A man suspected of stalking Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle was arrested outside the couple’s home in Santa Barbara County, California, a report claimed. Although, it is not known whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex or their children Prince Archie or Princess Lilibet were at home at the time of the incident.
Kevin Garcia Valdovinos, 29, was allegedly seen “lurking” outside the couple’s mansion in Montecito at around 2 am, TMZ reported. He has been booked on misdemeanor stalking charges after police attended the scene, the report said but was later released on $2,500 bail.
Just hours after reports of the alleged stalker emerged, a spokesperson for the couple said that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had been involved in a “near-catastrophic” car chase involving paparazzi. Meghan’s mother was also in the car. The couple was in New York City to attend a Ms. Foundation gala, where Meghan Markle received the 2023 Women of Vision Award for her advocacy work.
Prince Harry and Meghan have lived at the residence since 2020 after they stepped down from their royal duties. It was then reported that they acquired the 18,000-square-foot home which rests on 5.4 acres for $14.7 million.
Chat show hosts Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres are among their neighbors. The couple had previously suffered an intruder on the property back in December 2020. Then a man was caught trespassing on Christmas Eve and handed a warning.
The incident comes at a time when Prince Harry argued in a London court that he should be allowed to challenge a UK government decision that denied him the right to pay for police protection when he visits his home country.