Stephen Curry House Trespassed: What Legal Punishment Is Missing 19YO Facing?

On October 17, an international student was accused of illegally breaking into Stephen Curry‘s home in Atherton while the NBA star was away for a game. As per reports, the Chinese exchange student was a 19-year-old named Sheng Gao, currently residing in Cupertino. He reportedly took a bus to Atherton, known to be the wealthiest zip code in the US, where a neighbor directed him towards Curry’s house. Upon arriving, he pressed a few buttons on the intercom when the front door opened. He then allegedly walked up the driveway and entered the home in pursuit of a “signature” from the star. Fortunately, the intrusion was noticed by the nanny, who was home alone with the three children, and she promptly contacted the authorities.

After being located by the police, Gao was initially admonished for trespassing. However, the DA’s office then elevated the charge from trespassing to aggravated trespassing. Gao, upon being apprehended, received a citation for a misdemeanor arraignment in December. But he failed to show up for his first scheduled court appearance in Redwood City, leading to an arrest warrant with bail set at $500. Subsequently, Gao surrendered himself and was granted the opportunity to attend his court hearing without being detained.

However, he once again failed to appear in court on Tuesday, Feb. 21, which led the prosecutors to issue a bench warrant of $2500 for his arrest, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. Another hearing will be arranged once Gao is located, and the 19-year-old will be subject to a six-month jail term for trespassing. However, this is not the first time a fan has crossed boundaries to get Curry’s autograph.

Cases of super-fans crossing boundaries

Back in 2015, the Golden State Warriors started gaining popularity after they ended their 40-year championship drought. While this brought more recognition, endorsements, money, and adoration, it also exposed him to the darker aspects of fame. That same year, Curry was visiting Manila as a part of his Under Armour Asian Tour when he was chased by an autograph seeker for nearly 30 miles. He tweeted about the incident, stating, “PSA. Noticeably following my family’s car on the road for nearly 30 miles & tailing me the whole way is not the best way to get an autograph.”

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine was also involved in a fan-trespassing incident in March 2021. LaVine had to call the police after an “allegedly obsessed” woman reportedly traveled from out of state and refused to leave his residence. While she was not charged with a crime, the woman was escorted out and taken to a local hospital for a mental evaluation.