Police: LA celebrity burglaries led by 19-year-old

The Associated Press

Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 | 4:03 p.m.

A man arrested for allegedly burglarizing celebrities' homes in Los Angeles has told police that the 19-year-old woman who masterminded the ring wanted to own the designer wardrobes of her favorite Hollywood stars.

According to a Las Vegas police search warrant obtained Friday, Nicholas Purgo told detectives Rachel Jungeon Lee was the driving force behind the break-ins.

Purgo described the burglaries, the other young people who participated and the artwork, jewelry and designer clothing that was taken from the homes of Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton.

Purgo says he and Lee took more than $200,000 worth of Chanel merchandise from Rachel Bilson's home, and removed thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, including family heirlooms, from Paris Hilton's home.

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