Bail for Max Factor heir 'bounty hunters'

Three US bounty hunters, a reality TV producer and an actor will face charges in Mexico after they captured one of California’s most-wanted fugitives, a prosecutor said.

Mexican officials say Hawaii-based bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman and the rest of his crew should have gone to police instead of trying to whisk convicted rapist and cosmetics heir Andrew Luster out of Mexico for a reward.

Prosecutor Marco Roberto Juarez said he was charging the five with criminal association and illegal deprivation of liberty, which is like kidnapping without requesting a ransom. Both charges carry a maximum of four years in prison.

“These people carried out the detention here without any support or collaboration from any Mexican authority,” Juarez said.

Judge Jose de Jesus Pineda set bail for all five at 15,000 pesos (€1,285) each.

Chapman, his brother Timothy, 37, his son Leland, 26, reality TV producer Jeff Sells and actor Boris Krutonog were arrested about two hours after they captured Luster near a Puerto Vallarta taco stand where he had just ordered breakfast.

On Thursday, Luster was flown back to the United States, where he is appealing a 124-year prison sentence for the drugging and rape of three women.

The five remaining Americans wore brown prison uniforms and stood behind a green metal grate as a court clerk questioned them through a translator about their ages, names and other details and formally informed them of the charges.

They initially appeared tense and haggard, but smiles broke out as lawyers told them that they had been granted bail.

Before coming to Mexico, Chapman had told reporters he hoped to reap a reward from the US 1 million in bail that Luster had forfeited by fleeing during his trial. But bounty hunters have no special privileges in Mexico.