'Devastated' Woman Ordered Detained in Louvre Theft

A woman arrested in connection with the $100 million jewel theft at the Louvre was formally charged and remanded in custody on Saturday. The 38-year-old, who lives in La Courneuve, a northern suburb of Paris, appeared in court in tears, expressing concern for her safety and that of her children, AFP reports. "She is devastated," said her lawyer, Adrien Sorrentino. She faces charges of complicity in organized theft and criminal conspiracy. The magistrate cited the risk of collusion and potential disturbance to public order as reasons for her detention. "This is a spectacular heist, and the decision that has just been made is a spectacular one: a young woman has just been placed in detention despite being presumed innocent," Sorrentino said.

The woman is one of the five people arrested this week in the case. The Paris prosecutor said a 37-year-old man was charged with theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy on Saturday, per the AP. Both of them deny involvement, Laure Beccuau said. The other three were released without charge. Sofia Bougrine, an attorney for one of the released suspects, criticized what she described as overly broad arrests. "In these serious crime cases, we find that waves of arrests look more like drift nets," Bougrine said. The stolen jewels have not been recovered.