Cameron Foils Crooks

By Stephen M. Silverman

06/18/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Cameron Diaz had quite a scare in Rome this weekend. Friday night, reports the Associated Press, the "Charlie's Angels" star, 28, got to use some of her action flick technique to help foil a couple of thieves who broke into her hotel room. Not that she karate chopped them, says AP. She screamed. They ran. Diaz is in the Eternal City to film Martin Scorsese's new mob movie, "Gangs of New York," also starring Leonardo DiCaprio. She is staying at the five-star Grand Hotel de Russie and apparently wasn't the only guest who was stung on Friday, say police. After Diaz caught them in the act in her room, they dropped two leather jackets and a laptop computer as they escaped. Another guest reportedly lost money and jewelry.