Max Factor Heir Nabbed in Mexico

Wednesday, June 18, 2003
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico  — Max Factor cosmetics heir and fugitive rapist Andrew Luster (search) was arrested Wednesday along with several bounty hunters attempting to capture him in this Pacific resort city, local authorities said.


Luster and five men were taken into custody at dawn after neighbors complained of a loud fight in the street that apparently occurred as Luster tried to escape from the bounty hunters, city official Roberto Ascencio Medina said.

At least three of the suspects identified themselves as bounty hunters while the two others were members of a television camera crew, a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity.

Under Mexican law, arrests by bounty hunters (search) are considered illegal kidnappings.

Luster was to be handed over to federal Mexican authorities shortly, Ascencio said. It was not clear whether charges were to be filed against the others.

Luster, 39, great-grandson of makeup legend Max Factor (search), disappeared in January during a recess in his trial. He was convicted and sentenced in absentia to 124 years in prison for multiple counts of rape, poisoning and drug possession involving three women.

Authorities said Luster, who lived off a trust fund and real estate investments, took three women to his home between 1996 and 2000 and raped them after giving them the so-called date-rape drug GHB (search).

A search of his home after his arrest in 2000 turned up videotapes of Luster having sex with women who appeared to be either asleep or unconscious. In one tape played in court after he disappeared, Luster is seen on camera having sex with a woman and declaring: "That's exactly what I like in my room: A passed-out beautiful girl."

His attorneys said the sex was consensual, suggesting the women were feigning sleep to help him film pornographic movies. They also disputed that Luster was a fugitive and suggest he could have been abducted or involved in an accident.

Luster's attorney Roger Diamond said early Wednesday that he did not know of Luster's whereabouts and had not heard of an arrest.

Just last week, a California appellate court turned aside the appeal of Luster's conviction, saying he had forfeited his right to appeal by jumping bail. The California Supreme Court is expected to be asked to review the decision.

The bounty hunter was on Greta a couple nights ago telling Luster (suitable name or what?)into the camera that he was about to catch his ass.

Some people are just fucked in the head.  A guy like that with that much money doesn't need to rape anyone, but his sick fantasy is banging passedout women so he drugs them.  Maybe he's a necropheliac as well?

Those Kennedy clan SOB's are affluent and they kill and mame too.  They've been known to drive drunk and kill too.  Stupid assholes still vote these killers in pubic office.

I believe that other asshole Kennedy raped that women but the jury was probably biased/stupid.  Wouldn't be the first time.

Was the TV crew America's Most Wanted? Their Crime Tracker team?