NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York man was arrested on Sunday after allegedly breaking into the Ed Sullivan Theater in midtown Manhattan, where David Letterman tapes his late night talk show, police said.
James Whittemore, 22, of Manhattan was arrested in the lobby of the theater, located on Broadway between 53rd and 54th streets, at about 7 a.m. and charged with burglary and criminal mischief, police said.
He was being held pending a court appearance later on Sunday.
The theater, where Letterman tapes CBS' "Late Show." was closed at the time. Whittemore was arrested after police received a 911 call.
The historic theater was home to "The Ed Sullivan Show," which featured such memorable appearances as the Beatles in 1964.
Letterman has been a more direct crime victim, notably when Margaret Mary Ray was arrested and charged several times for trespassing and stalking the talk show host starting in the late 1980s.
Police said they did not know whether Sunday's break-in had anything to do with Letterman in particular.
In 2009 Letterman was targeted for extortion by a former employee who threatened to expose his affair with a female staff member. He informed police and the man was arrested.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Ellen Wulfhorst)
