Vanilla Ice Arrested for Reality TV-Related Burglary
UPDATE 2: Vanilla Ice has accepted a plea deal, reports the Associated Press. The rapper and TV personality will serve 100 hours of community service.
UPDATE: Vanilla Ice is out on $6,000 bail and told TV station WPBF that the incident has been “blown out of proportion.” He also laughed at the notion that the burglary was part of his show. “I wish it was,” he said. Police told CNN that all of the stolen items have been returned to their owner.
Police in Lantana, Florida have arrested Vanilla Ice for burglary. The “Ice Ice Baby” rapper allegedly stole household items from what appeared to be an abandoned home next to where he was renovating a home for his long-running reality-TV series The Vanilla Ice Project sometime last month, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The rapper is said to have taken furniture, a pool heater and bicycles, among other things.
As of press time, Ice has not been booked, but police chief Sean Scheller told THR that he is planning on charging him with burglary and grand theft. A rep from the police department tells Rolling Stone that the case will be handled by the county jail and that Ice is being “very cooperative.”
Police were investigating the home next to where Ice was working and obtained a search warrant. Upon searching the rapper’s residence, they claim to have found the stolen items. He is reportedly working with investigators to locate all of the missing items. TMZ reports that the owner of the burglarized home, which appeared to be vacant, reported the items missing.
The rapper will be booked with the Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Department, according to THR.
On The Vanilla Ice Project, the “Ninja Rap” star shows off his handyman skills as he fixes up homes he hopes to flip. The show, which airs on the DIY Network, premiered in 2010 and wrapped its fourth season last May. Ice has subsequently launched a Vanilla Ice Real Estate venture.
This is not the first time Vanilla Ice has been accused of theft.