Sunday, Nov. 01, 2009

Police: Six teens robbed celebrities

LOS ANGELES -- For a group of Hollywood-obsessed teens, entertainment news on the Internet offered more than a glimpse into the lives of stars. It helped them break into celebrities' homes.

The teens tracked the movements of stars such as Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton and broke into their houses, making off with millions of dollars in stolen possessions in a spree that lasted almost a year.

With a few clicks on the Internet, police say, the suspects developed a wish list of designer clothes and jewelry, then raided the homes while celebrities were away.

"They thought it was fun, kind of an adrenaline rush," Los Angeles police officer Brett Goodkin said. "They would go in and steal the celebrity's clothes and possessions, things they could never afford."

Police last week arrested four young women and two men on suspicion of burglarizing 10 homes in the Hollywood Hills. In addition to Lohan and Hilton, other victims included Audrina Patridge, Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox and Rachel Bilson.

Police said the teens scoured celebrity blogs and Web sites, looking for valuables, and then used the Internet to find where the stars lived.

After watching a home, they would break into poorly protected properties through doors, windows and, in one case, a doggy door. The burglaries lasted from October 2008 until September.

The suspects include 18-year-olds Rachel Lee, Courtney Ames and Alexis Neiers, and Diana Tamayo, 19.

Several of the group graduated two years ago from the "continuation campus" at Indian Hills High School in suburban Agoura Hills, said Donald Zimring, superintendent of the Las Virgenes Unified School District.

Such campuses are for students struggling to attain good grades in regular schools, but Zimring could not comment on their academic records.

Additionally, 18-year-old Nicholas Prugo was arrested last month in the same case on suspicion of breaking into the homes of Lohan and Patridge. A sixth suspect, 27-year-old Ray Lopez Jr., was also arrested.

Police also sought Jonathan Ajar, also 27, for a variety of offenses, including receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm.

The robberies were driven by "celebrity infatuation and greed," Goodkin said.

An attorney representing some of the victims said the crimes highlight the growing risks faced by celebrities in a world of unending media attention. Blair Berk worried this was putting a "bull's-eye on the forehead of celebrities."

"You cannot on a weekly basis publish pictures of the back entrance to someone's house and do stories on their collection of cars and jewelry without increasing that person's vulnerability to theft and harm," Berk said.