Man caught prowling around Prince Harry’s Montecito estate, Santa Barbara sheriff says

A Lake Elsinore man was arrested earlier this week for allegedly prowling around the Montecito estate of Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were dispatched shortly before 2 a.m. Monday to the incident at the royal couple’s property on the 700 block of Rockbridge Road, according to Raquel Zick, Sheriff’s Office public information officer.

The suspect — identified as Kevin Garcia Valdovinos, 29 — had been placed under citizen’s arrest by security at the estate, Zick said.

Investigation by sheriff’s detectives determined the case to be an alleged violation of Penal Code Section 647(h) — misdemeanor prowling, Zick said.

Valdovinos was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail, then released after posting $2,500 bond, she said, adding that the case remained under investigation.

The incident occurred a day before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were pursued by paparazzi photographers as they left a New York City charity event Tuesday night.

A spokeswoman for the couple originally described that incident as a “near catastrophic car chase” through the streets of Manhattan.

However, New York City police later said the pursuit was relatively short and led to no injuries, collisions or arrests, and warranted no further investigation, according to the Associated Press.

For some, the pursuit evoked memories of the 1997 car chase through Paris that resulted in the death of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana.

This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 6:02 PM.