News

Fan breaks into Steph Curry's home to get an autograph, DA's Office alleges

San Mateo County Judge Donald Ayoob issued a bench warrant for the Cupertino resident and international exchange student's arrest

Stephen Curry. Courtesy Max Morse for TechCrunch/Wikimedia Commons under the the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

There is a warrant out for the arrest of a man who broke into the Atherton home of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry in October to ask for an autograph, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. Curry was not home at the time but the family nanny and his three children were, according to the DA's Office.

Sheng Gao, 19, a Cupertino resident and international exchange student, walked up to Curry's security gate at about 5:50 p.m. on Oct. 15, the DA's Office wrote in a case summary. He pressed the "Call" button and the "Ring" button and the gate opened. He then walked into the home after checking the unlocked front door.

The nanny demanded to know what Gao was doing there and he said he wanted Curry's "signature." He left after the nanny told him to leave, according to Wagstaffe. The nanny called the police.

Atherton police officers found Gao walking along El Camino Real. The nanny and surveillance footage helped confirm he was the man in the Curry home, Wagstaffe said.

Gao had taken a bus to Atherton to look for Curry's house, according to the DA's Office. A middle-aged woman pointed out to him which house belonged to Curry.

Help sustain the local news you depend on.

Your contribution matters. Become a member today.

Join

Nothing was taken from the home, Wagstaffe said.

Gao signed a trespassing citation promising to appear in court for a misdemeanor arraignment on Thursday, Dec. 7, but was a no show. San Mateo County Judge Donald Ayoob issued a bench warrant for his arrest with bail on the warrant set at $500, according to the DA.

The Palo Alto Daily Post first broke the news on Curry’s intruder.

The Almanac has reached out to the Atherton Police Department for additional details.

Stay informed

Get the latest local news and information sent straight to your inbox.

Stay informed

Get the latest local news and information sent straight to your inbox.

Angela Swartz
 
Angela Swartz joined The Almanac in 2018 and covers education and small towns. She has a background covering education, city politics and business. Read more >>

Follow on Twitter @paloaltoweekly, Facebook and on Instagram @paloaltoonline for breaking news, local events, photos, videos and more.

Stay informed on important crime news. Sign up for our FREE daily Express newsletter.

Fan breaks into Steph Curry's home to get an autograph, DA's Office alleges

San Mateo County Judge Donald Ayoob issued a bench warrant for the Cupertino resident and international exchange student's arrest

There is a warrant out for the arrest of a man who broke into the Atherton home of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry in October to ask for an autograph, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. Curry was not home at the time but the family nanny and his three children were, according to the DA's Office.

Sheng Gao, 19, a Cupertino resident and international exchange student, walked up to Curry's security gate at about 5:50 p.m. on Oct. 15, the DA's Office wrote in a case summary. He pressed the "Call" button and the "Ring" button and the gate opened. He then walked into the home after checking the unlocked front door.

The nanny demanded to know what Gao was doing there and he said he wanted Curry's "signature." He left after the nanny told him to leave, according to Wagstaffe. The nanny called the police.

Atherton police officers found Gao walking along El Camino Real. The nanny and surveillance footage helped confirm he was the man in the Curry home, Wagstaffe said.

Gao had taken a bus to Atherton to look for Curry's house, according to the DA's Office. A middle-aged woman pointed out to him which house belonged to Curry.

Nothing was taken from the home, Wagstaffe said.

Gao signed a trespassing citation promising to appear in court for a misdemeanor arraignment on Thursday, Dec. 7, but was a no show. San Mateo County Judge Donald Ayoob issued a bench warrant for his arrest with bail on the warrant set at $500, according to the DA.

The Palo Alto Daily Post first broke the news on Curry’s intruder.

The Almanac has reached out to the Atherton Police Department for additional details.

Comments

TLM
Registered user
Barron Park
on Dec 13, 2023 at 10:17 am
TLM, Barron Park
Registered user
on Dec 13, 2023 at 10:17 am

Why is there a photo and name of an unrelated Menlo water polo player attached to this story of a police search for a criminal trespasser? Someone needs to fix that.


Silver Linings
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 14, 2023 at 10:49 am
Silver Linings, Another Palo Alto neighborhood
Registered user
on Dec 14, 2023 at 10:49 am

I know on this day and age that there are crazy dangerous people when it comes to celebrity—it just takes one—and you have to take that seriously. But we also forget that many other countries have way less crime and suspicion. A young person may have no ill intent and no understanding of how scary that might be for the Curries, and it’s possible the Nanny might be making more of it because of failing to lock up. Coming down really hard on the young person for what may have been an innocent quest of youth could ruin their life, too. I hope people remember to exercise good judgement all around.


Me
Registered user
Palo Alto High School
on Dec 15, 2023 at 10:39 am
Me, Palo Alto High School
Registered user
on Dec 15, 2023 at 10:39 am

He should just get a citation, all he did was trespass. Criminals loot and burglarize and they only get a slap on the wrist.


Don't miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.

Post a comment

On Wednesday, we'll be launching a new website. To prepare and make sure all our content is available on the new platform, commenting on stories and in TownSquare has been disabled. When the new site is online, past comments will be available to be seen and we'll reinstate the ability to comment. We appreciate your patience while we make this transition.