Model and musician Natalia Barulich says more than $2.1 million in designer jewelry and accessories vanished from her upscale unit at 8500 Burton Way while she was out of town, and she is now suing the luxury property. In her complaint, Barulich blames the massive loss on what she calls systemic security failures at the building and seeks damages for negligence, emotional distress, and fraud.
According to documents obtained by TMZ, Barulich had signed a lease at 8500 Burton Way and was paying roughly $12,000 a month when the theft occurred while she was traveling in October 2025. The filing alleges that burglars spent hours inside her apartment, riding the elevators, and ultimately escaping through the garage with dozens of high-end handbags, watches, jewelry, and other items valued at more than $2.1 million. The suit, according to the documents, brings claims including negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and fraud.
Building, Security, and Ownership
The Burton Way property is a high-end, mixed-use development from Caruso Affiliated, the real-estate company led by Rick Caruso, which has marketed the address as a luxury, amenity-packed destination. As described by Caruso and in earlier coverage from the Los Angeles Times, 8500 Burton Way was rolled out as one of the city’s priciest rental buildings and touts round-the-clock service and controlled access.
What the Complaint Says About Security
Barulich’s complaint, as summarized in TMZ's copy of the filing, claims the building’s security systems “failed at every level,” from cameras to door locks, and asserts that access logs show building security personnel entered her unit while she was away. The suit also alleges that some staff members privately told her they suspected an “inside job,” and that management later refused to cooperate with her efforts to investigate, even tying her release from the lease to signing a nondisparagement agreement. The complaint further says the burglars rode the elevators, lingered in the unit for hours, and then took off through the garage.
Legal Claims and What They Could Mean
The complaint asks for damages based on negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and fraud. To succeed on negligence claims against a landlord or building manager, a tenant generally has to show the owner had a duty to guard against foreseeable criminal conduct and failed to take reasonable steps to do so, a framework reflected in California premises-liability guidance. Practical defenses available to a landlord can include pointing to lease provisions and evidence that reasonable security measures were in place, which means the case may hinge on discovery into security logs, maintenance records, and staff communications, according to FindLaw.
What to Watch Next
Barulich’s lawsuit is now pending in civil court, with discovery expected to be the next phase in which security records and testimony from building staff could surface. Public service lists and court filings in other matters list a Natalia M. Barulich at a unit at 8500 Burton Way, which lines up with the complaint’s tenant allegations, according to public court records. For the moment, the battle is confined to the pleadings and to the looming question of whether the building’s glossy security promises held up when it counted.
