Renee Alway appears in Indio court

A 27-year-old former “America’s Next Top Model”finalist suspected of breaking into a Palm Springs residence appeared in courttoday.

Renee Diane Alway of Palm Springs was arrested on June 28 after someonereported a “suspicious female” in the area and arriving officers found anopen back door at a residence in the 600 block of Violeta Drive, Palm Springspolice Sgt. Harvey Reed said.

Alway, who finished in the top three of Cycle 8 of “Top Model,” whichaired in 2007, appeared this afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio,her head mostly shaved except the front. Riverside County Superior Court JudgeAnthony Villalobos scheduled a drug court evaluation and felony settlementconference for Friday, and asked Alway if she understood how drug court workedand was sure she wanted to participate. She said yes.

Villalobos told Alway — who is in custody in lieu of $150,000 bail –that if she was released and didn’t return to court Friday, he would issue abench warrant.

Alway is implicated in four criminal cases — three filed this month andone in June — with felony and misdemeanor charges that include burglary,intent to defraud, receiving stolen property, possession of a controlledsubstance, grand theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under theinfluence of a controlled substance, according to court records.

Reed said officers found Alway hiding in the garage on Violeta,allegedly with a gun, on June 28.

“Officers were informed that the residents were out of the country andthat the property should be vacant,” he said.

He said officers previously thought an armed man was in the residence,and Palm Springs and Cathedral City police sent SWAT officers. Later thatnight, after the residence was searched, authorities concluded no one else wasinside, Reed said.

Alway was being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility inBanning, according to jail records.