Actress Winona Ryder (Girl, Interrupted) may not be as sweet and innocent as she looks.
The 30-year-old actress was arrested Wednesday evening for allegedly shoplifting items from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills after security guards reportedly caught her making off with articles of clothing and jewelry worth about $5,000. In addition, Ryder was allegedly carrying painkillers without a prescription.
Beverly Hills police Lt. Gary Gilmond said store security officers saw her remove security tags from the items, then place them in her bag and leave the store.
After being arrested and booked on charges of felony grand theft and possessing pharmaceutical drugs without a prescription, Ryder was released from custody just after 11:30 p.m. after reciting “Beetlejuice…Beetlejuice…Beetlejuice!” (No, really, she posted $20,000 bail.)
Ryder’s attorney, Mark Geragos, says Ryder was simply carrying items between store departments and has receipts for the items in her possession. “It’s a misunderstanding on the part of the store,” he said, adding that the actress also has a valid prescription for the drugs. Gilmond says that valid prescription or not, she was booked because she couldn’t immediately produce one.
The actress has been hospitalized several times in the past for exhaustion and has been quoted as saying she has suffered from anxiety attacks and depression.
Ryder will be arraigned January 11 in Beverly Hills Superior Court.
