD Commercial Crime Division wrote on Twitter: “Early this morning, your CCD Due Diligence Team arrested 59 year old Ronald Eugene Griffin, a Los Angeles resident for a felony warrant (real estate fraud).”
Early this morning, your CCD Due Diligence Team arrested 59 year old Ronald Eugene Griffin, a Los Angeles resident for a felony warrant (real estate fraud). #realestate #LAPD #itswhatwedo pic.twitter.com/euaqXENWyk
— Lillian L. Carranza???????? (@LAPDCARRANZA) June 20, 2019
According to TMZ, Griffin did not realize that the property was Berry’s. His bond was set at $36,000.
This is reportedly not Griffin’s first trespass onto Berry’s property, according to TMZ.
He was first spotted on her property in January, when he allegedly fiddled with the locks but was scared away when Berry’s gardener approached.
Then again in March, Griffin showed up to Berry’s property. This time, he brought along a locksmith and got as far as having one lock changed, when Berry’s employees showed up. Griffin then contacted the police, pretending to be the actual owner, according to TMZ.
Halle Berry’s Rise to Stardom
Berry’s career began in 1985 when she won the Miss Teen All-American Pageant, according to IMDb. Her success as a beauty pageant contestant led to her first acting gig in the 1989 TV series, “Living Dolls.” There, she became known for “her on-set tenacity, preferring to ‘live’ her roles and remaining in character even when the cameras stopped rolling,” according to IMDb. Her hard work paid off when she got her big screen breakthrough in 1991 with a role in “Jungle Fever.”
In 2000, Berry won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV movie/mini-series for her role as Dorothy Dandridge in “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” (1999).
After starring in such films as “Boomerang” (1992), “The Flintstones” (1994) and “X-Men” (2000), she then made history as the first African-American to win Best Actress for her role in “Monster’s Ball” (2001) at the Academy Awards in 2002.