Horror in Montecito after burglary minutes away from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's home

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to the A-list Californian hotspot of Montecito after stepping away from their royal responsibilities in 2020. However, the town, which homes stars such as Orlando Bloom and Oprah Winfrey, is not without its share of crime.

According to local news website Montecito Journal, a home was "broken into and ransacked" just minutes from the Sussexes' secluded mansion. The burglary took place on Butterfly Lane, located less than two miles from Harry and Meghan's home on Rockbridge Road, shortly before 8am on Sunday, July 20.

The homeowner reportedly returned to their property to find that it had been broken into. The Montecito Journal said: "A possible latent fingerprint was discovered on the rim of the safe keypad. The keypad was disconnected and booked into evidence for further forensic examination."

On their Californian mansion, Meghan previously said the couple did "everything we could to get this house". She explained in an interview with The Cut: "Because you walk in and go... Joy. And exhale. And calm. It's healing. You feel free."

The property cost the Duke and Duchess of Sussex £10.9 million ($14.65 million). However, it is now reportedly worth around double of this value.

As well as the recent burglary in Montecito, there have also been reported drug incidents in the area. The day after the burglary (Monday, July 21), police pulled over a vehicle with alleged fake registration plates and found the driver in possession of a meth pipe.

The incident took place on Hermosillo Road, located just over two miles (a six minute drive) from the Sussexes' home. Meanwhile, a suspect was arrested on the same day for being in possession of two meth pipes on Banner Avenue which is around four and a half miles from Harry and Meghan's mansion.

Elsewhere, a burglary was reported at 9.45am on Monday, July 21 in Montecito. It's alleged that the offender cut through fencing before stealing items including a generator and DeWalt tools.

It was previously reported that Special Crime Division Detective Anthony Nunez said gangs, mainly from Chile and Venezuela, were carrying out burglaries in the area. They generally consisted of three or four men and women working together.

He explained: "They conduct surveillance prior to the robbery to figure out your pattern of being at home and being away. [Then] they place cameras on the properties they are targeting.

"They are highly skilled and are in and out in three minutes, targeting primary bedrooms' safe boxes and jewellery. They use signal jammers to stop your alarms, cell phones and home video surveillance [and] sell the stolen items back in their country of origin."