An Ohio man was arrested and charged with trespassing on the property of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, California, late last year, officials said on Monday.
Nickolas Brooks, 37, was charged on charges of trespassing after deputies found him at the Montecito estate around 3 pm on December 26, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The deputies had warned Brooks two days earlier when they said they found him breaking into the property at about 4 pm, the sheriff’s office said.
Brooks was fined and released, officials said. It was not clear why he entered the property or what he was doing when the authorities found him.
Efforts to reach it on Monday were unsuccessful.
The couple is in the spotlight after a rare and extensive interview this month with Oprah Winfrey about their separation from the royal family.
Among other things, Meghan, who is biracial, revealed that she had thought of suicide amid intense and sometimes racist press coverage in the UK, and that the royal family had discussed how her son’s skin color might be dark. when he was born.
Buckingham Palace said it was “sad” to learn of the couple’s challenges and said the issues they raised, “particularly the racial issue, are worrisome”.
In a statement, the royal family added that the couple’s allegations would be dealt with privately.