Penguins' Evgeni Malkin Becomes Latest Victim of Athlete Robberies as His 3 Stanley Cup Rings Are Stolen
The break-in at Malkin's home comes weeks after the FBI issued a warning to professional athletes about potential burglaries at their homes
Another high-profile athlete has been burglarized while away from their home during a game.
The Pittsburgh Penguins confirmed that star forward Evgeni Malkin’s home was broken into and robbed on Saturday, Jan. 11 while the team had a game against the Ottawa Senators.
WXPI first reported the news, and local KDKA and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette added that burglars stole Malkin’s three Stanley Cup rings. They said that the Penguins’ star’s home security system and cameras had reportedly been shut off prior to the burglary.
“Details of the situation will not be made public as this is an ongoing investigation,” the Penguins told WXPI. “We are working closely with local authorities and team security. Malkin has requested that his privacy be respected during this time and we will have no further comment on the matter.”
Malkin missed Saturday’s game against the Senators with an upper body injury. KDKA reported that a 911 call came from Malkin’s home in Sewickley Heights, a northwestern suburb of Pittsburgh, hours after the game finished.
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The burglary at Malkin’s home is the latest in an ongoing string of robberies this year at the homes of high-profile athletes, including NFL stars Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Joe Burrow, the NBA’s Luka Doncic and Jaylen Brown, as well as the NHL’s Tyler Seguin – all of whom were away at games when their homes were broken into.
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In a warning issued to players last month, the FBI said professional athletes’ homes are being targeted “due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches, and cash,” according to ABC News.
The FBI report alleged in its warning that an organized theft group from South America are behind the home burglaries, which included extensive physical and technical surveillance which relies on publicly available information and players’ social media activity.
“While many burglaries occur while homes are unoccupied, some burglaries occur while residents are home,” the report adds, according to ABC. “In these instances, individuals are encouraged to seek law enforcement help and avoid engaging with criminals, as they may be armed or use violence if confronted.”
In Burrows’ case, his girlfriend was home at the time of the break-in and frantically called her mother when she realized someone was robbing the NFL star’s home.
"I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one and way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share so that's all I got to say about that," Burrow told reporters later that week, adding, "We live a public life, and you know, one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy and that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career. Still learning, but I understand it's a life that we choose. Doesn't make it any easier to deal with."
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