The man accused of breaking into the theater where David Letterman tapes his television show does not remember what happened, his lawyer said.
James Whittemore was arraigned Monday on burglary and criminal mischief charges. His lawyer said the 22-year-old "certainly didn't plan this" and doesn't even remember how he got to the Ed Sullivan Theater early Sunday.
A criminal court complaint says Whittemore used a metal stanchion to break several of the theater's glass doors. They say he went inside and did about $5,000 worth of damage. The complaint says pictures, fans, phones, and printers were among the items damaged.
Officers responded to a 911 call of a burglary at the historic theater on Broadway around 7 a.m. Sunday.
A co-worker of his told the Daily News that they had gone out together to sing karaoke in Midtown on Saturday night, and that Whittemore had been heckled.
"He was upset," the co-worker said. "We left at 4 o'clock."
The News said Whittemore is a bit-part actor, with credits including "Celebration of the Sixties" at a casino in Atlantic City, "Twist and Shout!" at a Niagara Falls casino and "We Got the Beat" at Six Flags in Springfield, Mass.
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"He was very, very industrious, very, very professional, very dedicated," playwright Nancy Hasty told the News.
His foster sister, Jess Reilly, told the paper that he "is a good kid with a bad life."
The famous entertainment venue was home to the ``Ed Sullivan Show'' in the 1960s. The "Late Show With David Letterman'' has made its home in the theater for years.
The theater is a destination for thousands of visitors to New York who line up for hours to see the show taped.
CBS and Worldwide Pants said in a statement Sunday that the "Late Show" set wasn't harmed.
