4 Britney Spears-chasing paparazzi arrested

Four paparazzi, all in pursuit of pop star Britney Spears, were arrested late last night on reckless driving charges, Los Angeles police said today.

The arrests were made after officers said they observed the drivers speeding and making unsafe lane changes in the San Fernando Valley near Plummer Street and Woodman Avenue shortly before 11:30 p.m.

The officers, on routine patrol at the time, determined the photographers were chasing Spears, said Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman April Harding. Spears, a tabloid favorite, is typically followed around the clock by paparazzi.

Those arrested were identified as Roberto Maceo, 31, and Leandro Gomez, 30, both freelance photographers. Also booked were agency shooters Filipe Texiera, 27, of Fame and Eduardo Ravalha, 34, of X-17, Harding said. The men were held in lieu of $5,000 bail.

A veteran paparrazzo said today that the area where the arrests occurred is not one of Spears’ frequent haunts.

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com