As if 2024 wasn’t already a mess (except for Beyoncé Bowl), just days before we flip the calendar to the New Year, the string of high-profile burglaries targeting professional athletes’ homes finally hit Texas. On Dec. 27, Dallas Mavericks’ beloved guard Luka Dončić’s home was reportedly broken into and on Monday, the F.B.I. issued a formal warning about pro-athlete home burglaries.
At least nine professional athlete’s homes have been hit, “targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods,” said an FBI Liaison Information Report obtained by ABC News on Monday.
Dallas Police say officers were called to Dončić’s North Dallas home at around 10:30 p.m. on Friday night. “No one was home at the time, and thankfully, Luka and his family are safe,” Lara Beth Seager, Dončić’s business manager, told ESPN. Someone broke into Dončić’s master bathroom window while private security was watching his home sometime between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, Yahoo News reported. They took about $30,000 of property, per the news outlet.
Dončić’s is not the first athlete to have been targeted this year. In fact, the F.B.I. is investigating at least half a dozen other burglaries. Athletes were warned by their leagues that a burglary ring had been confirmed by F.B.I. agents and they should up security at their homes. Agents believe “South American Theft Groups” could be responsible, The New York Times reported.
Some of the burglaries were “well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices,” Associated Press reported. The story was, for many, reminiscent of the 2008-era “bling ring,” in which a group of teen thieves stole more than $3 million from the homes of Hollywood celebrities like Paris Hilton and Orlando Bloom, spawning a documentary, a film starring Emma Watson, and endless memes.
The NBA and NFL had already put out security alerts for their athletes and have asked them to avoid social media check-ins or posting daily activities until the end of the day. They also warned against posting expensive items on social media.
In September, NBA Timberwolves guard Mike Conley’s home was broken into while he was at an NFL Minnesota Vikings game. In October, NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce had their homes broken into with thousands of dollars in property stolen. Then in November, NBA Milwaukee Bucks player Bobby Portis’ home was broken into by at least two people while he was at work for a scheduled NBA game.
In early December, a Dallas Stars hockey player’s home was broken into, but details were limited. And, just days before Dončić’s home was targeted, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s fiancée Sarah Ramos (a new mom) had $40,000 worth of items taken from her car while she was at pilates, including handbags and wallets from Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, per WFAA. Police have been tightlipped about both recent incidents, and it was not immediately clear on Monday whether they were related to the string of national thefts.
