A serial burglar was disturbed while trying to steal Robert De Niro’s Christmas presents, as the actor and his 10-year-old daughter slept upstairs.

The police arrested Shanice Aviles and charged her with burglary after finding her in De Niro’s home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 2.45am (local time) on Tuesday.

It has been reported that Aviles, 30, attempted to steal gifts that had been placed underneath the family’s Christmas tree.

Aviles, a convicted burglar who has been arrested more than 20 times, was spotted by police trying the door handles of various properties in the neighbourhood.

They lost sight of her for a few minutes after she turned a corner into East 65th Street but noticed that a townhouse door was open.

A tactical team then went into the residence, where they found Aviles on the second floor using an iPad that they later learnt belonged to De Niro. She was recognised as a wanted criminal and taken into custody.

Police then went to the next floor, where they spotted De Niro’s family photographs. Officers woke the two-time Academy Award-winner and his daughter, who was sleeping in another room at the time of the attempted burglary. Neither had been harmed and locksmiths were later seen working outside the home.

The Daily Telegraph in London