Crime

Cops are on the hunt for the scumbags who broke into the home of L.A. Chargers star tight end Antonio Gates and his wife, Sasha, over the weekend ... while their kids were inside the house.

Scary situation ... surveillance cameras at the San Fernando Valley home captured multiple suspects climbing a gate and stalking around the property over the weekend.

We're told the men targeted Antonio's garage where they stole a number of items and rummaged through some of Antonio's high-end cars, including a Rolls-Royce.

All the while, we're told Antonio's kids were inside the home.

The burglars never made contact with the family -- but they stole a bunch of stuff including a hoverboard belonging to one of Antonio's kids.

Cops have the surveillance footage and are hunting for the suspects.

Sources connected to the investigation tell us it appears the men may have cased the property before they struck because they knew exactly where to head once they climbed the fence.

Gates is the latest high-profile burglary victim in the area -- as we previously reported, cops have made a bunch of arrests after stars like Yasiel Puig, Robert Woods and Rihanna were also burglarized.

Unclear if cops believe the suspects in the Gates incident have any connection to the other cases.

Jason Whitlock says there's only one way for Kareem Hunt to make it back to the NFL ... and he's giving TMZ Sports the blueprint.

"If he goes out and makes an earnest attempt to get the proper help, and continues to stay humble and contrite, makes amends with the victim -- yeah, I think he gets another shot in the NFL."

Of course ... Kareem's got a long way to go to even start down that road -- the league is mulling a huge suspension for the former Chiefs RB after TMZ Sports posted footage of him attacking a woman in a Cleveland hotel.

But, once Hunt gets through that ban ... Whitlock says he's got no problem with an NFL team picking the 23-year-old up -- IF the RB gets help and shows contrition.

"I wouldn't object to that."

The host of FS1's "Speak for Yourself" also tells us why everyone needs to ease up on the NFL when it comes to policing domestic violence ... saying it shouldn't be the league's job.

"We're holding the NFL to a standard that I think is unfair. We keep beating up the NFL, 'They don't understand how to deal with domestic violence,' but the police don't either!"

Whitlock says it's time to start thinking of the NFL as what he says it actually is -- a television show.

Miley Cyrus is still recovering after the Malibu wildfires, and now she's gotta deal with a major theft at her storage unit ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us someone got into Miley's storage unit in the San Fernando Valley and made off with some valuable guitars. We're told the total value of the missing axes is more than $10,000.

It's unclear how the thieves got into the unit, but the heist nearly went unnoticed. We're told Miley initially thought someone in the family had borrowed them. She didn't realize they were actually stolen until today.

She's had a rough go of it, lately. Miley and Liam Hemsworth's Malibu home was devastated in last month's Woolsey fire.

Our sources say the storage unit caper most likely went down sometime in October. By the way, the unit was NOT cleared out ... we're told only the guitars were boosted.

Michael Vick says the only way Kareem Hunt can get back to the NFL is if he gets serious help ... and the ex-QB tells TMZ Sports he's willing to be a part of that whole process.

"He can always reach out to me, I'm going to give him positive advice," Vick says ... "I didn't condone what he did, I'm against that -- but he's gotta learn from the situation."

Of course ... Vick knows all about what it takes to go from exiled to NFL superstardom -- he came back to the league after serving 19 months in prison for illegal dogfighting.

Vick says it was help from others that paved that whole road for him ... and now he's urging Hunt to find the same thing.

"You gotta get help. That's what I did. I got help. People helped me in my situation. He gotta get help, and that's what's most important."

Vick's advice for Hunt on where to start that journey?

"Anger management. Learn to control it."

Mike says the NFL is a second-chance league ... and says Kareem can latch back on if he does all the right things -- but admits he'd still pause at the idea of bringing the RB aboard his team.

"If I'm a CEO, I'll bring my daughters in and let them ask the questions. I mean, for real," Vick tells us.

MC Hammer had a special treat for the 50th birthday of Oakland's one-time "crack king" -- a performance that pumped up the party, and proved Hammer's moves are still fire.

The legendary rapper dropped in for the Bay Area gig to help convicted drug dealer Darryl Reed celebrate the big 5-0 last weekend. MCH danced and rapped his hit, "Pumps and a Bump" with the same tireless effort as he had back in '94.

Still 2 legit, for sure.

Folks inside the bash at Yoshi's jazz club in Oak Town tell us Hammer surprised everyone right after they finished singing 'Happy Birthday' to Darryl.

He did a couple songs -- not 'Can't Touch This' -- took some photos and bounced.

Sean Smith was sad to learn Brandon Browner will spend the next 8 years behind bars ... 'cause Smith says the guy helped him when the 2 were in jail -- and the place was awful.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Browner pled no contest to attempted murder Tuesday -- and was sentenced to 8 years in state prison.

When Smith -- an ex-NFL DB who did time in an LA jail with Browner over the summer -- saw the news ... he was heartbroken for the former Seahawk, saying time behind bars ain't a joke.

"Jus seen some news about my dawg B Browner smh," Smith wrote on social media.

"It’s crazy how I was JUST in there with him. He for sure helped me get thru the last few months in that hell hole. Jail is for animals."

Smith just got out in August roughly 5 months into his 12-month sentence for assaulting his sister's boyfriend during a July 4, 2017 incident in Pasadena, CA.

He says his time behind bars sucked ... and he hopes Browner's close friends stay by him to help through the sentence like Brandon did for him over the summer.

Brandon Browner was just sentenced to 8 years in state prison after pleading no contest to attempted murder ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The former Seattle Seahawks star -- an original member of the famed Legion of Boom defense -- was accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's apartment in La Verne, CA on July 8 and allegedly chased her, dragged her and then smothered her in a carpet.

Her two children were present when the alleged abuse occurred.

Browner was also accused of stealing the woman's Rolex watch. He fled the residence but was later arrested and charged with attempted murder and faced life in prison.

On Tuesday, the 34-year-old appeared in court where he pled no contest to 1 count of attempted murder and 2 counts of willful child endangerment. In exchange, the remaining charges (robbery, burglary and false imprisonment) were dropped.

Browner was immediately remanded into custody during the hearing and is back behind bars.

Browner got credit for 300 days for good behavior during the time he's spent behind bars so far. He's been in custody since the arrest back in July.

Browner is a former Pro Bowl cornerback. He won one Super Bowl with the Seahawks and one with the Patriots.

Cardi B's got no respect -- for the law, the courts or the 2 strip club bartenders she allegedly had beat down -- and her Miami twerk session proves it ... according to the bartenders' attorney.

Joe Tacopina tells TMZ ... Cardi's no-show in court Monday was blatantly defiant and disrespectful, and he believes she's getting special treatment because she's a celeb. He says his clients, Jade and Baddie Gi, are "very angry" about the images TMZ posted Monday ... of Cardi twerking in tiger body paint while shooting a music video

Tacopina adds, "She decided not to show up for court because it was more important to take photos in a bikini in Miami. If any other defendant did that there would be a warrant issued for their arrest immediately."

As we reported, the judge wasn't pleased and issued a stern warning Monday to Cardi -- show up for court Friday or risk being arrested.

The hearing is for the August strip club incident, in which Cardi's accused of orchestrating an attack on the bartending sisters. She got arrested for it in October.

TMZ Sports has obtained injury photos of UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich -- taken in the wake of the domestic violence incident with her MMA fighter husband ... and they're brutal.

The photos show damage to Rachael's face, body, arms and head -- including a black and blue bruise under her right eye.

We spoke with a member of Rachael's family who tells us the photos reflect the "truth" of what really went down that day.

As we previously reported, Ostovich claims her husband, Arnold Berdon, savagely attacked her during a dispute at their home in Hawaii on Nov. 18.

Ostovich claims she suffered a broken orbital bone (eye socket) during the altercation and pulled out of her scheduled UFC bout with Paige VanZant. She has since gotten a second opinion from a doctor who cleared her to fight.

Berdon was arrested and charged with 2nd degree assault. He has pled not guilty and family members have told us he will argue self-defense.

Ostovich filed a request for a restraining order against Berdon -- and court docs show the judge granted the order after Berdon agreed to stay away for 20 YEARS.

Berdon is due back in court on Dec. 18.

TMZ Sports obtained video of a very upset Kareem Hunt being restrained in the moments after he allegedly beat up a 37-year-old man inside of a Kansas City nightclub back in January.

As we previously reported, a man filed a police report back in January claiming Hunt and George Atkinson -- along with others -- jumped him at the Mosaic nightclub around 2 AM on Jan. 7.

In the police report, the man claims the Chiefs players had been partying at the club after being bounced out of the playoffs by the Titans a few hours earlier. The man claims he suffered broken bones and bruises in the attack.

In the video, you can clearly see Hunt being held back by a security guard -- while other patrons try to calm him down. We're told Hunt was eventually escorted out of the club.

Neither Hunt nor Atkinson were arrested and no charges were filed. Law enforcement tells us the accuser eventually stopped cooperating with police.

Of course, the very next month Hunt got into a violent altercation with a woman at a hotel in Ohio -- and despite being restrained in that incident, he broke free and brutalized the woman.

Hunt allegedly got into a 3rd altercation at a resort in Ohio in June. He was not arrested or charged with a crime in that incident either.

Kareem Hunt's out of the NFL -- and the virtual NFL too -- because EA Sports says the running back is being removed from the Madden 19 video game.

After TMZ Sports posted footage of the former Kansas City Chiefs player attacking a woman in a Cleveland hotel during an incident in February, the video game company says it made the decision to pull Hunt from the game.

"We are in the process of removing Kareem Hunt from the Madden NFL 19 roster, Madden Overdrive and Madden Ultimate Team," a rep for EA Sports tells TMZ Sports.

"Any of our players who currently have Hunt on their Ultimate Team will receive a replacement generic player with identical stats."

There's no reason Kareem Hunt shouldn't be arrested and charged with battery for attacking that woman back in February ... so says famed prosecutor Christopher Darden.

"I would have filed battery charges against him," Darden tells TMZ Sports ... saying the video evidence would essentially make it an "open-and-shut case."

Darden is most famous for his work in the O.J. Simpson trial, but also prosecuted tons of cases during his 15-year run as a part of the L.A. County District Attorney's office.

In fact, Darden tells us exactly what he would do to get the conviction -- even if the victim refuses to cooperate.

Darden also says prosecutors in Ohio still have time to make things right and arrest Hunt -- telling TMZ Sports he thinks the NFL star would benefit from a court-ordered sentence like a diversion program, therapy or anger management.

Worth noting ... the victim has 18 months from the day of the incident (Feb. 10, 2018) to go to prosecutors and seek criminal charges before the statute of limitations expires.

TMZ Sports has obtained a police report filed by a man who claims he was brutally attacked by Kareem Hunt in a Kansas City nightclub back in January ... though Hunt was never arrested.

The accuser claims he was at Mosaic nightclub around 2 AM on January 7, 2018 -- hours after the Chiefs were knocked out of the playoffs by the Tennessee Titans.

According to the police report, filed 4 days later on Jan. 11, the man says he saw his friend getting shoved by 3 men ... one of whom was George Atkinson, a running back for the Chiefs at the time.

The man claims he confronted Atkinson -- but the NFL player punched him in his shoulder. The man claims he fought back, but Atkinson and his crew (which included Kareem Hunt) beat the daylights out of him.

The man claims he was struck in his body and head multiple times and believes he was knocked unconscious. He told police he was treated at the North Kansas City Hospital emergency room for a broken rib, broken nose and multiple bruises and contusions.

Cops note in the report the accuser had cuts on his mouth at the time he filed his report.

The man told cops he did not want to file the report but his family members convinced him it was the right thing to do.

We spoke with the Kansas City PD -- and a rep says neither Hunt nor Atkinson were arrested and no charges were ever filed in the case.

Cops told us the victim stopped cooperating with investigators after filing the report -- so the case never went anywhere. Unclear why the man went off the grid.

We reached out to the alleged victim for comment but haven't been able to reach him.

It's a similar ending to the February incident involving Hunt -- when the victim initially told cops she wanted to press charges ... but also stopped cooperating.

The nightclub incident is the 3rd allegation of violence involving Hunt this year. In addition to the Feb. attack captured on video, Hunt was also accused of punching a man at an Ohio resort in June 2018.

11:51 AM PT -- A rep for the Raptors 905 tells TMZ Sports they've cut ties with Felder ... saying "On Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, Raptors 905 guard Kay Felder was charged by police in connection with an allegation of domestic violence. Raptors 905 have waived Felder, effective immediately."

11:46 AM PT -- A G League spokesperson tells us ... “The G League is aware of the allegations against Raptors 905 guard Kahlil “Kay” Felder and has placed him on indefinite leave pending a full investigation into the matter.”

Kay Felder -- a 2016 NBA Draft pick who currently plays in the G League -- was arrested near Toronto early Monday morning for assault and we're told the alleged victim is a woman.

Felder was demoted by the Toronto Raptors to the team's G League affiliate back in October -- and he's been playing for the Raptors 905 squad ever since.

Now, we've learned the 23-year-old point guard was taken into custody Monday morning after a person claimed he got violent and made threats during a night out.

Cops wouldn't confirm the identity of the accuser but multiple sources connected to the incident tell us the alleged victim is a woman who has known Felder for years.

We're told the two got into an argument after dinner and Felder allegedly got violent and choked her, leaving nasty marks on her neck. Our sources say the alleged victim was able to call a family member who then called police.

We're told paramedics responded to the scene and treated the alleged victim.

Law enforcement confirms Felder was booked for assault and utter threats. He's been released from custody and is due back in court later this month.

Cardi B was just issued a stern warning from the judge in her strip club beatdown case ... show up to court or face getting arrested.

Cardi's legal team was in court Monday -- without the rapper -- for a hearing about the August incident. We're told prosecutors expressed their frustration that Cardi herself was a no-show considering they've already given her a 6-week extension on the case ... so they asked the judge to issue a bench warrant.

The judge denied the immediate request, but did issue a serious warning -- Cardi must appear in court Friday morning -- or there will most likely be a warrant issued.

Cardi's defense team also revealed in court they've been having a tough time getting in touch with her directly -- instead only communicating through Cardi's management team -- and only found out Thursday Cardi had a prior commitment that would prevent her from attending Monday's hearing.

TMZ broke the story ... Cardi is accused of unleashing her posse on 2 strip club bartenders -- Jade and Baddie Gi -- and badly injuring both. Jade told us ... prior to the attack, Cardi had threatened her for months, accusing the two of sleeping with her husband, Offset.

Conor McGregor claims UFC fighter Michael Chiesa shouldn't be able to sue him for intentional infliction of emotional distress because he wasn't the intended target in his NY bus attack.

We broke the story ... Chiesa sued Conor over the injuries he suffered from the April 5, 2018 incident at Barclays Center where McGregor threw a steel dolly at a bus packed with UFC fighters and staffers, including Chiesa.

Chiesa was hit by shards of glass and suffered cuts to his face that were so bad, he was forced to pull out of his UFC 223 bout against Anthony Pettis.

Now, McGregor has filed a response to Chiesa's suit admitting his conduct was "unquestionably inappropriate," but should not be considered "outrageous."

So, why does that distinction matter? Because proving "outrageousness" is essential for collecting damages when it comes to intentional infliction of emotional distress.

McGregor also argues that his actions were "clearly not directed at [Chiesa] at all" -- which the judge should consider in evaluating the "outrageousness" of the incident.

Conor has publicly acknowledged that his target was Khabib Nurmagomedov -- who was also riding the bus that day.

Conor had flown into New York from Ireland to attack Khabib after the Russian fighter got into it with one of Conor's friends days before the bus attack.

In his court docs, McGregor also claims Chiesa has failed to prove that he suffered any real emotional distress from the incident -- noting that he's a "seasoned combat sports fighter" ... and therefore should be used to physical trauma.

McGregor was arrested for the incident and later pled guilty to disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 5 days of community service, and ordered to complete an anger management class.