Barrymore attacker pleads guilty Barrymore attacker pleads guilty (December 06, 2002)

Alleged accomplices to stand trial in case of pot plant robbery gone bad

By Candice Shih

Seven months after barging into their Mountain View home and assaulting John Rebecca Barrymore, Jeremy Solito pleaded guilty last week to five charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, attempted first degree residential robbery and residential burglary.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of eight years. However, Solito, a San Jose resident, is not likely to be sentenced until the end of the trial of his alleged accomplice, Michael Anthony Jordan, said prosecutor James Leonard.

Jordan faces two counts of attempted murder when his trial begins on Jan. 21. He was 17-years-old during the May 1 attack but is being tried as an adult. If he is found guilty of attempted murder with premeditation, he could be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Jordan, a resident of Santa Clara, is accused of assaulting the Barrymores with a "slung shot," a heavy metal object in a sock. Solito was supposed to act as a lookout, according to Mountain View police.

The youths targeted the Barrymores because they wanted to steal John's marijuana plants, said Leonard.

Four other teenagers who were allegedly involved in the attack were to be tried in juvenile court.

Both Barrymores survived but suffered serious head injuries. John Barrymore -- the half brother of actor Drew Barrymore -- said he grew and smoked the marijuana with a doctor's recommendation to combat migraine headaches. California law allows for marijuana use by if recommended by a doctor for a medical condition, but Mountain View police confiscated Barrymore's plants. He was not charged with a crime.
@email:E-mail Candice Shih at cshih@mv-voice.com