His nose and his jaw broken, a 56-year-old man was behind bars Thursday after allegedly breaking into the Studio City home of LL Cool J and being overpowered by the muscle-bound rapper-actor.
Jonathan Kirby, described in news reports as a transient, was in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail, authorities said.
Kirby was detained by LL Cool J at his home in the 12000 block of Blairwood Drive early Wednesday until police arrived to take him into custody, police said.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Van Nuys Division was contacted around 1 a.m. Wednesday by a female caller who reported an intruder in the house, authorities said.
LAPD Sgt. Frank Preciado said the suspect’s injuries were serious enough that he required hospitalization. Kirby suffered a broken nose and broken jaw in the scuffle with LL Cool J, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Kirby was booked on a felony charge about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and his bail was set at $50,000, according to L.A. County Jail records.
Kirby has a record of thefts and disorderly conduct arrests across Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to The Times. He was reportedly sentenced to five years in prison for burglary in the 1990s and served three years in prison for petty theft in 2005.
LL Cool J, who plays a hard-charging federal agent and former Navy SEAL on the CBS drama “NCIS: Los Angeles,” was upstairs when the suspect entered his residence, Preciado said.
“Once James Todd Smith, also known as LL Cool J, came downstairs, he encountered the suspect in his kitchen,” the sergeant said.
When officers arrived, they saw LL Cool J “in control of the suspect” and took the man into custody and handcuffed him, Preciado said. The actor was not injured.
When asked if the star did the right thing in confronting the suspect, Preciado said: “In this particular case, the suspect did not have a weapon, (and) you have a victim who is in fear for their life, and a family member inside, in this case his daughter inside the residence . . . (so) you’re going to do whatever is necessary.”
A representative of LL Cool J released a statement saying the actor “and his family are safe and thank everyone for their thoughts and concern. As a father, husband and citizen, he is committed to keeping his family safe and is cooperating with authorities on this private matter.”
