No Treats for Halle Berry's Unwanted Houseguest This Halloween

Man who allegedly broke into the thesp's Hollywood home hoping to meet her is getting a date with a judge instead

By Josh Grossberg Oct 17, 2011 9:44 PMTags
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The man accused of harassing Halle Berry will have his day in court.

After a brief preliminary hearing today, a Los Angeles judge ruled that there was enough evidence for Richard Anthony Franco to stand trial for stalking the Oscar winner.

And just in time for Halloween...

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Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Melissa Widdifield set the trial to kick off on Oct. 31.

Franco was busted on July 11 after he was caught sneaking onto Berry's property by her private security team, which held him until LAPD arrived.

It was the third time the 27-year-old intruder had trespassed on her Hollywood Hills abode in as many days, having previously scaled a privacy wall on one occasion and breaking into a guest house on another.

The X-Men actress subsequently obtained a restraining order prohibiting Franco from coming within 500 yards of her residence and her family, including 3-year-old daughter Nahla, for the next three years or attempting to contact her whatsoever.

During today's hearing, John Gregozek, the LAPD detective who interviewed Berry a day after the alleged peeper's arrest, told the judge that the actress had told him she "feared for her safety and that of her daughter."

"She hired armed security to stay at her residence 24 hours," Gregozek testified.

Franco remains behind bars in lieu of $150,000 bond and has pleaded not guilty to charges of stalking and first-degree burglary, the latter for allegedly swiping a key to the guest house.

—Reporting by Claudia Rosenbaum