Sheen’s stolen Mercedes found overturned in ravine

February 6, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

LOS ANGELES — Actor Charlie Sheen’s stolen Mercedes was found overturned hundreds of feet down a cliff near his Sherman Oaks home early Friday, but there’s no evidence anyone was in the car when it went into the ravine, police said.

Police got an emergency call around 4 a.m. from an OnStar-style alert system that calls emergency officials when there is a problem with the vehicle that may require assistance, Officer Wendy Reyes said.

At about the same time, Sheen called police to say his four-door Mercedes-Benz had been stolen, Officer Bruce Borihanh said.

Police and firefighters found the car 300 to 400 feet down a cliff, upside-down in the brushy ravine. They searched the area on foot and with an infrared-equipped helicopter but found nobody in or around the car, Borihanh said. He says the case is being treated as an auto theft.

Christie’s to sell art from Crichton’s collection

LONDON — Christie’s auction house is selling one of Jasper Johns’ iconic American-flag paintings from the collection of “Jurassic Park” author Michael Crichton.

Crichton was an avid art collector and an authority on pop art pioneer Johns. “Flag” of 1960-66 is one of a series of Stars and Stripes paintings by the artist. It has not been offered for sale since Crichton bought it 30 years ago.

Crichton, who also created the award-winning TV hospital series “ER,” died of cancer in November 2008 at age 66. Christie’s also is selling works by Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein from Crichton’s collection. The works will be sold in New York on May 11. They are valued collectively at $32 million.

‘Jersey Shore’ housemates to appear on ‘The View’

NEW YORK — ABC says the housemates from “Jersey Shore” are headed to “The View” for some fist-pumping and outlandish talk. ABC says the unlikely stars from the hit MTV reality series about a group of 20-something Italian-Americans will be guests on the weekday talk show Feb. 23. They’re all scheduled to appear: Snooki, JWoww, Jolie, Vinny, Ronnie, Sammi, Pauly D and, of course, The Situation. “The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m.

Today’s birthdays

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor is 93. Actor Rip Torn is 79. Actor Mike Farrell is 71. Former NBC news anchorman Tom Brokaw is 70. Singer Fabian is 67. Singer Natalie Cole is 60. Actor-director Robert Townsend (“The Parent ’Hood”) is 53. Actress Kathy Najimy is 53. Country singer Richie McDonald (Lonestar) is 48. Vocalist Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses is 48. Singer Rick Astley is 44.