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Sodden Rip Torn Mistook Bank For His Home
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 1, 2010
Modified Feb 1, 2010
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 1, 2010
Modified Feb 1, 2010
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Some banks have been hit hard by the economy, and some threatened by Obama, but only one has been broken into by a wasted Rip Torn. It was first reported over the weekend that 78-year-old actor Torn was arrested for breaking into a Salisbury, Connecticut bank with a loaded revolver after closing hours, and jailed on $100,000 bail. It's now been revealed that Torn had no intention of robbing the bank—in fact, he was so plastered that he thought the back window to the bank, which he smashed open, was his front door.
When police found him on the ground of the bank, he thought he was dozing at home. Torn was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, carrying a firearm while intoxicated, first-degree burglary, first-degree criminal trespass and third-degree criminal mischief. A "glum-looking and disheveled" Torn appeared in court today, according to the Post.
Torn, whose credits range from the Men in Black movies to The Man Who Fell to Earth to The Larry Sanders Show, is no stranger to alcohol-related arrests. He was nabbed by Salisbury cops Dec. 14, 2008, on DUI charges after police spotted him driving his 1994 Subaru in the emergency lane—with a Christmas tree strapped to the top. He had two past drunk-driving arrests in New York, one of which became notorious after a video emerged of the actor cursing at cops and refusing to cooperate with them. (You can see part of that video below.)
Even the head of the bank he broke into, President/CEO Mark E. Macomber, feels more sad than mad at Torn, telling TMZ he thought the actor needed help with his drinking. According to an anonymous Post source, Torn's family has put him through several interventions, and "Torn figured he had made significant progress by cutting back from four pints of alcohol a day to a single pint."
Update: Torn posted his bail, said "Have a nice day," and immediately checked himself into a New York rehab facility this afternoon, according to the Daily News.
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Rip Torn
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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