Retired NBA player Vince Carter's Atlanta home was the target of armed burglars who broke in over the weekend and ransacked the house, stealing nearly $100,000 before fleeing while Carter's wife and kids hid inside a closet.
The incident took place on Sunday night, according to an incident report released Wednesday by the Atlanta Police Department and cited by the New York Post.
The burglars smashed in a first-floor window to gain entry to the 10,000-square-foot home in Atlanta's affluent Buckhead neighborhood. Carter's wife, Sondi Carter, was in bed with her two sons when she heard loud noises coming from out front at around 11:50 p.m.
She grabbed her kids, hid in the bedroom closet then called 911 and texted the neighborhood patrol, prompting a swift response from an off-duty Atlanta Police Department officer with the neighborhood patrol. He pursued a suspect wearing all black clothing and a mask down the road until the suspect got into a black SUV and drove off.
Police officers arrived at the scene shortly after to discover the first-floor window smashed in and multiple rooms in disarray. Outside the gated home, lying on the ground, was $16,100 worth of $100 bills that spilled out of a brown bag containing $100,000 that was kept in the master bedroom closet, and taken by the burglars.
Police also found Vince Carter's gold Desert Eagle firearm still in its gun case and a black Glock 26 with an extended magazine outside the home, which police believe was left behind by the burglars.
A fingerprint was lifted from a side door that was used by the suspects to flee the home and police are using surveillance video from cameras on the property to try and identify the burglars.
Vince Carter has been retired from the NBA since 2020, after 22 seasons in the league. He currently works as a basketball analyst for ESPN.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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