Prosecutors Believe They Have Strong Case In Jeremy London Kidnapping
Prosecutors believe they have a strong case against a Palm Springs man accused of kidnapping actor Jeremy London and forcing him to use drugs, a Riverside County district attorney’s spokesman said today.
Brandon Adams, 26, faces felony charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and receiving stolen property, along with a sentence-enhancing allegation that he used a firearm.
“We believe we can prove this defendant committed five felonies,” said Michael Jeandron, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office.
Adams’ attorney, Deputy Public Defender Gregory Geist, said outside court that he could not comment on the case.
“We’re just investigating right now,” Geist said.
Adams briefly appeared in court today, but the felony settlement conference — when attorneys informally discuss a potential resolution to a case before a judge — was delayed until July 15 at the request of the defense.
The 37-year-old actor known for his role in the television series “Party of Five” and “7th Heaven,” told police that he got a flat tire the afternoon of June 10. He said three men showed up and offered to help him change the tire in the 2500 block of North Palm Canyon Drive, on Highway 111 on the city’s far northwest side.
After changing the tire, London said he offered the men a ride. But once in the vehicle, he said, one of the men took out a gun and ordered him to drive throughout Palm Springs, buy alcohol and smoke crack.
London told investigators he was able to escape around 2:35 a.m. June 11 and called police, according to Palm Springs police Officer Melissa Desmarais.
Apparently in response to public skepticism about the account, London, who last fall enrolled in a rehab program for prescription drug addiction, released a video message via RadarOnline.com.
“It’s been an absolute nightmare,” London says in the video released Tuesday. “First of all, I want to say (the incident) actually did happen. It was one of the worst days of my life. I thought I was going to die. Thank God I made it out alive.”
Adams’ criminal history stretches back to 2006, when he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of public intoxication and was sentenced to one day in county jail.
Adams pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery count in 2008 and was sentenced to three years probation and 30 days in county jail.
He is accused of violating his probation 10 days after his sentencing, but failed to appear in court for several subsequent hearings.
Adams was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting in May 2009, but failed to appear in court for his arraignment.
