In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a man suspected of following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was apprehended outside the couple’s residence in Santa Barbara County, California.
According to TMZ, Kevin Garcia Valdovinos, 29, was observed “lurking” outside the estate in Montecito at approximately 2 a.m. and was arrested on minor stalking charges after police arrived.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as their children Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, one, were not at home at the time of the incident.
The pair did, however, attend a Ms Foundation event in New York City on Tuesday evening, where Ms Markle received the 2023 Women of Vision Award for her advocacy efforts on behalf of women, thanking Gloria Steinem, who presented her with the award, for offering “inspiration.”
Valdovinos was freed on $2,500 bond, according to TMZ.
A spokesman for the couple stated the pair was involved in a “near-catastrophic” automobile pursuit with photographers in New York only hours after rumors of the alleged stalker surfaced. Meghan was accompanied by her mother in the automobile.
Harry and Meghan have resided in the Chateau of Riven Rock, on a private road, since mid-June 2020, when they paid $14.7 million for the 18,000 square foot estate on 5.4 acres.
Hosts of chat shows Among their famous neighbors are Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.
The pair previously had an intruder on their home in December 2020, when a guy named Nikolas Brooks, 37, was found trespassing on Christmas Eve and given a warning.
On Boxing Day, he returned to the property and was arrested for trespassing.
The latest incident occurred as Prince Harry’s lawyer argued in a London court on Tuesday that he should be allowed to dispute a government decision that denied him the ability to pay for police protection when he visits the UK.
Harry’s lawyer sought a judge to grant him permission to sue the Home Office and the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures for denying him the right to vote.
According to four security experts questioned by Forbes after Meghan and Harry’s UK-taxpayer-provided security was terminated, the pair is spending roughly $2-3 million per year for round-the-clock security.
