Robert De Niro: Woman 'caught stealing Christmas presents' from ...

A woman has been arrested after allegedly breaking into Robert De Niro's home in New York as he slept upstairs.

Initial reports from Manhattan said the woman, a suspected serial burglar, was caught while attempting to steal Christmas presents from De Niro's rented Upper East Side townhouse.

However, NBC New York later reported that the woman was actually found trying to use the Hollywood star's iPad. The star's 10-year-old daughter was also asleep at the property, the media outlet said.

Police said they found a 30-year-old woman in the living room of the house and arrested her shortly after 2.45am New York time (7.45am in the UK) on Monday.

Officers have not publicly identified her by name.

De Niro came down to the living room as the woman was being detained.

A spokesperson for the 79-year-old actor said he would not be making statements about the alleged attempted robbery.

The property is a temporary rental home being used by the star, the spokesperson said.

Officers said the basement door of the building on East 65th Street showed signs of forced entry.

De Niro is known for a range of critically acclaimed films, including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Godfather Part II, Goodfellas, Cape Fear and The Irishman.

He won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance in The Godfather Part II in 1975, and the Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull in 1981.