Associate of Justin Bieber allegedly damages phone while in custody

A man arrested on suspicion of felony drug possession at the home of singer Justin Bieber was also being held on suspicion of felony vandalism after allegedly damaging a phone at the sheriff’s station, an official said.

“He was additionally charged with vandalism while still in lockup,” said L.A. County Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Williams of the Lost Hills station. “He damaged a phone on the wall.”

Williams said the incident occurred Tuesday afternoon, but he had no further details.

Xavier Dominique Smith, 20, was taken into into custody at Bieber’s home Tuesday morning on suspicion of felony drug possession after detectives searching the singer’s Calabasas mansion for evidence in an alleged egg-tossing crime found drugs.

Bieber “was not connected to the [drugs] other than the gentleman was staying at his residence,” Thompson said.

Lt. Dave Thompson originally stated that cocaine was found “in plain view of the deputies,” but sheriff’s officials later said the drugs needed to be tested before they could be officially identified.

The arrest came as a dozen L.A. County sheriff’s investigators served a felony search warrant at the home, looking for evidence that might connect the 19-year-old singer to the egging.

Bieber’s next-door neighbor had called detectives last Thursday to report his house had sustained $20,000 in damage from the incident. The amount could make it a felony vandalism case.

Detectives served the search warrant on Bieber’s home in the 25000 block of Prado Del Grandioso at 8 a.m. Tuesday, looking for “video surveillance or other relevant evidence” in the egging case, said sheriff’s Capt. Michael Parker.

The incident was initially reported as a misdemeanor but the estimated cost in damage is well above the $400 needed to qualify as a felony, officials said.

“The felony comes from the dollar amount of the damage,” Thompson said. “This residence sustained a great amount of damage that easily achieved the amount. I get that the eggs don’t seem that significant, but it does rise to the level of a felony.”

Sheriff’s officials said Bieber remains a suspect in the egging.

richard.winton@latimes.com