Man Charged in Thefts From Jailed Rock Star

While rock singer Rick James’ $1-million bail was being cut in half Wednesday in the San Fernando Courthouse, prosecutors elsewhere in the same building were charging a man with stealing $25,000 worth of jewelry from the singer’s home while he was in jail.

James, 43, known as the “king of funk,” and girlfriend Tanya Hijazi, 21, have been held since Aug. 2 on charges of torturing and sexually assaulting a Santa Monica woman while holding her hostage in the singer’s Hollywood Hills home for two days last month. Robert Sheahen, James’ attorney, said the singer should be able to post the lower bail by the end of the week. Hijazi also should be able to post her $200,000 bail by then, he said.

While he was at the courthouse Wednesday, James signed a criminal complaint accusing a moving company employee of stealing jewelry and other items from the singer’s home, Deputy Dist. Atty. Lori Dery said.

Prosecutors subsequently filed a charge of grand theft against Jeffrey Matusak, 31, identified by Dery as part of a crew hired to move items out of James’ gated home while the singer was behind bars. She did not know whether Matusak took the items while working at the home or at another time, Dery said.

Police found the jewelry, including expensive Rolex watches, in Matusak’s possession, Dery said.

The charges against James and Hijazi allege that they forced a 24-year-old woman to smoke crack cocaine and orally copulate Hijazi while being held prisoner July 16 and 17. The woman told police that when she resisted, James pistol-whipped her and burned her repeatedly with a cocaine pipe. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sept. 11 in San Fernando Municipal Court.