I feel like we’ve been hearing about this “burglar bunch” gang for days, and TMZ deserves credit for keeping on top of this story. I didn’t want to cover it although it’s interesting, because some of the coverage (not just at TMZ) glamorizes a highly illegal crime ring. The kids may have been computer-savvy in that they were able to figure out what they wanted to steal and when the celebrities would be away based on their event schedules. As superficially “clever” as their methods may be, there’s nothing smart about victimizing people and stealing their stuff. It seems kind of inevitable that these fools would be caught given their high profile crimes.
LA police have now spoken out about the gang of around six or seven, who range in age from 18 to 27 and are suspected in burglaries of celebrity homes including Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Megan Fox, Orlando Bloom, and Audrina Patridge. TMZ has posted evidence seized from one of the suspect’s computers that shows they were targeting specific celebrities using publicly available information on their home addresses and appearance schedules. They even used paparazzi photos to pick out purses, jewelry and designer clothing they wanted to swipe. One of the suspects, 18 year-old Alexis Neiers, was in a reality show pilot about aspiring actresses that aired on E! Her classmate, 18 year-old Rachel Lee, is the ring leader according to police.
These kids stole millions of dollars of goods, and most of the suspects are being charged with felony burglary. They ripped off over $2 million in jewelry from Paris Hilton alone. Paris has recovered some of her jewelry, but not everything that was stolen:
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 on their own.”
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 “The Hills” star Audrina Patridge, Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox, Brian Austin Green, Ashley Tisdale 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.
Items stolen “run the gamut of high-end designer clothing,” Goodkin said. “You could pick a designer, and they would be among what was taken.”
Police displayed an evidence photograph Wednesday depicting approximately $2 million in stolen jewelry that was recovered and returned to Hilton. The thieves snatched dozens of items of flashy, gem-encrusted jewelry, then made off with it in the socialite’s Luis Vuitton bag.
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.
Prosecutors have filed felony residential burglary charges against Neiers, Ames, Tamayo and Lopez Jr. They declined to file charges against Lee, pending further investigation, and additional charges will be filed against Prugo, who had already been charged with burglaries at Lohan and Patridge’s homes.
Police recovered three guns and a large amount of drugs as they served search warrants in the case. They did not specify where they searched.
The robberies were driven by “celebrity infatuation and greed,” Goodkin said.
Neiers had been the subject of a reality-TV pilot episode that the Los Angeles Times said was about aspiring actresses.
The cable network E! would not confirm that, but network officials issued a brief statement they “are concerned by recent events, awaiting further details and will be monitoring the situation closely.” The statement said shooting began recently and would continue.
[From The AP]
New paparazzi laws go into effect starting January, 2010 in LA that essentially bar photographers from taking photos that violate “reasonable expectation of privacy.” It’s unclear how this will be enforced, or if it will extend to include celebrities shopping and eating at known paparazzi hot spots. It may help celebrities avoid being photographed outside their homes and potentially targeted by thieves and stalkers. In the meantime many young celebrities will probably invest in security systems for their homes full of luxury goods.
Burglar Bunch header image is of Prugo, Tamayo, Ames and Taylor and is from LAIst and via TMZ
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