An Alleged Stalker Was Arrested Near Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Montecito Home This Week

A man seen prowling outside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Montecito home was arrested this week on suspicion of stalking.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 2:11 a.m on Monday, informing them that the Duke and Duchess' security staff were detaining a 29-year-old man named Kevin Garcia Valdovinos at an entrance to the property.

After the police arrived, Valdovinos was taken into custody on a charge of misdemeanor stalking without incident, then later released on $2,500 bail.

A representative for the sheriff's office told TMZ on Wednesday, "Follow up investigation by Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office Detectives determined the case to be a violation of 647(h) PC Prowling (misdemeanor) and not a stalking violation. The investigation is ongoing."

TMZ also reports that a man named Nickolas Brooks was arrested for trespassing on the Sussexes' property back in December 2020.

News of Valdovinos' arrest comes during an already difficult week for the royal couple, who were caught in a "near catastrophic" car chase involving the paparazzi on Tuesday night in New York City.

The chase came after the royal couple left the Ms. Foundation for Women's 50th anniversary gala, where Meghan was being honored.

"This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians, and two NYPD [New York Police Department] officers," a spokesperson said of the incident.

"While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone's safety. Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all involved."