Transient Suspected Of Breaking Into LL Cool J's House Suffers Broken Nose, Jaw

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — A 56-year-old transient is in jail Thursday with a broken nose and jaw after allegedly breaking into the Studio City home of rapper and actor LL Cool J.

Jonathan Kirby faces burglary charges after being detained by LL Cool J until police arrived to take him into custody.

Police say a female caller contacted them about 1 a.m. Wednesday to report an intruder in the house.

LAPD Sgt. Frank Preciado said the suspect's injuries were serious enough to require hospitalization. Kirby suffered a broken nose and broken jaw in the scuffle with the "NCIS: Los Angeles" star.

Kirby was booked on a felony charge at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and his bail was set at $50,000, according to L.A. County Jail records.

Kirby has a record of thefts and disorderly conduct arrests across Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was reportedly sentenced to five years in prison for burglary in the 1990s and served three years in prison for petty theft in 2005.

LL Cool J was upstairs when the suspect entered his residence, Preciado said.

"Once James Todd Smith, also known as LL Cool J, came downstairs, he encountered the suspect in his kitchen," the sergeant said.

When officers arrived, they saw LL Cool J "in control of the suspect" and took the man into custody and handcuffed him, Preciado said. The actor was not injured.

When asked if the star did the right thing in confronting the suspect, Preciado said: "In this particular case, the suspect did not have a weapon, (and) you have a victim who is in fear for their life, and a family member inside, in this case his daughter inside the residence ... (so) you're going to do whatever is necessary."

A representative of LL Cool J released a statement saying the actor "and his family are safe and thank everyone for their thoughts and concern. As a father, husband and citizen, he is committed to keeping his family safe and is cooperating with authorities on this private matter."

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