Winona Ryder Arrested for Shoplifting at Beverly Hills Store

Actress Winona Ryder, known for her portrayals of troubled characters, has been arrested for shoplifting at a high-end store in Beverly Hills, according to the police.

The 30-year-old Ryder, famous for her role as a mental patient in the film “Girl, Interrupted” (1999), is also facing charges for illegal possession of an anti-depressant drug.

Ryder was apprehended by Beverly Hills cops on Wednesday night after the security staff at Saks Fifth Avenue on Wilshire Blvd.

reported seeing her steal clothes, hair accessories, and a handbag worth $5,000.

She was detained for approximately four hours before being released on $20,000 bail.

The Beverly Hills Police Department charged Ryder with felony grand theft and possessing pharmaceutical drugs without a prescription, said Lt. Gary Gilmond.

He mentioned that Ryder was cooperative during her arrest and did not appear to be under the influence of drugs.

Gilmond described her as courteous, polite, and friendly.

Although Lt. Gilmond did not disclose the specific drug found in Ryder's possession, sources familiar with the situation claim it was the anti-depressant Zoloft.

The incident occurred around 7 p.m. when a surveillance camera at the store captured Ryder placing numerous clothing items into a bag she had brought along.

However, the police have not yet viewed the footage.

Witnesses say that Ryder used scissors to remove security tags from the stolen items.

Security personnel confronted Ryder as she exited the store and detained her on the sidewalk outside Saks.

Mark Geragos, Ryder's attorney, dismissed the incident as a misunderstanding and expressed confidence that his client would be cleared of all charges.

Geragos claimed that Ryder had receipts for several items and blamed the Saks security staff for rushing to judgment.

This incident appears to be the first legal trouble for Ryder, who is the godchild of the late Timothy Leary, a prominent figure in the LSD movement.

However, she has openly discussed personal struggles that have pushed her to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

At the age of 20, Ryder was briefly admitted to a psychiatric ward.

Ryder's love life has also attracted media attention due to her relationships and breakups with actors like Johnny Depp and Matt Damon.

She has been romantically involved with David Pirner, the lead singer of the grunge rock group Soul Asylum.

Born Winona Horowitz in Winona, Minnesota, Ryder grew up in a hippie commune in northern California.

Her breakthrough role came in 1988 when she portrayed a gloomy teenager in the film “Beetlejuice.”

In 1993, she received an Academy Award nomination for her performance as the demure yet strong-willed May Welland in “The Age of Innocence.”

Ryder's most recent leading role was in the satanic thriller “Lost Souls” (2000), where she played a survivor of a childhood exorcism.

Winona Ryder is scheduled to appear in Beverly Hills Superior Court on January 11 to address the charges against her.

Reported by Mitchell Fink and Bill Hutchinson for the New York Daily News on December 14, 2001.