Brad Renfro Arrested...Again

[+ Lucky]

23-year old actor Brad Renfro was arrested as he attempted to purchase heroin from undercover officers on LA's skid row. The former child star was booked into LA County Jail.

http://digilander.libero.it/lidialynn/Renfr046t.jpg

 

Drugs seem to be taking their toll on him:

 

http://www.latimes.com/media/alternatethumbnails/photo/2005-12/21098956.jpg

 

The story:

Drug Busts on Skid Row Net 13 Arrests, Plus a Hollywood Actor

By Richard Winton, LA Times Staff Writer

 

 

Undercover detectives posing as drug dealers launched the first phase of a new Los Angeles Police Department crackdown on Skid Row's massive drug marketplace Thursday by arresting 14 buyers including a Hollywood actor.

 

The undercover cops masqueraded as street dealers in scruffy clothing as they lured unsuspecting buyers to purchase fake heroin balloons along Spring and 6th streets.

 

 

About every five to 10 minutes, the officers made another arrest, yelling the words "Cancel Christmas" as a signal to uniformed officers to move in and make the arrest.

 

Among those arrested on suspicion of felony attempted possession was actor Brad Renfro, the star of such films as "The Client" with Susan Sarandon, "Apt Pupil" and co-star of "Ghost World."

 

The Los Angeles Police Department invited several reporters along on the operation with hopes that the publicity would make buyers from other parts of the city think twice before coming downtown to purchase drugs.

 

"The message we want to send is: You don't come buy your drugs downtown unless you want to end up in jail," said LAPD Capt. Andy Smith, who ran the operation.

 

The arrests pushed total drug bookings in and around Skid Row above the 6,000 mark. The area makes up 20 percent of all drug crimes in the city.

 

Police Chief William J. Bratton and other city leaders have said a huge challenge in cleaning up Skid Row is removing the drug dealing that occurs just steps away from drug treatment centers where homeless people attempt to get clean.

 

And the first step in fixing the problem, the chief said, is making Skid Row less attractive to outsiders with money to come in and get their supply.

 

On Monday, three people -- including a 75-year-old woman -- died of apparent drug overdoses on Skid Row, one right next to where the LAPD sting took place. The deaths, Smith said, underscored the need to remove available drugs from the area.

 

The crackdown is part of a new campaign by city and state leaders that also includes stiffening penalties for drug sales within Skid Row and establishing a community court that can quickly adjudicate criminal cases there.

 

Right now, Smith said, officers see the same buyers come back over and over again even after they are arrested.

 

"We can see someone seven times before they are sent to state prison," he said. "If they get sent to county jail, the usually only spend a few days there, and then they are back on the street."

 

The busts on Thursday occurred in an area known as "heroin alley." It's on the southern edge of Skid Row just blocks from high-rise office towers, the Biltmore Hotel and the city's winter ice-skating rink.

 

Renfro, 23, was dressed in cargo pants and what appeared to be a military uniform when he emerged onto Spring Street. He allegedly purchased the fake heroin balloons from the officers and was taken into custody.

 

Renfro is a one-time child star who rose to notice as a star of the "The Client," the 1994 movie version of the John Grisham novel. He went on to star in independent movies "Telling Lies in America" and "Bully" and co-starred in "Sleepers" and "Tom and Huck" (he played Huck Finn).

 

He was booked into the LAPD jail division Thursday evening.

[Guest ReturnOfS]

Is that Brad Renfro in the picture?! Good grief, that can't be him.

[Cooper]

Brad Renfro, haven't heard that name in years. Has he done any acting lately?

 

Several years ago he had a much publicized run in with the law down in Florida. This time he was drunk and tried to steal a boat. Sadly for him, he forgot to untie the ropes.

 

"Apt Pupil", that movie brings back memories. There was quite a media controversy over the original shower scene showing underaged actors nude. The release of the movie was held up and the scene had to be re-shot using older actors.

 

Haven't heard much about him since. In "Ghost World" he had a minor role.

[ValleyDwellerNorth]

follow this link for more visuals

 

http://www.hunkvideo.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/webbbs_config.pl?read=108027

[Guest]

"The actor was charged in 1998 with possession of cocaine and marijuana, but avoided jail time in a plea deal.

 

He was sentenced to two years' probation in January 2001 on charges of trying to steal a yacht in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

 

He was arrested in May 2001 and charged with underage drinking. The next year, he was charged with driving without a license and public intoxication. Both violated terms of his probation. Renfro was ordered into an alcohol rehabilitation program in March 2002."

 

So what the hell does probation mean? Do whatever you want and don't worry about getting caught? Doesn't there get to be a point where the guy gets put in prison for a few years, then doesn't get let out unless he consents to random witnessed drug tests every week or so? What's the point of putting drug addicts on probation if their urines aren't checked frequently, with the state pen waiting if the tests come back positive?