 Hollywood Hills News
HOLLYWOOD HILLS—It started with Audrina Patridge, then Lindsay Lohan, then Paris Hilton, then Orlando Bloom, as well as a handful of other young celebrities who found themselves victims of the same coed group of burglars. The burglars made their way around to the different homes of young Hollywood stars and stole numerous items since October of 2008. Now, at least seven suspects are under police investigation in connection with the robberies.
Both Patridge and Lohan had provided police with surveillance tapes in September from the nights of the break-ins, which were essential pieces of evidence aiding authorities in identifying the suspects.
The female suspects have been identified as Rachel Lee,19; Diana Tamayo, 19; Courtney Ames, 18; and Alexis Neirs, 18. All were classmates at Indian Hills Continuation High School in Calabasas. Lee was arrested in Las Vegas while the others were arrested in the Los Angeles area. The four girls have been released after posting $50,000 bail each. No charges have been made by the L.A. County district attorney’s office.
Nicholas Frank Prugo, 18, was arrested last month in connection with the Lohan and the Patridge burglaries. Prugo and two female accomplices allegedly stole over $170,000 worth of jewelry and clothing from the homes of Lohan and Patridge. Surveillance cameras at both properties helped police identify Prugo as one of the suspects in the burglary.
Prugo could face up to six years in prison for the alleged burglaries.
Police have also identified one of two men suspected of acting as fences for the stolen items as being Roy Lopez, 27, who lives in L.A. County.
The stolen jewelry, cash, designer clothing and luggage from the numerous homes of young celebrities who lived in the Hollywood Hills are likely to have added up to several million dollars worth of stolen goods.
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