Pregnant Peet Was ‘panicked’ By Apartment Burglary
By WENNMonday, May 10, 2010
Actress AMANDA PEET was left “panicked” and terrified after discovering her New York apartment had been ransacked following a burglary, a court has heard.
The Whole Nine Yards star’s babysitter, Michelle Werner, interrupted the thief when she stopped by Peet’s Tribeca loft last October (09) and was confronted by a burglar, who had broken in through the skylight. The actress was not home during the burglary.
Career criminal Henry Santos was subsequently arrested and charged with the crime after being identified by Werner in a police line-up.
He went on trial in Manhattan Supreme Court earlier this month (May10) and Peet’s screenwriter husband David Benioff took the stand on Friday (07May10) to testify in the case.
Benioff, real name David Friedman, told the court, “She (Peet) was pregnant and she was panicked. My wife’s jewellery had been taken. It was jewellery I’d given her while we were dating and a pair of earrings my parents had given her.”
Werner also testified, describing how she found the man holding Peet’s jewellery box. He allegedly snapped, “What’s up, b**ch? I live here”, before fleeing the property. Werner was not hurt in the incident.
John Youngblood, a lawyer for Santos, who is also accused of stealing computer equipment from the couple’s property, claims cops have the wrong guy and insists prosecutors have no physical evidence to prove their case.
Santos is facing up to 15 years behind bars if convicted for the crime.
Closing arguments are expected on Monday (10May10) with a verdict announced shortly afterwards.
Peet and Benioff live in the three-bedroom loft apartment with their two daughters Frances, three, and Molly, who was born last month (Apr10).
