Global hunt for Max Factor 'fugitive'

Mr Luster is missing with his dog, car and clothes

Investigators are planning a worldwide alert for cosmetics heir Andrew Luster who has disappeared during his sex trial in California.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been called in to the search for the 39-year-old who has now been declared a fugitive.

There's a considerable likelihood he's not only left Ventura County but left the state of California and possibly the United States

Gary Auer,
county investigator

Officials say he fled while under house arrest at his beachfront home.

But a judge has decided to continue hearing the case against Mr Luster, who is accused of 87 crimes related to date rape and faces life in prison if convicted.

Authorities were alerted on Friday night when Mr Luster failed to check in as required.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported that he could have fled up to 12 hours earlier as he was allowed out of his house from 0800 to 2000.

Though he wore an electronic security band on his ankle, any alert that he was "out of range" of his house would have been ignored until the evening, the report said.

Warm destination?

A search of Mr Luster's house found he had disappeared with his dog, collection of American Indian artefacts and car.

He left behind only cold-weather clothes, suggesting he may be heading to warmer climes, officials said.

ANDREW LUSTER

Great grandson of cosmetics mogul Max Factor

Arrested in July 2000

Bail initially set at $10m, reduced to $1m

Trial on 87 sex charges began 16 December, 2002

Disappeared on 3 January

Eric Nishimoto, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, said: "Mr Luster is still missing and we are pretty certain that he has fled and that he won't come back.

"At this point we are assuming that the search for him will be at least nationwide and probably global, which is why we have now involved the FBI in tracking him."

Mr Luster had to surrender his passport as part of the terms for his release into house arrest, but there is a suspicion that he has used his wealth and connections to escape overseas.

Gary Auer, chief investigator for the district attorney's office, added: "There's a considerable likelihood he's not only left Ventura County but left the state of California and possibly the United States."

But authorities are confident they will be able to locate the millionaire.

"We are pretty certain that we will be able to find him as while he may have any number of places he is likely to go, he will have to leave some sort of a trail," Mr Nishimoto said.

Trial continues

Mr Luster, the great grandson of cosmetics mogul Max Factor, had been freed on bail of $1m.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Ken Riley has now declared Mr Luster a fugitive and issued a warrant for his arrest.

I have no clue as to what happened, I've not heard from him

Roger Jon Diamond,
Andrew Luster's lawyer

But the judge ordered that Mr Luster's trial should continue in his absence.

Mr Luster is charged with rape, sodomy, poisoning and other crimes by authorities who say he used the date-rape drug GHB to render women unconscious, then videotaped himself having sex with them.

His lawyers say the sex was consensual, suggesting the women were feigning sleep to help the filming of pornographic movies.

Attorney Roger Jon Diamond also disputed the classification of Mr Luster as a fugitive.

"We don't believe he is... I have no clue as to what happened," he said.

"I've not heard from him."

On Monday, Mr Diamond said in court that Mr Luster could have been abducted or involved in an accident.