Suspect arrested near Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's Montecito home faces prowling charge
A suspect was arrested at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Montecito home on Monday and faces a charge of prowling, a spokesperson for the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office told CBS News.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. and the suspect was placed under citizen's arrest by a staff member near the home's service entrance, the spokesperson said. The suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Kevin Garcia Valdovinos.
Police arrived and arrested the suspect, who was originally charged with stalking. A follow-up investigation determined he should be charged with prowling, a misdemeanor, and not a stalking violation, the sheriff's office told CBS News.
He was booked in jail and released on $2,500 bail, the spokesperson said. The investigation is ongoing.
It is unclear if the couple was home during the incident. On Tuesday, they were in New York City and were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" with paparazzi, a spokesperson for Prince Harry said.
"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD (New York Police Department) officers," the spokesperson said.
The chase was "at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," according to the statement.
The pair were in the city for the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards, which they attended with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland. Harry's spokesperson said Ragland was also with them during the chase Tuesday evening.
Harry's mother, Princess Diana, died in a tragic car crash in 1997 as paparazzi chased a car carrying her and her boyfriend, Dodi Al Fayed, through the streets of Paris.
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- Prince Harry Duke of Sussex
- Meghan Duchess of Sussex
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
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