De Niro ‘sad’ for Yule thief

Robert De Niro opened up about the break-in at his Manhattan townhouse, telling The Post it was a “sad situation” — and he feels “bad” for the serial burglar allegedly caught opening Christmas presents under his tree.

The 79-year-old Oscarwinner made the comments as he left a closed-door custody hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court in his divorce case from estranged wife Grace Hightower.

“It’s just a sad situation — unfortunate for everybody,” De Niro said of the Dec. 19 attempted burglary.

“It’s all sad,” he added. “I felt bad for the whole situation. I felt bad for the person.”

The “Irishman” actor’s rented Upper East Side townhouse was broken into as he slept, days before Christmas. Prosecutors have said accused burglar Shanice Aviles, 30, used a knife and “crowbar-like tool” to get in and was found by cops fumbling with De Niro’s belongings.

De Niro’s divorce lawyer Caroline Krauss on Tuesday said it’s sad “that someone would feel the need to do such a thing,” to which the star chimed in, “yes.”

When asked if the incident left him scared, the “Taxi Driver” icon and native New Yorker said: “No.”