Last week, police arrested five teens and one 27-year-old man on suspicion of burglarizing homes in the Hollywood Hills belonging to Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox, Brian Austin Green, Ashley Tisdale, Rachel Bilson and more. The culprits, they say, are the 'Burglar Bunch' - and the Internet. Police now the teens scoured celebrity blogs and Web sites, looking for valuables, and then used the Internet to find where the stars lived.
The teens tracked the movements of the stars 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."
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 Louis Vuitton bag.
One suspect, 18-year-old Alexis Neirs, is the sister of Playboy model Tess Taylor and the subject of a reality show pilot for E!, called 'Home-Schooling With the Arlingtons.' Sources told PEOPLE last week that Neirs was in the middle of filming the show when the raid occurred and cameras may have kept rolling all the way to jail.
Alexis Neirs (center) was collected from police custody by her sisters Tess (right) and Gabriella.
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.
Other burglary suspects include 18-year-olds Rachel Lee, Courtney Ames and Diana Tamayo, 19. 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.
The robberies were driven by "celebrity infatuation and greed," Goodkin said.
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