WILDWOOD, Mo. – Missouri State Highway Patrol officers arrested St. Louis-raised rapper Nelly on Wednesday in Maryland Heights, allegedly on an outstanding warrant and in possession of drugs after a casino win.
Nelly formerly owned a mansion in the St. Louis suburb of Wildwood that sold for nearly $1 million in 2021. At the time of sale, several repairs were sought for the home. Realtor.com says the property is off the market, though doesn’t specifically list information about the current owners.
Over the last calendar year, St. Louis County police officers in the City of Wildwood Precinct have responded to several calls at Nelly’s former mansion. The calls have ranged from alleged break-ins to suspicious activity.
A spokesperson for the St. Louis County Police Department has informed FOX 2 of at least three calls at the property, located at 17329 Hidden Valley Drive, from August 2023 to February 2024.
Police responded to a call for service for a burglar alarm on August 13, 2023. Police found that a door was unlocked and the home appeared to be burglarized. An emergency contact for the property responded and told police that noting appeared out of place.
Police responded to a call for service for an open door on January 9, 2024. A neighbor told police the door to the property was open. Police did not locate anything out of place or any evidence of criminal activity.
Police responded to a call for service for suspicious activity reported on February 10, 2024. A caller noted that groups of juveniles had previously entered the property. Police responded and found several doors unlocked. An emergency contact for the property responded and told police that nothing appear to be broken, though it appeared some people ventured inside.
The spokesperson adds there have been “numerous incidents” since February, though it’s unclear how many have led to arrests or criminal proceedings.
In the 2024 calendar year, at least two videos have emerged on YouTube of views from inside the mansion. One is posted from a YouTube account called Stringer media, apparently showing some decay and materials left inside. Another is posted on a page from YouTube creator Noah Wittner, apparently showing several people touring the home. Neither video makes it clear whether the creators had permission to be inside or film the home.
According to the St. Louis County police spokesperson, anyone who enters the mansion without legal permission can be arrested for trespassing at minimum, and could possibly face charges of burglary, stealing or destruction of property.
According to a 2021 TMZ report, Nelly bought the mansion in the early 2000s with plans to remodel it and flip it to a “contractor friend,” but those plans never materialized.
The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home has dealt with burglaries since at least 2009, according to previous FOX 2 reports. A FOX 2 web story from that year shows a gallery of surveillance photos of an apparent suspect and police on the scene.
Below is a photo gallery of the property, which includes photos that Tadlock Brueggemann Real Estate shared with FOX 2 prior to its finalized sale in 2021.
