After walking away from their royal responsibilities in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle settled in the A-list hotspot of Montecito. The town in California is among the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the US, homing stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Orlando Bloom.
However, Montecito is not without its share of crime, with one local news website reporting a dogging incident at the start of May. According to the Montecito Journal, a local police officer spotted a suspect on probation “engaged in sexual intercourse inside a parked vehicle” at around 11pm on Friday, May 2. Police also searched the suspect’s wallet and found cocaine.
The incident reportedly took place on Channel Drive, located less than three miles away from the Sussexes’ secluded mansion on Rockbridge Road.
In a previous interview with The Cut, Meghan said the couple did “everything we could to get this house”. She added: “Because you walk in and go… Joy. And exhale. And calm. It’s healing. You feel free.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent $14.65m (£10.9m) on the property. However, it is now estimated to be worth around double of this value.
As well as the recent dogging incident, the Montecito Journal has reported other crimes in the area over the last month. At around 7pm on Tuesday, April 29, two people were attacked on the street.
The suspect reportedly stopped his car in the middle of the road before yelling at the victims about trespassing. He then got out of his vehicle and grabbed one of the victims by the collar.
After the other victim tried to intervene, the suspect grabbed him by the collar and kicked him. The suspect fled the scene and an investigation was launched by the local police force.
Meanwhile, a home burglary was reported on Olive Mill Road on Friday, May 2. This road is located less than two miles, or a five minute drive, from the Sussexes residence.
The report states a Glock pistol and “high-end chairs” were stolen from a locked storage container in the back garden. No one has yet been arrested for the burglary.
It was previously reported by the Express, that the Montecito neighbourhood had been rocked by a spate of other crimes. A vehicle was broken into while a resident also reported a suspicious-looking person “knocking on windows and looking into properties”.
Special Crime Division Detective Anthony Nunez said gangs, mainly from Chile and Venezuela, were carrying out burglaries in the area. They generally consisted of three or four men and women working together.
He explained: “They conduct surveillance prior to the robbery to figure out your pattern of being at home and being away. [Then] they place cameras on the properties they are targeting.
“They are highly skilled and are in and out in three minutes, targeting primary bedrooms’ safe boxes and jewellery. They use signal jammers to stop your alarms, cell phones and home video surveillance [and] sell the stolen items back in their country of origin.”
