Home Alone Star Tries To Hire His Own "Wet Bandit", Gets Busted For Soliciting Prostitute

VENTURA COUNTY, CA - Daniel Stern, best known for his roles in Home Alone 1 and 2, has reportedly been charged with one misdemeanor count of soliciting prostitution.

Stern was reportedly cited at a motel in Camarillo, California, on December 10, 2025, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. "From what I understand, he was cited at the location and released," spokesperson Joey Buttitta told PEOPLE. He later said that Stern was charged on January 12 and his arraignment was scheduled for January 13.

"The Ventura County Sheriff's Office submitted their ticket or citation to us and it is being reviewed by our prosecutors," Buttitta previously said in a statement.

Stern, who played "Wet Bandit" Marv in the beloved Christmas classics, is now a sculptor and farmer living on a ranch in California. In an exclusive interview in December 2025, Stern told PEOPLE that he was commissioned by the family that purchased the Illinois house featured in the movie to make a replica of himself and the tarantula that was placed on his face during an iconic scene with Macaulay Culkin's character Kevin.

Stern said that the artwork will be the first self-portrait he's ever created. "I've been looking at myself in my studio and I've made myself a lot handsomer than I actually am in real life. Just why not?," he joked during the interview. 

"I'm going to ship it but they might have like an unveiling or something," he said. "It would be crazy to be in [the house]. That house is like a tourist attraction." 

Stern left the Hollywood life behind many years ago and moved to a farm in Ventura where he and his wife tend to cattle and citrus trees. They also grow produce on the farm. Stern said his successes in the '80s and '90s made him "enough money that I didn't have to work," and instilled "an obligation to take advantage of my good fortune."

The misdemeanor charge Stern faces carries a potential penalty of six months in jail or a $1,000 fine, FOX11 reported. Stern has not yet commented on the citation or a recent October 2025 hospitalization following an undisclosed medical emergency.