Man accused of breaking into Bass’ home claims he had no idea it was her house

In an exclusive interview with KNX News, the man accused of breaking into Mayor Karen Bass’ house last month said he didn’t know it was her house and that he had been on a five-day drug binge.

Ephraim Hunter, who is Pitchess Detention Center North in Castaic, told KNX News’ Jon Baird he was not targeting the mayor and that he has no interest in politics and can’t even vote.

The 29-year-old said had been taking methamphetamine and thought someone was chasing him. He had been on a bus on Wilshire Boulevard when another passenger climbed aboard. Hunter said thought that that person was after him, so he told the driver to stop the bus immediately. That, he said, is how he ended up in Mayor Bass’ neighborhood.

Hunter explained that he broke into the mayor’s house, looking for a place to hide. He broke into the glass door, cutting his hand.

Hunter recalled going up a spiral staircase and being met at the top of the staircase by two people who he believed were the mayor’s son-in-law and daughter. He said they yelled at him to “get the f--- out of the house.”  He told them “no”…and went to hide in another room.

Hunter said he didn’t take anything from the house, and that he left his phone and iPad at Bass’ house.

He added that despite reports of him calling out for “Karen,” he told Baird that didn’t make any sense because he didn’t know she lived there. He believes that in his drug-induced state of mind, he was calling out for his brother, “Aaron.”

Hunter, who is from Massachusetts where he has a drug record, told Baird that while he believes the vandalism charge is appropriate, he thinks he was hit with the enhanced burglary charge so that he would have to post bail, which was set at $100,000. He added that he doesn’t have the $10,000 he needs to post it.

He said he believes that believes if he had broken into any other home, he might have just been cited and released. He added that he hopes he could end up in a drug diversion program instead of prison.

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