2 arrested in burglary at Rep. Karen Bass’ L.A. home, LAPD says

Two people are in custody in connection with the burglary of Rep. Karen Bass’ Baldwin Vista home, an LAPD spokesperson said Wednesday.

Two handguns belonging to Bass were stolen Friday night, the Los Angeles mayoral candidate said in a statement. Cash, electronics and other valuables at her house weren’t taken, Bass said.

Bass told KTTV Channel 11 on Wednesday that she came home to find her house in disarray. KTTV was the first to report that two suspects were in custody.

Bass said she had the guns for protection. She said they were registered and stored in a lockbox that was “stashed” in a closet. The Times previously reported that the container was a Brink’s lockbox.

At a debate earlier this year, Bass was asked to rate — on a scale of 1 to 10 — how safe she feels walking around her neighborhood.

“I do feel safe. I would say a 10,” Bass said. “I feel safe, but I do understand that a lot of people around the city do not feel safe, and I respect that.”

Bass told KTTV on Wednesday that she “did feel safe, until my safety was shattered.”

Bass said that she met with Los Angeles Police Department detectives Wednesday and they told her “a couple” of people had been arrested in connection with the burglary.

“That’s basically all I know at this point,” she said. When asked by Michaelson if she thought she had been targeted, Bass pivoted to talking about how “Angelenos all around the city are not feeling safe.”

She later echoed what has long been her view on policing — that the size of the LAPD should grow and that more officers should move out from behind desks and into neighborhoods where residents want them.

LAPD beefed up its presence in the neighborhood after the burglary. A police cruiser was seen parked outside Bass’ home Sunday.

The Baldwin Vista neighborhood has numerous signs informing visitors that the area has 24-hour surveillance.

Rick Caruso, Bass’ rival in the L.A. mayoral race, expressed sympathy for Bass at a campaign event Tuesday.

“It’s unfortunate when anybody’s house is broken into,” Caruso said. “It’s such a violation, and you feel shaken by that.”

Caruso added that crime is “happening way too much in the city of Los Angeles, and we need to fix that. We need to prevent crime and reduce crime in the city. So I’m sorry it happened to her.”

The developer said that he personally doesn’t have a handgun, adding that he wasn’t making a statement on guns. “But I would never want them around my home,” he said.

LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz said she had no additional details about the suspects in custody.

A U.S. Capitol Police spokesperson declined to comment when asked if the agency is investigating the burglary. The spokesperson said the agency, which is charged with protecting members of Congress, doesn’t discuss potential security measures or investigations.

Times staff writers Libor Jany and Ben Oreskes contributed to this report.