Ephraim Hunter’s Heroin Addiction and Mayor Bass’ Burglary Raise Concern Over Crime Spike in LA

The suspect arrested for breaking into Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ home was addicted to heroin, according to his father. Ephraim Matthew Hunter, 29, has been charged with burglary with people present and vandalism following the incident at Getty House on Sunday morning while night security guards were changing shifts with those for mornings. Hunter previously served time in prison after being convicted of a violent attack involving a hammer in Norfolk, Massachusetts, in 2015. After his release from jail, he moved to Los Angeles and initially lived with his brother before turning to drugs again. The elder Hunter stated that Ephraim’s brother asked him not to use drugs at the house leading to Ephraim ending up homeless.
The police were called around 6:40 am on Sunday when an intruder hopped over a fence surrounding Bass’ home and broke in through the back door during security guard shift changes, causing officials to suspect that he deliberately targeted the mayor. Prosecutors also believe Ephraim Hunter was specifically targeting Mayor Karen Bass as she resided at Getty House with her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild when the break-in occurred. This is not the first time a home belonging to Karen Bass has been broken into – two burglars broke into her previous house during last year’s campaign, taking firearms locked away in an unsafe while leaving laptops, cash, and other valuables behind untouched.
Kevin Dalton expressed his concerns about rising crime rates in Los Angeles, stating that the recent break-in at Bass’ home is a clear indication of how out of control criminal activity has become. He further argued that criminals are becoming increasingly brazen as they commit crimes even in some of LA’s most affluent neighborhoods without any fear or hesitation whatsoever. Dalton also criticized the city for failing to provide assistance where it is needed, despite spending millions on housing programs aimed at accommodating approximately 40,000 people experiencing homelessness last week; this came after a federal judge requested an audit from outside contractors to investigate Los Angeles’ attempts against addressing this social problem. Despite acknowledging Mayor Bass’s initiatives and having relocated more than 21,000 people who are without housing into temporary shelters as part of the Inside Safe program according to The Associated Press reports; Dalton stated that it was time for Karen Bass “to succeed” but urged her administration to do more in order to prevent random acts of violence against innocent residents. In another brutal and seemingly unprovoked attack on two women at Venice Canals neighborhood last week, both victims were left hospitalized with severe injuries raising fears over the spate of violent crimes committed by criminals without warning or justification whatsoever.