Winona Ryder charged with theft

Ryder: Facing four charges

Actress Winona Ryder has been formally charged following her arrest for suspected shoplifting at a luxury Beverly Hills store in December.

Charges

Grand theft

Burglary

Vandalism

Drug possession

Ms Ryder, 30, is accused of stealing almost $5,000 worth of goods at the Saks Fifth Avenue shop and possession of the prescription drug Oxycodone without a prescription.

She is due to appear in court on 8 February.

Her lawyer, Mark Geragos, said at the time of her arrest there had been "a misunderstanding" and she was innocent of the shoplifting claims.

Handcuffed

Store detectives at Saks Fifth Avenue allege Ms Ryder attempted to steal clothing and hair accessories worth about $4,760 (£3,295).

The actress seen here in the UK for the Planet of the Apes premiere

Security guards stopped her as she left the store and called police who arrested and handcuffed her and took her to police headquarters, where she was later released on $20,000 (£14,000) bail.

Mr Geragos said she had already bought several items of clothing and the arrest followed a mix-up between two shop assistants.

He added that she had a valid prescription for the drugs but could not show it to police at the time.

The goddaughter of LSD guru Dr Timothy Leary, Ms Ryder has twice been nominated for an Oscar, for the lead role in 1994's Little Women and for best supporting actress in Martin Scorsese's 1993 version of Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence.

But she has also been known for a previous long-term relationship with actor Johnny Depp, which prompted him to have "Winona Forever" tattooed on his arm.