Crime | Government | Medical marijuana | Education | Swine flu | Traffic | Westside

L.A. NOW

Southern California -- this just in

Category: Hollywood

Sen. John Kerry's daughter arrested in Hollywood on suspicion of drunk driving [Updated]

November 19, 2009 |  8:59 am

The daughter of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) was arrested in Hollywood early this morning for alleged drunk driving.

Los Angeles police say Alexandra Kerry, 36, was stopped by police during a traffic stop at about 12:40 a.m.

“Officers detected signs and symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol,” said LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh.

Kerry was booked at the Hollywood police station and held until 5:25 a.m. after she posted $5,000 bail. Borihanh said he did not know what Kerry’s blood-alcohol level was.

Alexandra Kerry is the eldest daughter of John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic Party presidential nominee.

[Updated at 2 p.m.: A spokeswoman for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said that Alexandra Kerry was pulled over for an expired vehicle registration and was released after the results of a Breathalyzer test at the police station were under the legal limit.

“Sen. Kerry supports his daughter and will have no further comment on a private matter,” said Jodi Seth, a Kerry spokeswoman.

Richard French, a spokesman for the LAPD, said he did not know Kerry’s blood alcohol level and could not confirm whether it was under the legal limit.

“When it comes to drunk driving or impaired driving because of alcohol, it is at the traffic officer’s discretion,” French said. “Many people could be under the legal limit and still be impaired. The blood alcohol level is not as important as to how impaired her driving was.”]

-- My-Thuan Tran


L.A. City Council lists top 10 places where bureaucracy makes it hard to film

November 18, 2009 | 12:26 pm
The Los Angeles City Council, in an attempt to stem runaway production and make television and motion picture filming less of a hassle in the city, ordered up a list of the 10 most popular locations where bureaucratic regulations and other factors make it hard to film, with hopes of eventually fixing the situation.

The worst of the worst are, in no particular order: the
  • Los Angeles Zoo.
  • Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce headquarters.
  • AT&T Building downtown.
  • Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center.
  • Japanese American National Museum.
  • Terminal Annex Post Office near Union Station downtown.
The city’s financial analysts compiled the list with the help of film industry location managers through their union, the Motion Picture and Theatrical Trade Teamsters Local 399.

The location mangers said those sites are difficult to film for a variety of reasons, including rental costs, difficulty securing permits, government regulations restricting public access and even things such as restrictions on providing food for crew members.

“Los Angeles is the film capital of the world, but there are too many places in which we tell filming to go away,’’ said Council President Eric Garcetti.
 
Continue reading »

Hollywood Spider-Man impersonator caught in legal web

November 11, 2009 |  5:43 pm

Spiderman

A Spider-Man impersonator was arrested on outstanding criminal warrants today after an incident in which he allegedly slugged a man near the Hollywood and Highland complex, Los Angeles police said.

It was not immediately clear what led to the altercation, which was reported about 12:30 p.m. in the 6800 block of Hollywood Boulevard. But it's the latest in a string of incidents involving movie characters and celebrity lookalikes who vie for space -- and attention -- along the tourist-filled corridor that includes Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Christopher Loomis, 39, was being held on outstanding misdemeanor warrants in lieu of $5,500 bail, police said.

Continue reading »

Alleged 'bling ring' member in protective custody after threat, attorney says

November 9, 2009 | 12:57 pm

Lohan A member of a crew of young people accused of burglarizing celebrity homes, including Paris Hilton's and Lindsay Lohan's, has been placed in protective custody after receiving a threat, his attorney said today.

A search warrant affidavit made public last week indicated that Nicholas Prugo, 18, of Calabasas, provided a full confession and implicated six others in a series of burglaries since last December that netted more than $3 million in designer clothes and jewelry from many on young Hollywood's A-list.

Sean G. Erenstoft, Prugo's attorney, said only that "my client has received a threat." He did not say who made the threat.

Erenstoft said Prugo agreed to cooperate with Los Angeles police detectives and was told his cooperation would not be made public. Erenstoft said his client's information allowed investigators to crack the case that had gone unsolved for months. Prugo was arrested after a tipster informed the Los Angeles Police Department that he was in the so-called bling ring.

Continue reading »

L.A. Marathon unveils Stadium to the Sea route

November 9, 2009 | 11:44 am

The L.A. Marathon’s Stadium to the Sea route that was unveiled today will take runners from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica while passing several Los Angeles landmarks.

Runners in the 25th edition of the 26.2-mile race will wind through downtown, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, passing by L.A. City Hall, the Capitol Records Building, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Sunset Strip, Rodeo Drive and the Santa Monica Pier.

Registration for the March 21, 2010, marathon is $125. Runners are asked to park near the finish line in Santa Monica and to take shuttle buses bound for Dodger Stadium.

-- Baxter Holmes

More breaking news on L.A. Now:

L.A. council's Public Safety Committee confirms Beck's nomination for LAPD chief

L.A. Marathon unveils Stadium to the Sea route

Poet on Roman Polanski's punishment: No Lakers or studio meetings

San Diego authorities seek bank robber

Pomona man arrested in fatal shooting may be linked to two other deaths [Updated

Website offering looks at celebrity homes raises police concern, cited in 'bling ring' burglaries

Freight train derails near Union Station, disrupting several commuter lines

Charlie Beck to go before public safety committee in LAPD chief bid

New lanes open on 405 Freeway through Westside

Magnet school deadline moved up for L.A. Unified

Mojave Desert helicopter crash victims were headed to Riverside show


Reputed 'bling ring' fugitive surrenders to LAPD

November 4, 2009 |  5:01 pm

A fugitive and convicted drug dealer who police say is part of the reputed 'bling ring" that has burglarized the homes of young celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton surrendered to police this afternoon, authorities said.

Jonathan Ajar, whom police dubbed "Johnny Dangerous," is suspected of selling some of the luxury items allegedly stolen in at least 10 burglaries. Investigators are still piecing together the case but said the ring was largely composed of young women who attended Indian Hills Continuation High School in Agoura Hills and had a taste for the luxury goods and accessories young celebrities wore

In addition to Lohan and Hilton, the group is suspected of taking merchandise from the residences of Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Brian Austin Green, Megan Fox, Audrina Patridge and Ashley Tisdale.

Accompanied by an attorney, Ajar went to the Hollywood police station, where he turned himself in about 2:30 p.m., said Det. Bret Goodkin.

Continue reading »

Villaraigosa wants city buildings opened to TV, film production

November 4, 2009 |  4:55 pm
To stem the outflow of film and other entertainment production jobs from Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa met this morning with representatives from more than 20 city departments to find ways to make it easier for producers to shoot locally.

Villaraigosa has already ordered general managers to appoint film “liaisons" in every department to help production companies cut through the bureaucracy and coordinate production work. Today he also asked them to identify all city buildings, parking lots and other facilities producers could use for films, television, commercials and other projects, according to a spokesman for the mayor.

The agencies include the Los Angeles Zoo, Department of Water and Power, Port of Los Angeles, Department of Transportation and Department of General Services.

According to the California Film Commission, the state’s share of U.S. feature film production fell to 31% in 2008 from 66% in 2003. Most of that drop-off was in the Los Angeles area, where feature filming in 2008 was nearly half what it was at its peak in 1996.

A survey by FilmL.A. Inc., which coordinates permits for location filming, found that only 57% of all TV pilots were shot in the L.A. area this year, down from 81% in 2004.

The City Council is already considering offering tax refunds to production companies and tax credits to building owners who make their sites available for filming. The council also wants to increase the availability of power nodes downtown so filmmakers don’t have to rely on portable generators, saving money and reducing noise levels for downtown residents.

-- Phil Willon at L.A. City Hall


Authorities apprehend suspect sought in Hollywood [Updated]

October 29, 2009 |  5:33 pm

Los Angeles police officers are assisting U.S. marshals in a search for a suspect who may be hiding in a building near La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, authorities said.

About 3 p.m., marshals attempted to apprehend the suspect, who took off running and is believed to hiding near La Brea and Hollywood Boulevard, said Officer Bruce Borihanh of the Los Angeles Police Department.

"Marshals called us for backup," Borihanh said. "We have a bunch of units there, and we set up a perimeter."

Borihanh said he did not know why the suspect was being sought. He said officers and federal agents were preparing to search a building in the area.

[Updated at 6:15 p.m.: Police said the suspect was apprehended about 5:45 p.m.]

—Robert J. Lopez


Four more suspects charged in celebrity 'bling ring' burglary case [Updated]

October 28, 2009 |  1:10 pm

Blingring

Prosecutors have charged four more suspects in connection with at least 10 break-ins at the homes of young Hollywood celebrities, a group that now includes Brian Austin Green, Ashley Tisdale and Megan Fox.

In announcing the charges, prosecutors said the ring netted the suspects more than $3 million in designer clothes, jewelry and other accessories. [Updated at 3:30 p.m.: This post has been updated throughout to reflect new developments.]

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office charged Diana Tamayo, 19, of Newbury Park with two counts of residential burglary. Courtney Ames, 18, of Calabasas; Alexis Neiers, 18, of Thousand Oaks; and Roy Lopez, 27, of Reseda, were charged with one count each of residential burglary. Prosecutors did not charge Rachel Lee, 18, who was arrested recently in Las Vegas in connection with the celebrity crime spree.

Police also identified Jonathan "Johny Dangerous" Ajar, 27, as a suspect and said they have issued a warrant for his arrest on charges that include sale and possession of drugs, possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon, possession of body armor and receiving stolen property.

Ajar, who served five years in federal prison for drug trafficking, is believed to have been the ring's fence, sources said. A search of Ajar's apartment Oct. 22 turned up multiple weapons, stashes of cocaine and body armor, officials said.

Continue reading »

Reputed 'bling ring' celebrity targets included Ashley Tisdale, Megan Fox [Updated]

October 28, 2009 | 10:53 am

Megan-fox http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/25/38649367.jpg

Los Angeles police have asked prosecutors to charge five suspects -- including four teenage women -- in connection with at least 10 break-ins at the homes of young Hollywood celebrities, a group that now includes Brian Austin Green, Ashley Tisdale and Megan Fox.

Detectives with the LAPD's Hollywood Division are seeking multiple criminal filings against Rachel Lee, 19, Diana Tamayo, 19, Courtney Ames, 18, and Alexis Neiers, 18, who were arrested last week and are out on bail.

Possible charges would include residential burglary, as well as narcotics and firearms-related offenses, according to people familiar with the investigation, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak about the case.

Police also are seeking two older men who are suspected of acting as fences for the stolen goods, detectives said. Roy Lopez, a 27-year-old bartender who lives in Los Angeles County, faces possible charges. Police also identified Jonathan "Johny Dangerous" Ajar, also 27, as a suspect and said they have issued a warrant for his arrest on charges that included sale and possession of drugs, possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon, possession of body armor and receiving stolen property.

Nicholas Frank Prugo, 18, already has been charged in connection with burglaries at the homes of Lindsay Lohan and Audrina Patridge.

The group studied television shows, celebrity magazines and websites, picking out clothing and jewelry they wanted, according to Los Angeles police detectives. They then figured out where the celebrities lived and, after casing the homes, broke in and took what they wanted, detectives said.

Continue reading »

A water main break, not a private pipe, damaged road in Hollywood Hills

October 25, 2009 |  4:10 pm

About 30 homes in the Hollywood Hills were without water today after, officials determined, an 8-inch water main burst.

The break, the latest in a series over the last few months, occurred just after 11 a.m.

Los Angeles city firefighters used pumps and sandbags to protect several homes in the 7800 block of Torreyson Drive, redirecting the water to prevent the homes from flooding, spokesman Devin Gales said.

Officials have determined that the source of the water was not a private water pipe but rather a main serving the neighborhood.

Torreyson Drive was closed. The water flow and mud buildup caused minor street damage, said DWP spokeswoman Gale Harris. A crew worked this afternoon to repair the line and clear the mud and expected the water service to resume by about 8 p.m.

-- Anna Gorman


Environmentalists pushing for curb to global warming at local events today as part of the 350 campaign

October 24, 2009 | 10:13 am

Environment-oriented people are gathering around Southern California and throughout the state today to press for tough federal legislation and an international treaty to curb global warning.

The participants are part of "an international day of action," with about 4,000 events in 170 countries at places including the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower, according to 350.org, a group started by environmentalist Bill McKibben.

Members of 30 Santa Barbara and Los Angeles-area environmental groups and their supporters will gather at 3 p.m. on the Manhattan Beach Pier for the "Amazing Waving Human Tide Line" to highlight the sea rise expected from climate change. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted last month to endorse the International Day of Climate Action. (Click here to download a description of the South Bay 350 Climate Action Group.)

In Orange County, the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center will feature an International Day of Climate Action Festival from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., highlighted by an aerial photo of attendees gathered to form the number 350 on a field. Other activities will include a nature hike, a 5K walk, tree planting and talks by Orange County environmental and religious leaders. The United Methodist Church in Costa Mesa will host a lecture on "creation care," a movement to protect the Earth from climate-related threats.

This morning, a group was planning to meet at 6284 Mulholland Highway in Los Angeles to pose with a giant "350"  banner beneath the Hollywood sign. 

The group 350.org advocates reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million from the current 390 parts. Before the Industrial Revolution, the atmosphere contained about 280 parts per million, but the concentration is rapidly heading toward more than 500 parts as a result of the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of rain forests.

The group, which seeks to spur grass-roots consciousness of climate-change dangers, has its work cut out for it. Polls show that Americans are growing less, not more, concerned about global warming -- despite warnings from scientists that warmer temperatures, drought, melting glaciers, water shortages, species extinctions and sea rise will result from the buildup of carbon dioxide.

-- Margot Roosevelt and Jeff Gottlieb


Hollywood High School football player dies after collapsing during a game [Updated]

October 17, 2009 |  5:44 pm

A football player from Hollywood High School's freshman-sophomore team who collapsed during a game Friday evening died this afternoon at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman Ellen Morgan.

The student was pronounced dead about 3 p.m., Morgan said. She declined to identify the player pending parental approval.

[Updated at 11 p.m.: An earlier version of this post incorrectly gave his time of death as about 4 p.m.]

Morgan said counselors were sent to Hollywood High today and would also be available on Monday.

The details of what happened to the player during the game remain unclear.

Brad Ratcliff, varsity football coach at West Adams Prep, Hollywood High's opponent Friday, said today that he was told by his freshman-sophomore coach that the Hollywood player was jogging back to the sideline and collapsed with about two minutes left in the game.

Ratcliff said paramedics were called and took the player to Childrens Hospital. The game was halted.

-- Eric Sondheimer


Bodyguard testifies Anna-Nicole Smith's drug use increased after son's death

October 14, 2009 |  3:05 pm

Anna Nicole Smith consumed increasing amounts of a rare sleep aid in the months after her son’s death, eventually drinking the powerful liquid sedative straight from the medicine bottle, her former bodyguard testified today.

The drug, chloral hydrate, was cited as the primary cause of Smith’s fatal overdose the following year and her bodyguard said the model often carried a bottle of the drug as she grieved her son.

“I saw her use a spoon maybe twice and after that it was bottle to mouth: gulp,” said Maurice Brighthaupt, a Miami firefighter who moonlighted as Smith’s security guard.

Brighthaupt took the stand at a hearing that will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to try Smith’s longtime companion, Howard K. Stern, and two Los Angeles physicians on charges of conspiring to furnish her with illegal prescription medications. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Continue reading »

Student wounded in shooting near high school in Hollywood

October 13, 2009 |  5:27 pm
A 16-year-old student was shot in the hip this afternoon within two blocks of Helen Bernstein High School in  Hollywood, where classes had just ended for the day, authorities said.Hollywood neighborhood where the shooting took place.

The girl was taken to a hospital, where she was listed in good condition, said Officer Bruce Borihanh of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police suspect that the girl, who had been walking home, was caught in the crossfire of two rival gangs, according to an LAPD source who asked not to be named because the case was ongoing.

Borihanh said witnesses reported seeing four male juveniles running from the scene of the shooting, which occurred about 1:50 p.m. near Wilton Place and Fountain Avenue.

"Nobody saw a gun. Nobody saw the shooting take place," he said.

Monica Carazo, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Unified School District, said the high school and two other nearby schools were locked down until about 4 p.m. The school district was sending a recorded phone message to parents to let them know what had happened, she said.

Police had cordoned off an area around the school and were searching for suspects this afternoon.

--Andrew Blankstein and Robert J. Lopez

Anna Nicole Smith spent final days drifting in and out of consciousness, witness says

October 13, 2009 |  1:57 pm

Anna Nicole Smith spent the last days of her life drifting in and out of consciousness under the pale blue comforter of a king-sized hotel bed, too weak to walk, sit up or drink from anything other than a baby bottle, according to court testimony today.

The description of the period preceding the supermodel’s 2007 death from a combination of sedatives and other drugs came on the opening day of a hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to try three people for conspiring to illegally furnish Smith with prescription medications.

Smith died at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and a medical examiner there ruled her overdose an accident. But a multi-agency task force spent two years investigating how she obtained opiates, sedatives and other drugs -- 44 different medications -- in the period before her death.

Los Angeles prosecutors ultimately charged two California physicians who wrote her prescriptions, Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor, and her boyfriend and attorney, Howard K. Stern, earlier this year. All three have pleaded not guilty.

At today’s hearing before Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry, a detective with the state Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement said Smith was clearly ill when she checked into the hotel Feb. 5, 2007 accompanied by Stern and Eroshevich, a psychiatrist.

Special Agent Danny Santiago said the hotel employee who checked the group in recalled Smith, a repeat customer, leaning on Stern to walk and seeming “out of it.”

Continue reading »

Fire engulfs Hollywood medical office building

October 10, 2009 |  9:55 am

It took 108 firefighters nearly an hour to extinguish a blaze that engulfed a three-story medical office building along Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood early this morning, authorities said.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire was reported at 3:14 a.m. in the 5100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, at Kingsley Drive, in the Little Armenia neighborhood of Hollywood.  The building named the Medical Institute is wedged between a shoe store and the Carpenters Local Union 516 building. 

Offices are also used by other tenants, such as telemarketers, Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

--Ruben Vives


Man, 33, shot to death in gang-related attack, police say

October 4, 2009 | 10:32 am

A 33-year-old man was killed Saturday in a gang-related shooting in East Hollywood, police said.

The body of Saul Ayala was found in the 4500 block of Clinton Street about 11:30 p.m. after Los Angeles police officers responded to a call of shots fired in the neighborhood, said Officer Gregory Baek.

Two unidentified suspects were seen fleeing the scene.

Ayala was a known gang member, Baek said. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the neck, Baek said.

-- Corina Knoll


Conan O'Brien expected to return to work Monday

September 26, 2009 |  5:28 pm

Conan

Conan O'Brien has been released from a hospital after suffering a head injury Friday during a stunt on the "Tonight Show." Here's the story from the Associated Press:

Conan O’Brien was expected to be back on the job Monday after hitting his head during a “Tonight Show” stunt.

 “Conan is resting comfortably at home. He is expected to return to work on Monday,” NBC said in a statement Saturday.

 The accident Friday halted production of the show, NBC said. The network did not say what the stunt entailed.

 O’Brien was examined at a hospital Friday and was released, although the network didn’t say when.

 A “Tonight” rerun with guest Jeremy Piven aired Friday. According to NBC’s website, the scheduled show was supposed to include actress Teri Hatcher and Seth MacFarlane ("Family Guy," "The Cleveland Show"). Actress Drew Barrymore and jockey Joe Talamo were the scheduled guests for Monday.

 O’Brien, 46, issued a statement through NBC that indicated he was treating the incident lightly.

 “Last thing I remember, I was enjoying the play with Mrs. Lincoln, and the next thing I knew I was in bed being served cookies and juice,” O’Brien said in the statement.

 The accident brought back memories of a rare absence by his predecessor. O’Brien took over the “Tonight” host’s job from Jay Leno in June.

Leno’s absence came toward the end of his 17 years with the show, when a high fever and unspecified illness caused him to check himself into a hospital for a day. NBC canceled two episodes of “Tonight” when that occurred in May.

 NBC’s decision to remove the top-rated Leno from “Tonight” and replace him with O’Brien, hoping to draw a younger audience, put pressure on the new host’s shoulders.

 The network’s creation of a daily prime-time comedy show for Leno, displacing five hours of scripted shows, was another bold move. Leno’s new show debuted this month.

File photo of Conan O'Brien by Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press



"Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien injures head and halts taping of program

September 25, 2009 |  9:43 pm

Conan

An accident that apparently sent "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien to the hospital halted production of the program today, according to the Associated Press. Here's the AP story:

Conan O'Brien hit his head during a stunt for the "Tonight Show" on Friday and the production was halted, NBC said.

The network declined to comment on his condition or whether he was hospitalized.

But a person close to the production said O'Brien was being examined at a hospital. The person, who lacked authorization to discuss details of the matter, spoke on condition of anonymity.

O'Brien issued a statement through NBC that indicated he was treating the incident lightly.

"Last thing I remember, I was enjoying the play with Mrs. Lincoln, and the next thing I knew I was in bed being served cookies and juice," O'Brien said in the statement.

The 46-year-old comedian took over the show from Jay Leno in June.

O'Brien's accident recalled a rare absence by Leno that came toward the end of his 17 years with the show, when a high fever and unspecified illness caused him to check himself into a hospital for a day.

NBC canceled two episodes of "Tonight" when that occurred in May. Leno's new daily prime-time comedy show debuted this month.

File photo of Conan O'Brien by Paul Drinkwater / AP



New drug-related charges filed against Anna Nicole Smith's attorney

September 23, 2009 |  1:21 pm

Prosecutors expanded their case against Anna Nicole Smith’s attorney and companion today, charging him with five additional crimes and placing him at the center of what authorities say was a conspiracy with two doctors to funnel excessive amounts of prescription drugs to the late model.

The Los Angeles district attorney’s office added four counts of obtaining a prescription for opiates under a false name or address and one count of prescribing, administering or dispensing controlled substances to an addict to the half-dozen charges Howard K. Stern was already facing.

The counts were previously included in the complaint naming Stern, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich as conspirators, but each charge applied only to one of the physicians. With the additional charges, Stern is named in all 11 counts of the complaint and the doctors face six.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Sean Carney downplayed the move as a correction to a “clerical omission” in previous complaints, but Stern’s attorney said it showed a lack of confidence by prosecutors.

“They are using a shotgun approach. Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks and the answer will be nothing sticks,” lawyer Steven Sadow said.

A preliminary hearing to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed to trial is set for Oct. 5, but prosecutors plan to ask for an eight-day delay to evaluate handwriting samples taken today from Stern and Kapoor.

Smith died from an overdose of prescription drugs in 2007.

-- Harriet Ryan in Los Angeles


Man is arrested in break-ins at homes of 2 actresses

September 17, 2009 |  6:30 pm

A Calabasas man has been arrested by Los Angeles police detectives on suspicion of burglary in connection with break-ins at the Hollywood Hills homes of actresses Lindsay Lohan and Audrina Patridge.

Nicholas Frank Prugo, 18, was arrested without incident Thursday morning by detectives with the LAPD's Hollywood Division. He was being held on $20,000 bail at the Hollywood Division jail.

Prugo, who is unemployed, is believed to be one of three people, including two unidentified women, who entered Lohan's home last month through an unlocked door and ransacked it before leaving with undisclosed property, police said.

Video surveillance showed Prugo at Lohan's home, police said. That footage as well as video from Patridge's home and other evidence led authorities to the suspect, police said.

The investigation is continuing, authorities said

—Andrew Blankstein


Fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander sentenced to 59 years to life

August 31, 2009 |  7:32 pm

AnandJonAlexander Celebrity fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander was sentenced to 59 years to life in prison this afternoon for sexually assaulting seven girls and young women whom prosecutors said he enticed with the promise of modeling jobs.

Alexander, acting as his own attorney, presented a lengthy argument Monday saying he should get a new trial because of juror and prosecutorial misconduct, and inadequate defense by his former attorneys. A judge denied his motion.

Alexander stared ahead blankly as Judge David Wesley handed down the hefty sentence and his victims wept in the jury box.

The designer, who appeared on the reality television show “America’s Next Top Model,” was convicted of 16 charges including rape and sexual assault in November. Wesley sentenced him to the maximum sentence for all but two of those counts, saying he showed no remorse for his actions and posed a danger to other young women.

Alexander also faces charges in New York and Texas, where he has been indicted. Should he be convicted in other states, those sentences would be served on top of his California sentence, prosecutors said.

Several of Alexander’s victims spoke before the sentencing, each choking up with emotion.

“I was 14. You took my adolescence, my trust, my dream and completely manipulated them for your sexual desires,” one of the victims said, reading from a statement.

-- Victoria Kim

Photo: Beverly Hills fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander listens to his sentence for multiple counts of rape in Los Angeles Superior Court August 31, 2009.  Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times


Police release photos of suspected burglars at Lindsay Lohan's home

August 26, 2009 |  5:40 pm
Los Angeles police released photographs and a video today that show three people who allegedly broke into Lindsay Lohan’s Hollywood Hills home Sunday.

The LAPD said it released the items because the department wants help identifying those involved.

Police were called to Lohan’s home Sunday morning about the possible burglary. The actress' home had also been the target of an attempted burglary in May, an officer at the LAPD’s Hollywood station said Sunday.

In a news release Wednesday, police described the three suspects as two women and one man ages 18 to 25.

“A surveillance camera at a home in the 2200 block of El Contento Drive captured three suspects, whose faces were covered with scarves, walking through a gate and entering a courtyard at around 1:10 a.m.,” the release said. “Detectives believe that the trio gained entry inside the home through an unlocked door, then ransacked it and took the victim’s property.”


-- Ari B. Bloomekatz

$4.6 million buys EBay bidder eternity with Marilyn Monroe

August 24, 2009 | 12:38 pm

MARILYN Marilyn Monroe, who's been dead 47 years, still carries enough cachet that the crypt above where she was entombed was sold today on EBay for $4,602,100.

Elsie Poncher, whose husband Richard Poncher is buried in the crypt at Pierce Bros. Westwood Village Memorial Park, said she wanted to sell it to pay off the mortgage on her Beverly Hills home.

If the winning bid turns out to be legitimate, she will be able to do a lot more than that.

The bidding started at $500,000 on Aug. 14 and escalated to $1 million two days later. There were 21 bids.

Richard Poncher, a businessman who owned a number of companies, died 23 years ago at age 81. According to Elsie, Richard Poncher bought the crypt from New York Yankee great Joe DiMaggio when he was in the midst of his divorce from the blond sex symbol in 1954.

Continue reading »



Advertisement




Archives
 

More L.A. Coverage