You are hereBlogs / Liz Hodgson's blog / DETAILS OF LINDSAY'S ROBBERY GANG

DETAILS OF LINDSAY'S ROBBERY GANG


By Liz Hodgson - Posted on 25 October 2009

Some of the gang alleged to be behind a string of celebrity burglaries have been revealed as a group of school classmates.
Three suspects in burglaries at the homes of Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Partidge, Orlando Bloom and Paris Hilton went Indian Hills High School in Agoura Hills, west of Los Angeles, including Nicholas Prugo, 18, who last week was formally charged with break-in at Lohan's and Partridge's home.
His classmate and alleged ringleader Rachel J Lee, 19, is said to have an obsessive fascination with celebrity fashion.
According to People magazine, she and the other three women arrested in a sting operation on Thursday tracked down celebrity addresses using maps to stars' homes and the Internet, and worked out when their victims would be absent by checking their public appearance and work schedules.
Their raids netted millions of dollars in jewellery and designer clothes.
The other student suspects are former Indian Hills pupil Diane Tamayo, 19, Courtney Ames, 18, and Alexis Neiers, 18.
Roy Lopez, 27, a bouncer at a bar, was also arrested.
Ames and Neiers were released after posting bail of $50,000.
Lee, who was arrested in Las Vegas on charges of possession of stolen property and then surrendered in the Lohan and Partridge cases, is being held with bail set at $3,000.
According to celebrity site TMZ police impounded property from her father's home, including two laptops, cash,a Korean passport and a vial of marijuana.
Police are also understood to have found a hat linked to Lindsay Lohan, jeans, linked to Rachel Bilson and partially nude photos connected to Paris Hilton.
Lee and Tamayo, who is still in jail, were previously arrested for shoplifting at a beauty store in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles in July.
One of the suspects, Alexis Neiers, who is also known as Taylor and Arlington, wasted no time in poking the finger of blame at the others, Prugo in particular.
She told TMZ: “I know for a fact Nick did all of these burglaries.
“He did every single burglary, he told me this after the police let him go. Nick is blaming people, trying to get the blame off himself.
“Rachel Lee was his main accomplice and they brought Diana Tamayo into this. Diana, Nick and Rachel did the burglaries together.
“Tony Lopez was the one who sold the stuff they had taken, and he's friends with Courtney Ames and that's why she was arrested.
“The only reason they came to my house was because they thought I was holding property for Nick. They even searched my house and found nothing.
“I'm innocent in all of this and feel terrible for all the people who got robbed.”
Although Prugo has only been charged in connection with Mean Girls star Lohan and The Hills star Partridge, both 23, investigators believe the gang also robbed hotel heiress Hilton, 28, and Lord of the Rings star Bloom, 32, though they are said to have been more interested in his girlfriend Miranda Kerr's possessions.
Other recent celebrity break-in victims include Rachel Bilson, Hayden Panettiere and Kourtney Kardashian.
In the aftermath of the arrests Hilton has had most of her $2 million in stolen jewellery returned by Los Angeles police.
“Paris went to the police station last night to retrieve her stolen belongings,” her publicist, Dawn Miller, told People. “She didn't get everything but fortunately most of her jewellery was returned. She is really pleased and thankful to the LAPD for their help.
Prugo's lawyer, Sean Erenstoft, played down his client's role in the burglaries.
He told the magazine: “I commend the LAPD for apprehending the major culprits in these capers and I'm confident that Mr Prugo will be found to have had a limited role in this case.
“We're pleased that stolen property is being returned to their rightful owners.”
In an added celebrity twist to the case, Neiers is involved in a reality television show for E! Entertainment.
Her sister, Playboy model Tess Taylor, turned up to collect her from jail after she posted bail with a camera crew.
E! said in a statement: “The Arlington family, including Alexis Neiers, are the subject of a pilot for E!. Shooting began several days ago and will continue for the next few weeks.
“We are concerned by recent events, awaiting further details, and will be monitoring the situation closely.”