Author Crichton Robbed At Gunpoint

'Jurrasic Park' Writer Tied Up As Robbers Ransacked His House

(AP)  Author Michael Crichton was robbed at gunpoint and tied up by two men who ransacked his home, but he wasn't harmed, his publicist said.

The author of "Jurassic Park" and creator of the television series "ER" was robbed shortly before 5 a.m. Monday. Police wouldn't confirm that Crichton was the victim but said the crime was committed at a home believed to be owned by the author.

"An incident did occur, but everybody is fine, and that's all I can say because a kid is involved," publicist Joseph Marich told the Santa Monica Daily Press. Crichton, 59, has a daughter in her early teens.

Police said some items were taken from the house but the value was not immediately determined.

Since his 1971 novel, "The Andromeda Strain," was made into a movie, Crichton has enjoyed a string of literary and Hollywood successes.

More than a dozen of his novels and original screenplays have been turned into feature films, including "Twister," "Disclosure" and "West World." The 1969 graduate of Harvard Medical School is also the creator of TV's long-running series "ER."

Earlier this month, Crichton's wife filed for divorce to end their 13-year marriage. Anne Marie Martin Crichton and her husband have lived apart since August 2001, when they moved from New York to Santa Monica, court documents show.