Leon “Roccstar” Youngblood Jr., a renowned recording artist and reality TV star, encountered a would-be intruder and held him at gunpoint for authorities.
The terrifying incident unfolded at his mansion in Chatsworth, California, situated about 50 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The 33-year-old hip hop star told police that he was awakened at 5 a.m. by an alarm informing him that someone was on the roof of his garage.
Youngblood armed himself with a handgun and ordered the intruder to come down from the roof. The suspect did, but the pair fought when he came down. The reality TV star told authorities that he was able to overcome the would-be home invader and hold him until security at the gated community arrived.
Youngblood was unharmed, but the suspect was transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He was then charged with attempted burglary, vandalism, and possession of burglary tools.
Roccstar was a regular on Love and Hip Hop for several seasons of the popular show. He was featured on Basketball Wives with star Angel Brinks, with whom he has a son. Youngblood has been nominated twice for Grammy Awards.
He reported that many fans sent concerned messages “checking on me” and posted on Instagram that it was “much appreciated.”
Youngblood posted images on social media showing a swollen left hand after the altercation. The video was captioned, “He came to the wrong house.”
Even a gated community with security was not enough to prevent the suspect from allegedly targeting Youngblood’s home. It would have been easy for the star to rest, seemingly comfortable and believing that everything was secure — when it wasn’t.
A home security system alerted him to the intruder, but what then? The star was sensible enough to arm himself and courageous enough to confront the situation rather than hide and wait, hoping that help would arrive in time.
And apparently no one is immune from violence in modern America.
It was just in December when Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee returned to his L.A. home to find it “trashed” by unknown intruders.
Two months earlier, Megan Thee Stallion’s L.A. residence was broken into and burglars made off with belongings valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In a terrifying incident in June, actor Casey Affleck’s girlfriend, actress Caylee Cowan, awoke to an intruder in their L.A. home. At around 3 a.m., she awakened to find a criminal standing over her in her bedroom. TMZ reported that she screamed, and the suspect fled. She was unharmed and he was arrested shortly afterwards.
In February, rapper Kodak Black was shot in the leg at an L.A. party hosted by singer Justin Bieber.
And actor and TV host Arsenio Hall’s L.A. home was broken into twice and he was almost robbed on two different occasions.
Clearly the threat of violent encounters skips no one. It seems particularly in California, being rich and famous may work against the safety of stars and celebrities. This is counter to conventional wisdom that the rich are insulated from the dangers that plague the rest of us, but that’s the world we now live in.
Whether it’s living in a gated community, employing armed security or arming themselves, even the famous feel a strong need for self-defense.
In Youngblood’s case, it is fortunate that he was properly prepared. Neither living behind gates nor having a sophisticated intrusion alarm system prevented him from being the target of a criminal. For everyone, regardless of their position on the social ladder, being ready is a must.
