Crazy Crimes

Credit: Splash News Online (2)

INSIDE STORY: From High School Students to Celebrity Burglars

Originally posted 10/24/2009 05:45PM

By all appearances Rachel Lee, Diana Tamayo and Nicholas Prugo were typical teenagers, living in and around the affluent community of Calabasas, Calif., which is home to many Hollywood stars.

But according to authorities and sources, these teens and their circle of friends had a darker side – having launched into a year-long crime spree that targeted celebrities including Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge and Orlando Bloom in which thousands of dollars of designer clothes, jewelry, bags and other luxury items were taken.

All fingers point to 19-year-old Lee as the alleged ringleader, who had an apparent fascination with Hollywood fashion. In a sting operation Thursday, Lee, Tamayo, 19, Courtney Ames, 18, Alexis Neiers, 18, and Roy Lopez, Jr., 27, were all arrested in connection to the crimes. Nicholas Prugo, 18, was arrested last month and has been formally accused of the Lohan and Patridge burglaries. The gang allegedly located the addresses of celebrities using Hollywood star maps and the Internet, and calculated when the stars wouldn't be home based on their appearance schedules, a source close to the case tells PEOPLE.

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