TAKING AIM Alexander, with friends of various ages

Is Anand Jon Alexander out of custody? The fashion designer and alleged rapist has been sending out instant messages saying that he's back at home. Alexander's lawyer, Ronald Richards, declined to comment on whether his client had posted bail, which is set at $1,365,000. (The Immigration and Naturalization Service has reportedly also placed a "hold" on Alexander, who is not a U.S. citizen.)

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's online Inmate Information Center shows Alexander as being incarcerated at the city's central men's jail. But a spokesman in the department's media relations office says the site's information is 24 to 48 hours old. A court appearance has been set for April 4.

Meanwhile, bizarre stories about Alexander continue to trickle out. A source who has known him since 2003 says his "friendships" with stars such as Paris Hilton and Michelle Rodriguez were largely illusory. The source recalls visiting Alexander's home in Beverly Hills last year to find he had two girls from Texas staying with him, ages 15 and 17. "I said, 'I think you're going to get in trouble with these girls,'" the source recalls. "He said, 'Why would I get in trouble? These bitches, all they want is fame and money, and I can give it to them.'"

Photo: Scott Rudd/PatrickMcMullan.com