The police broke into a blogger's home in search of photographs of a prototype Apple iPhone and other material, launching, gadget site Gizmodo and prosecutors said on Monday. Last week, Gawker Media-owned gizmodo.com, said it paid $5,000 for a prototype iPhone purportedly left in a bar by one of Apple's engineers.

According to a post and documents published on the Gizmodo website, police raided the home of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen late Friday, busting down the door to serve a search warrant that suggests that the site?s role in obtaining an iPhone prototype is being investigated as a felony. California's Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team entered editor Jason Chen's home without him present, seizing four computers and two servers. They did so using a warrant by Judge of Superior Court of San Mateo.

Gizmodo's bloggers said they returned the device to Apple after an official request came from Cupertino, but not before taking it apart and reporting on the device's details.

In a letter to the police also published on gizmodo.com, Gawker's Chief Operating Officer and legal counsel Gaby Darbyshire asserted the search and seizure was illegal under California law, because Chen works as a journalist for the publication, protecting him from such action.

Apple is expected to unveil the next-generation iPhone this summer.