A man accused of stalking Halle Berry was charged Wednesday with an additional count of burglary at the Oscar-winning US actress’s Hollywood home. Richard Franco, 27, allegedly broke into a guest house at Berry’s Hollywood Hills property during one of the several times he was spotted there earlier this month. The former Bond girl said Franco had “terrorized” her over three days from July 9, before he was arrested on July 11.
“She is in fear for her safety,” said prosecutor Wendy Segall. Franco pleaded not guilty to the first-degree burglary charge, which said he broke into the guest house on July 10. On July 12, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson ordered Franco to stay 100 yards away from 44-year-old Berry and her daughter. Franco, who is on probation for a battery offense, could be jailed for up to three years if convicted of the stalking charge, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
At a hearing after the alleged stalker’s arrest Berry said in a statement to the court: “Richard Franco is a stranger to me and I have no desire to have any contact with him. He has terrorized me and my family in three consecutive incidents over the last three days. This person has jeopardized not only my own personal safety, but also the safety and well-being of my family.” Berry, famous for the “X-Men” movie and as a Bond girl in “Die Another Day,” won a coveted best actress Oscar in 2002 for her turn in “Monster’s Ball,” the first such award to an African American actress.