Authorities defend Justin Bieber felony egging investigation

Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials are defending their search of Justin Bieber’s Calabasas home in response to accusations he egged his neighbor’s house, saying the pop star was treated no differently than any other felony suspect.

A dozen detectives searched Bieber’s home beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, during which eight people, including the singer, were detained, authorities said.

“None of this has anything to do with him being a celebrity,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Dave Thompson told reporters after a search warrant was served at Bieber’s home. “This is a felony crime. This could be Mr. Bieber, this could be you, this could me be, this could be anybody.”

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Investigators at Bieber’s home were looking for “video surveillance or other relevant evidence” after one of his neighbors told authorities his house had been egged.

The incident was classified as a felony because the homeowner said the value of the damage to his house was $20,000.

“I get that the eggs don’t seem that significant, but it does rise to the level of a felony,” Thompson said Tuesday.

Bieber was named as a suspect after the incident last week in which a neighbor called authorities to the 25000 block of Prado del Grandioso, saying someone was throwing eggs at his home.

“The investigation is ongoing. He was not arrested, nor exonerated at this time,” Thompson said of Bieber.

Meanwhile, officials did find drugs “in plain view” at Bieber’s home and are conducting tests to determine whether it was Ecstasy, cocaine or something else, sheriff’s officials said. Xavier Dominique Smith, 20, known as Lil Za, was taken into custody at Bieber’s home on suspicion of felony drug possession. He was later accused of vandalism after allegedly damaging a phone at a sheriff’s station.

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