Under the Tree at De Niro's, Police Say, Was a Thief

Officers report catching burglar bagging up the gifts
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 19, 2022 6:45 PM CST
Police Say They Caught Thief Under De Niro's Tree
Robert De Niro attends an event in New York City in June.   (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)

New York City police said they caught a burglar stealing the gifts under Robert De Niro's Christmas tree on Monday. The actor was home at the time but not on the same floor as the thief, CNN reports, and they didn't interact. Police said officers spotted Shanice Aviles in an area on the Upper East Side where she'd been arrested before and followed her. They saw her try several doors, police said, then turn a corner; when officers went around the corner, they saw a door to a townhouse open and walked in.

Officers reported finding Aviles bagging up packages that were under the tree, including an iPad, per WABC, and arrested her around 2:45am. De Niro is staying temporarily in the rental home, per the New York Times. "I'm good, thank you," he told reporters when he left the townhouse later Monday. In the afternoon, workers installed deadbolts on the front door. (More Robert De Niro stories.)

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