A burglar recognized Hayden Christensen mid-robbery and gave his stuff back. Now the actor has 1 message for thieves

Christensen — who played either Darth Vader, or his younger incarnation, Anakin Skywalker, on the big and small screens since 2002 — recalled encountering the would-be burglar during a recent L.A. Comic Con appearance.

He noted that it happened while he was awaiting the arrival of a friend at his house. He heard someone enter while on the phone but didn’t think twice about it until hanging up and encountering the stranger.

“I’m like, is this a delivery guy?” Christensen explained, noting that he realized that the person was carrying “all my stuff.”

The stranger, however, recognized the actor and, according to Christensen, handed everything back and apologized. And rather than a violent reaction akin to Vader’s “Force choke,” Christensen exhibited a Luke Skywalker-esque compassion, offering the burglar a deal before adding a warning to potential intruders.

Know your burglary risks — and what your insurance covers

Christensen said that the would-be burglar told him that he was attempting to get money to afford a train ticket back to his home. The actor added that he gave the man some clothes to job hunt and offered to buy his train ticket the next day, but that the intruder never returned.

The Canadian actor, however, did offer one tip to others who might consider a break-in: “Please don’t try to burglarize my house again. I’ve got great security cameras.”

FBI stats, meanwhile, show that the estimated U.S. home burglary rate dropped almost every year from 2006 to 2025 — with 2025 seeing a 20-year low at 193.6 burglaries per 100,000 inhabitants.

The same report pegged the most frequent time of day for home burglaries between 12:00 p.m. to 5:59 p.m. And the most recent verifiable government figures, from 2019, put average burglary dollar losses at $2,661.

Loretta Worters, of the Insurance Information Institute, told Moneywise that standard homeowners insurance policies generally cover “clothing, furniture, electronics” and other items taken during a burglary. Valuables like cash, jewelry, fine art and collectibles “have special coverage limits under standard homeowners policies.”

Worters added that compensation for losses can depend on whether the policy provides cash value — which accounts for depreciation — or replacement cost coverage, which “generally pays to replace an item with a new one of similar kind and quality.”

Standard homeowners insurance, she said, generally covers structural damage like broken windows or damaged doors, locks and interiors related to the burglary.

Still, it’s always better to prevent break-ins in the first place. K. Campbell, a security expert and principal at Blue Glacier Security & Intelligence LLC, told Moneywise that one of the most common homeowner mistakes is failing to establish “occupancy cues” if they aren’t at home.

“Occupancy cues are indicators that residents might be inside the home,” he explained. “[They] can include leaving lights on, in addition to the TV or radio, while you’re away from home. Bonus points if the lights, TV and radio are on timers.”

How to secure your home and keep burglars out

Campbell advised that “you’re considerably less likely to be burglarized if you have a combination of outdoor cameras, an obvious alarm system and an alarm sign that warns burglars.” He doesn’t recommend “expensive alarm systems with long contracts,” adding that “DIY alarm systems can cost as little as $100” and allow for “free self-monitoring or professional monitoring for only $20 to $30 per month with no contract.”

He also said that noisy dogs — big or small — act as an effective burglar deterrent, while a reinforced security strike plate with long screws for your front door can run about $10 and are among the “best values for money” in home security.