Police in La Verne arrested a former NFL player wanted on suspicion of breaking into a woman’s home, assaulting her and then stealing a $20,000 Rolex watch from her before fleeing, officials said Sunday.
Brandon Browner, 33, of Pomona, was arrested several hours after the woman told police at 10:07 a.m. that he broke into her home through a locked window, then forced her back into the home after she tried to escape, according to a written statement from the La Verne Police Department.
In the statement, police said Browner “physically harmed” the woman, made threats to kill her, then stole the expensive watch.
Police said Browner was previously in a relationship with the woman, and had been arrested before on suspicion of domestic violence against her.
Browner was arrested in La Verne in September 2017 on suspicion of making criminal threats against a woman. It was unclear Sunday if Browner was ever charged in that incident.
The woman later took out a restraining order against him. Police said Browner violated that restraining order Sunday when he went to the woman’s home.
According to the statement, Browner was arrested without incident. But La Verne police officials declined to immediately say where Browner was arrested.
He was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, domestic violence, threatening to inflict great bodily injury or death and violating a domestic violence restraining order.
Browner was raised in the San Fernando Valley — he played football for both Sylmar High School and James Monroe High School in North Hills.
Browner played football for Oregon State before signing with the Seattle Seahawks in 2011. He later played for the New England Patriots in 2014, the season when the team won the Super Bowl in 2015.
He remains in custody at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles in lieu $10 million bail. He is scheduled for an arraignment Tuesday at Pomona Superior Court.