The Christmas season hasn't been all merry and bright for legendary actor Robert De Niro.

On Dec. 19, a serial burglar was caught in De Niro's New York City rental home near Park Ave. stealing Christmas gifts and even playing with an iPad while De Niro and his daughter were upstairs, according to Page Six.

The woman, 30-year-old Shanice Aviles, was acting as a real-life Grinch when she broke in to the Upper East Side townhouse and tried to steal gifts from right under the Christmas tree.

Per CBS News, Aviles broke in through a basement door by force.

According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Aviles was caught while stuffing gifts into a bag. The outlet also reported that De Niro heard the commotion and came downstairs, and that was when police became aware that the home belonged to the famed actor.

Aviles has also been arrested for seven other Upper East Side burglaries between Nov. 25 and Dec 8.

CBS News reported that Aviles most recently was arrested Dec. 13 for a break-in from Oct. 23 in which she stole $700 from St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Astoria.

Aviles is apparently a "known burglar" and has been arrested around 30 times, many of which are for burglary. Her crime spree allegedly began during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The attempted burglary occurred around 2:45 a.m. after police spotted her trying to break in to commercial buildings before making her way into De Niro's house.

Aviles' official charges are still pending and the burglar and actor did not have any interaction.

De Niro is a Manhattan native who previously owned a townhouse in the West Village before selling it in 2012. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, De Niro relocated to his upstate New York home rather than stay in the city.

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