Vanilla Ice: Why He Told Cops He Thought He Could Take Stolen Property

Photo by Paul Warner/Getty Images(LANTANA, Fla.) — According to the arrest report from Lantana, Florida, Police, Vanilla Ice — born Robert Van Winkle — said he thought the items he was arrested for stealing were “trash” left on the curb.

The former rapper was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Wednesday night and charged with burglary of a residence and grand theft, according to Chief Sean Scheller at the Lantana Police Department. He was released from jail on bond.

In the arrest report obtained by ABC News on Thursday, the interview Van Winkle, 47, had with police states the former rapper said “he was going to purchase” the home where the goods were taken from, even though he “did not have any type of contract or down payment on the property.”

He added, according to the report, that “he found several of the items next to the curb and he thought they were trash.”

Van Winkle also admitted to lying to others that he had already purchased the home, when he had not, according to the report.

The home in question, in Palm Beach County, is located near a residence that the former rapper actually does own and is renovating. According to authorities, the missing items — which included furniture, a pool heater, bicycles and other items — were found at Van Winkle’s property and later returned to the owner.

The total value of the items found at Van Winkle’s home totaled more than $6,000, according to the report.

The police also spoke with a foreman for Van Winkle, who told them he was instructed to remove some of the allegedly stolen property and take it to Van Winkle’s home in Lake Worth, Florida, the report adds. The foreman told police he didn’t think he did anything wrong because the former rapper told him he owned the house.

Van Winkle, who is best known for his hit song “Ice Ice Baby,” has a home renovation show on the DIY Network, The Vanilla Ice Project.

A rep for Van Winkle did not respond to a request for comment.

After being released from jail, Van Winkle spoke to West Palm Beach, Florida, ABC affiliate WPBF. “It’s just out of proportion. I wish you guys would focus on the good things I’ve done,” he told the station. Asked if the incident is part of his reality show, he laughed and said, “I wish it was — there’s nothing fun about this. I wish everyone the best and maybe the good news will travel this fast.”

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