Leif Garrett arrested for heroin possession

Former teen idol Leif Garrett arrives for a hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse in Los Angeles, California February 2, 2006.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former teen idol Leif Garrett was released on bail on Wednesday, after being arrested and booked for heroin possession by police who saw him "shaking and sweating" on a subway platform, a law enforcement spokesman said.

Garrett, a 1970s child actor and pop star whose disco-era hits included "I Was Made for Dancing," was arrested on Monday when police approached him on a subway platform in Los Angeles because he was exhibiting "pronounced symptoms" of drug dependency, such as "shaking and sweating," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the L.A. sheriff.

Officers searched Garrett and found he possessed heroin, Whitmore said. The actor is due in court on February 24 to face charges in the case.

A spokeswoman for Garrett did not return calls.

Garrett, 48, has battled drug abuse for years, and in 2006 he was arrested for possession of heroin and sentenced to 90 days in jail after opting out of drug treatment.

In the 1970s, he covered songs like "Surfin' U.S.A." and "The Wanderer," and regularly was featured on the covers of teen magazines like Tiger Beat.

In 1998, a number of his songs were compiled and released in an album, "The Leif Garrett Collection." Most recently, he had a supporting role in 2005 film "Popstar," playing a janitor.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)