NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Los Angeles, October 16, 2026 — The residents were asleep when intruders entered their North Hollywood home before dawn Thursday. Inside, the burglars encountered the family’s dog, Leia. Police say they fatally attacked her before taking a safe from another building on the property.
Four suspects were eventually arrested after police pursuits, and officers recovered the safe. The dog’s death has become the central detail in a burglary that began while the household was still asleep.
According to NBC Los Angeles, citing information provided by LAPD, the break-in happened around 3 a.m. on Thursday, October 15, near Farmdale Avenue and Kittridge Street.
Police told the station that the intruders stomped on Leia, fatally injuring her. They then entered a separate building behind the home, stole a safe and fled in two vehicles.
How the overnight burglary unfolded
The first police accounts place the emergency response just before 3 a.m. An LAPD spokesperson told MyNewsLA that a call for backup went out during a burglary response in the 6000 block of Farmdale Avenue around 2:50 a.m.
Police described it as a “hot prowl” burglary, a term used for a break-in at an occupied residence. In this case, investigators said the occupants were sleeping when the suspects entered.
An initial report on the police response said suspects fled after officers arrived. Police pursued a silver Honda minivan and apprehended its driver on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, just north of Sherman Way, around 3:05 a.m., according to an LAPD spokesperson.
Another suspect fled the vehicle on foot and was later apprehended. Video from the scene also showed officers cutting through a chain-link fence to reach and detain a suspect near the burglary location, MyNewsLA reported.
That early account contained uncertainty about whether a separate freeway pursuit was connected. Later, NBC4 reported that LAPD had confirmed four arrests following two pursuits and the recovery of the stolen safe.
Police also told NBC4 that one of those arrested had a firearm. The reporting reviewed does not establish that the weapon was fired or used to threaten the residents.
In an October 16 follow-up, PEOPLE obtained separate confirmation from LAPD that the dog died from her injuries. Reports identified Leia as a French bulldog.
Four arrests amid wider concern over home burglaries
The suspects were arrested on suspicion of felony burglary and felony animal cruelty. Their names and ages were not available in the reports reviewed. Arrest allegations are not convictions, and those reports did not provide a verified court date or a prosecutor’s announcement of formally filed charges.
The incident follows earlier concern about residential burglaries across the San Fernando Valley. On April 17, Mayor Karen Bass announced additional police resources following a series of home break-ins near Ventura Boulevard.
“Residents deserve to feel safe in their communities, especially in their homes,” Bass said in an official statement announcing the deployment.
The measures included extra patrols, police vehicles in visible locations, mobile license plate readers, air support and coordination between burglary detectives and specialist divisions. That announcement concerned earlier incidents; authorities have not established a connection between those burglaries and the attack at Leia’s home.
Several details about Thursday’s break-in remain undisclosed, including how the intruders entered, what was inside the safe and whether investigators believe the property was specifically selected. The available reports also do not explain which suspect allegedly attacked Leia or what evidence established each person’s role.
No direct statement from Leia’s family was included in the reporting reviewed. Police recovered the stolen property, but the family’s dog did not survive the break-in.
Make Swikblog your go-to source on Google for reliable updates, smart insights, and daily trends.
