Celeb in petty theft probe

2005-01-23 21:48

Hollywood - Paris Hilton is being investigated for petty theft, authorities said.

"There was an incident, and she is alleged to have taken something," sheriff's deputy Steve Suzuki said without disclosing further details.

Calls to Hilton's publicist, Gina Hoffman, were not immediately returned.

On its website, the TV show Celebrity Justice posted a security video taken last month of Hilton as she bought several magazines at a newsstand and was given change.

It goes on to show her grabbing her infamous sex video and walking off with it.

Gerry Castro, an employee at Swing News in West Hollywood, told Celebrity Justice that Hilton became enraged after spotting the sex video One Night in Paris on sale at the newsstand.

"She threw her 80 cents change at me and took the video and said, 'I'm taking this and I'm not buying it,' " Castro told the show.

Castro declined to comment when contacted Friday by The Associated Press, but he told KABC-TV of Los Angeles that Hilton and her bodyguards attempted to rip up a poster and pull down a display advertising the video.

"Nobody steals on my shift," Castro said.

Paris' sister, Nicky, told KABC that Castro overreacted.

"She did something anyone would have done in this situation," Nicky Hilton said.

"It's not a big deal. Whatever, she doesn't care. I think this guy is trying to make it into a big deal, to get some publicity for his newsstand."

The sex tape surfaced in 2003 just before the start of Hilton's reality TV series The Simple Life.

She has said she was embarrassed and humiliated that the tape ever became public.

Deputies were expected to present the case next week to prosecutors, who will then decide whether to file any charges, said Jane Robison, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles county district attorney's office.

The sheriff's department decided to announce details of the December 15 incident after getting numerous phone calls from reporters, Suzuki said.

- AP