Photog Claimed Justin Bieber Had Been Smoking Weed
The photog who was killed taking pics of Justin Bieber's car made a call less than an hour before he died, telling someone he was on a big story -- because he claimed he saw Justin smoking marijuana while driving.
A source connected with the photo agency for whom Chris Guerra did freelance work tells TMZ Chris called him at 5:16 Tuesday afternoon. Chris said, "Man, you won't believe my luck. It's pretty dead in L.A.. Everybody thinks Justin and Selena are in Mexico, but they're not."Chris -- who worked exclusively on the Bieber detail -- said he had spotted Justin's car earlier in the day at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills and also saw Selena Gomez's car there. Chris went on claiming he saw Justin earlier in the day smoking what he believed was marijuana from a pipe while driving the Ferrari. Our source says Chris told him he was following Justin back to the Four Seasons and was continuing to pursue what he believed was a big story.
The source says after 20 minutes, Chris abruptly said the Ferrari was pulling out of the hotel parking lot and he needed to hang up and follow it.
Apparently he had no idea Justin was NOT in the car. Our source -- who as we said is connected to the photo agency -- believes Chris was probably "overzealous" at the traffic stop because he believed he was on the cusp of an enormous scoop.
PHOTOG'S LAST CALL: He Absolutely Believed Justin Was Smoking
The last person to speak with the photog who was killed Tuesday following Justin Bieber's car tells TMZ Chris Guerra was quite sure Justin had been smoking pot while driving earlier in the day.
The person who spoke with Chris at 5:16 PM -- less than an hour before he was killed -- did not want us to use his name. He's also a photog who took Chris under his wing, and says Chris was one of his closest friends. He also says he believes Justin is partly to blame for Chris' death[OP NOTE: O.] because of the singer's reckless driving history and alleged pot smoking which made it a big story to follow. [Audio @ source]
Lil Twist Was Driving Bieber's Car When Photog Died
Rapper Lil Twist was driving Justin Bieber's Ferrari when it was pulled over Tuesday night ... moments before a paparazzo was hit by another car and killed -- TMZ has learned.
According to sources, 19-year-old Lil Twist was hanging with Bieber at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills on Tuesday afternoon when, for some reason, he left in the white Ferrari without Justin. Multiple sources tell us Twist -- who is a Lil Wayne protege -- and Biebs have been hanging out and partying together for several weeks now.
They even celebrated New Year's Eve together by popping champagne bottles in Mexico where they're both of legal drinking age. A rep for Lil Twist tells us the rapper did not see the accident happen and sends his thoughts and prayers to the family of the photographer.
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Update to this post which was in itself an update to this post. As with anything Bieber this situation is both too much and a mess.
