ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — A burglary occurred at the home of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during Monday Night Football, marking yet another theft involving a professional athlete in the United States, authorities reported on Tuesday.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported during the break-in; however, the residence was left in chaos, based on information from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Upon arriving at the Anderson Township house, an employee of Burrow discovered a broken bedroom window and the home in disarray, which prompted a call to 911 after contacting their mother.
Deputies have since reached out to neighbors and are reviewing surveillance footage to get a better understanding of the incident. “Our investigators are exploring every avenue,” said Kyla Woods, a public information officer.
This incident follows a troubling trend in which the homes of professional athletes are increasingly targeted by organized burglary groups. Notably, the homes of Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were also broken into just last month. In the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis had a break-in on November 2, and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr.’s home was burglarized on September 15 while he attended a Minnesota Vikings game.
Portis offered a $40,000 reward to anyone with information about his burglary. In response to these break-ins, both the NFL and NBA have issued alerts to their players, encouraging them to enhance security measures for their homes.
According to previous league memos acquired by The Associated Press, the NFL warned that professional athletes from various sports are becoming “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” The NBA noted that the FBI has linked some of these burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups,” characterized as well-organized and sophisticated, employing advanced techniques such as pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.
Reports indicate that some burglary crews even conduct detailed surveillance on their targets, attempting to blend in as delivery personnel or joggers in the neighborhood.
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