Suspects Indicted for Celebrity Home Burglaries
Five suspects accused of robbing the homes of Hollywood’s hottest young stars including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox and Orlando Bloom, were indicted by an L.A. County Grand Jury on Friday, the Associated Press reports.
The ‘Burglar Bunch’ suspects are Rachel Lee, 19; Nicholas Prugo, 19; Diana Tamayo, 20; Courtney Ames, 19; and Roy Lopez Jr., 28. All plead not guilty. A sixth suspect, Alexis Neiers, 18, was tried separately.
The indictment reveals many details about the research and planning that went into the break-ins, including the preparation completed before breaking-in to Paris Hilton’s home. The suspects allegedly created detailed floor plans, noting where security cameras were posted and the exact location of a key Hilton had apparently hidden.
The burglaries took place between October 2008 and August 2009, beginning with Hilton’s home. Millions of dollars worth of jewelry, clothing, handbags and other luxury items were stolen. While some has been recovered, an estimated $2 million worth of property is still unaccounted for.
All five suspects plead not guilty and agreed to return to court on August 12. The judge then raised the bail for several of the defendants forcing one into custody since he couldn’t afford the new bail set at $120,000. The suspect, Lopez, will stay in jail until the next hearing.
Prosecutors decided to present the case to grand jurors instead of having a judge evaluate the evidence at a preliminary hearing, but declined to comment on why.
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