How a Serial Thief Almost Stole Christmas: Busted Trying To Rob Robert De Niro’s Townhouse in NY

A woman with a lengthy history of theft was caught trying to burglarize the home of iconic actor Robert De Niro early Monday morning.

According to The New York Post, the career thief, 30-year-old Shanice Aviles, was caught in the act of robbing De Niro’s rented townhouse, going through his possessions while he and his daughter were in the house.

Aviles was booked on burglary charges. As she was led out of the New York Police Department‘s 19th Precinct stationhouse in handcuffs en route to court she told reporters, “I didn’t murder anybody!” and yelled out, “I didn’t go to Robert De Niro’s house!”

Aviles, who lives in Manhattan, has been arrested at least 26 times for robbery. This year alone, she has been arrested 16 times for burglary and petit larceny.

When Aviles was caught, she was trying out De Niro’s iPad while taking some gifts from under the Christmas tree inside the townhouse around 2:30 a.m., according to police. She was under surveillance by police officers from the 19th Precinct public safety team. Aviles was reportedly trying to open doors to businesses in the neighborhood before she arrived at the Oscar-winning actor’s townhouse.

Police officers followed her into De Niro’s home. The Goodfellas star was upstairs sleeping while his daughter was in a bedroom when Avila entered the home. Police said there were signs of forced entry.

Aviles was charged with burglary. She was brought to the Lenox Hill precinct for processing and then taken to her arrangement at Manhattan Criminal Court.

There were two open bench warrants for Aviles: for her skipping out on court-ordered drug rehab last week and various pending cases in Manhattan and Queens.

De Niro, a two time Academy Award winner and New York legend, had no comment for the media pertaining to the robbery attempt.