BRENTWOOD—On September 15, Nathan J. Hochman, the District Attorney of Los Angeles County, announced that his office would not seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner, 33, of Brentwood, who is accused of murdering his parents, actor and producer Robert Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70.

The alleged murders occurred at the couple’s residence in the 200 block of South Chadbourne Avenue in Brentwood on the afternoon of December 14, 2025. Reiner fled and was arrested that evening in Exposition Park. In August, a grand jury indicted him on two counts of first-degree murder, with special allegations of lying in wait, committing multiple murders, and using a knife, a dangerous weapon.

At a press conference on the morning of September 15, District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said the decision followed discussions with the victims’ next of kin, Romy and Jake Reiner, whose views were considered. He said the D.A.’s office also considered aggravating and mitigating factors and consulted experts, including law enforcement, his senior staff, and prosecutors.

At the press conference, the office also released several updates on the case. This included a scheduled court hearing to determine whether the grand jury testimony and evidence would be unsealed and released to the public. The District Attorney’s Office filed a brief requesting that the court keep the records sealed at the defendant’s siblings’ request, as they believe that releasing the information would cause additional harm and trauma to their family. Mr. Hochman also said he believed unsealing the records would not prejudice the jury against either the defendant or the prosecutor, but he would defer to the court’s decision.

He then said his office intends to ask the court to set a date to consider a motion if the defense files one under Section 999 of the California Penal Code. The latest update said the trial against Reiner may not start until 2027, depending on when the defense announces it is ready to proceed. The defense is reviewing information the D.A.’s Office provided through discovery and will receive additional information in the next few weeks.

Reiner was arraigned on February 3 in the Los Angeles Superior Court, pleaded not guilty, and remains in custody without bail. He will appear on October 7 in Department 108 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center for a motion hearing. If convicted, he faces life without parole in a California state prison.

Los Angeles Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene represents him after his original attorney, Alan Jackson, stepped down in January 2026 for confidential reasons.

The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division is conducting the ongoing investigation, and the Major Crimes Division is overseeing the prosecution.

Robert Reiner is best known for playing Michael Stivic in the Norman Lear sitcom “All in the Family” and its sequel, “Archie Bunker’s Place.” He won two Emmy Awards. He directed and appeared in the films “This Is Spinal Tap” and “Spinal Tap 2 The End Continues.” He and his wife, Michele, ran the production company Castle Rock Entertainment. They produced the documentary “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” and the film “Shock and Awe.”

By Daniel Diquinzio

STUDIO CITY—Neighbors on Babcock Avenue in Studio City had been asking the city of Los Angeles for years to clean up an abandoned property that had been causing problems for the surrounding community. Residents complained that the property attracted squatters and was covered in trash and overgrown vegetation. In late August of 2026, that vegetation and debris caught fire. Residents said their complaints had been repeatedly ignored for years, and only after local news outlets reported on the fire was the city forced to intervene.

On Monday, September 14, Mayor Karen Bass toured the newly cleaned-up Babcock Avenue property. The cleanup followed weeks of public blame-shifting between Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman over why the nuisance property had been allowed to sit unaddressed for years. During Monday’s visit, Bass said, “When it came to my attention, we acted, and we acted immediately.”

Raman’s office had previously pushed back on that framing, telling KTLA in August, “Our office has repeatedly begged LADBS and the City Attorney’s Office to secure and clean up this site.” Neither has taken responsibility for the years of inaction.

By Milan Manesh

HOLLYWOOD HILLS—The Los Angeles Police Department has identified the man killed in an officer-involved shooting on Saturday, September 12, at a home in the Bird Streets neighborhood of Hollywood Hills as 37-year-old Jonathan Farkhondehpour, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Authorities indicated that Farkhondehpour was behaving erratically due to alcohol consumption before he was shot.

Officers arriving on scene found a person suffering from heavy bleeding after being stabbed or cut. That person directed officers to Farkhondehpour, who was armed with a knife inside the home. Additional officers responded to the location and a team was assembled to take the suspect into custody. As the officers approached the bedroom, they observed the suspect struggling with the additional male over the knife and heard the suspect making statements he was going to kill the male. The officers gave the suspect multiple commands to surrender which he refused, prompting at least one officer to open fire.

The stabbing victim’s current condition has not been made public by law enforcement. It remains unclear whether Farkhondehpour trespassed into the home or had a prior relationship with the person he allegedly stabbed. The suspect was in possession of a 13-inch kitchen knife with a 7½-inch blade which was recovered at scene and booked into evidence.

The original 911 call came in at 9:35 p.m. Saturday, reporting a suspect armed with a knife. The incident occurred in the 9300 block of Warbler Way, near Doheny Drive. No officers were harmed during the encounter.

By Milan Manesh

SANTA MONICA—On September 14, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACODPH) issued a public beach warning for area beaches in Santa Monica and Malibu due to elevated bacteria levels that exceed state health standards. LADCOPH advises the public to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in the ocean water. Recent water samples showed elevated bacteria levels that may increase the risk of illness. The Ocean Water Bacteria Warnings include the following locations. -Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach, and 100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms. T-opanga Canyon Beach in Malibu, and 100 yards up and down the coast from the lagoon. -Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, and 100 yards up/down the coast from the pier. -Pico-Kenter Storm Drain at Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica South Tower 20, and 100 yards up/down the coast from the storm drain. -Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey, and the entire swimming area. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourages beachgoers to use a “Leave No Trace,” approach to keep the beaches healthy. The EPA recommends limiting damage to beaches by having people stay on the trails and boardwalks and off the sand dunes; don’t feed the birds/wildlife on the beach. Patrons should scoop and bag pet waste and toss into the trash, so harmful bacteria do not enter the ocean. Boaters should use nets on the boat to collect any garbage floating in the sea water. Secure drink containers and trash to keep it from blowing away, while practicing good beach habits like cleaning trash and debris before leaving. By Sharon

WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city of West Hollywood is inviting the public to Hollywood Food Coalition’s Smash Hunger: Pickle For Good fundraising event on Saturday, September 19. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the West Hollywood Park Tennis & Pickleball Courts, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. This community-centered event is organized in partnership with Tennacity.

Hollywood Food Coalition’s Smash Hunger fundraiser is designed to raise funds for Hollywood Food Coalition’s food recovery and meal distribution programs, which serve food-insecure individuals in West Hollywood and Los Angeles. To attend, the event is free and open to the public. To participate, there is a fee; community members who are interested in participating may purchase tickets toward donation at https://givebutter.com/smashhunger26.

The Hollywood Food Coalition is a community-based organization committed to providing meal, food distribution, and support services that promote food equity. The organization has 40 of years of experience in actively engaging volunteers and community partnerships to provide daily meals to community members in critical need throughout Los Angeles and West Hollywood.

The goal of the Hollywood Food Coalition is helping the community by rescuing and distributing food, preparing meals, and uniting efforts to achieve food equity.

For additional details contact Jasmine Duckworth, West Hollywood Community Programs Coordinator, at (323) 848-6559 or at jduckworth@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

By Danny Jones

WESTWOOD—On Saturday, September 12, the UCPD participated with other law enforcement partners at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Pink Patch 5K Run/Walk in support of breast cancer awareness.

The event brought agencies including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and community members together in support of the Pink Patch Project and those impacted by breast cancer.

UCPD’s 2026 Pink Patch Project is also underway, with patches, challenge coins and lapel pins available through October 31. All proceeds benefit the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation.

For more details on how to support the campaign visit: https://ucla.box.com/v/UCPDProjectPinkPatch.

By Danny Jones

PACIFIC PALISADES—As part of the Tramonto Landslide Study, Caltrans crews have continued an ongoing geotechnical investigation to evaluate the unstable slope in the Castellammare Mesa neighborhood. The investigations will occur over six weeks, leading to localized street closures and traffic delays from now until the end of October. 

Engineers of Caltrans will be executing an 11-hole geotechnical drilling operation along the PCH and surrounding streets; this fieldwork has been ongoing since August. The timeline of the operation runs from August 30 until October 31, which includes land closures and traffic delays. Crews will be operating from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. 

Lane closures will occur on Tramonto Drive and Coperto Drive from September 13 through September 24. Lane closures due to drilling on Posetano Drive will occur from October 12 to October 15. From October 16 through October 23, drilling on Castellammare Drive will cause lane closures at the western boundary.

From October 24 to October 27, drilling on Revello Drive at the western boundary will cause lane closures at the street terminus. The final drilling phase will occur from October 28 to October 31 on Posetano Drive at the eastern boundary with localized lane closures.

City of Los Angeles transportation officials will implement single-lane closures and create 150-foot safety zones around active drilling operations.  Work zones will temporarily block traffic, but residents will still be able to walk through, as field crews will pause machinery as needed.

The Castellammare Mesa area is home to at least two landslides, the Tramonto Slide and the smaller Castellemmare Slide, that have been active since 1932 and have moved slowly over the decades. The slide area is three acres, much larger than the portion visible from the highway.

The Tramonto Slide is a deep-seated rotational landslide. Rotational landslides occur along a curved or spoon-shaped surface. There is often a toe of displaced material. Rotational slides often occur because the internal strength of the material is overcome by its own weight. They are usually composed of relatively loose or unconsolidated material. Water has a significant influence.

By Ryley Metten

MALIBU—Road closures for Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu started on September 14 and will run thru September 18. Work continues to repair the main water break that occurred on September 13. Drivers should expect Las Virgenes Road to be closed all day on September 14 from Lost Hills Road to Mullholland Highway. Work between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Coastline Drive is part of Caltrans embankment project. The right-hand southbound lane of PCH will be closed daily from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The embankment work is for emergency slope repair. It is a 15.16 million project of California Transportation Commission (CALTRANS). with a completion date of Spring 2027. According to the Pepperdine University Information page, Malibu Canyon Road remains closed between Mullholland Drive and Lost Hills Road because of a water main break. Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes. PCH and Kanan Dume Road South to PCH are all open to thru traffic. Drivers should expect a longer commute and plan accordingly. Those who need additional details should contact the Malibu Campus hotline 310-506-7623 (ROAD). Addition road closures/conditions may be viewed online at www.sigalert.com. By Sharon

MALIBU—On September 9, the city of Malibu announced the appointment of Jesse Mays as Assistant City Manager. Mays brings experience in municipal government, strategic planning, communications, infrastructure and community engagement.

He will work alongside City Manager Joe Irvin and Assistant City Manager Christopher Smith on key priorities including community resiliency, customer service, government relations and the future of the community lands.

Mays joins Malibu from Culver City, where he served as Assistant City Manager and strategic advisor to the City Manager. During his tenure, he managed a public-private partnership that connected every home and business to fiber internet in two years at no cost to the city. He oversaw major infrastructure projects including affordable housing, a new community center and long-term supportive housing.

Mays was responsible for bringing Culver City into the regional Clean Power Alliance, making 100 percent renewable energy the default choice for residents. He expanded digital communications and public engagement and worked with the Malibu City Council on policies addressing rental housing and homelessness.

He started his public service career as a staff member with San Diego City Councilmember Sherri Lightner, working on development and transportation projects and serving as her Chief of Staff.

He holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College. Mays lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children and coaches Little League baseball. He can be contacted at 310-456-2489, ext. 358 or JMays@malibucity.org.

By Danny Jones

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Thursday, September 9, the city of West Hollywood disclosed the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) announced the opening of a grant registration period for the Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit (EMR) Program, running through Wednesday, September 30.

The program offers incentive payments to owners of eligible older 5- to 10-unit apartment buildings required to retrofit under local ordinances, helping offset the cost of bringing such buildings into compliance.

West Hollywood adopted seismic retrofit requirements aimed at improving the safety and resilience of potentially vulnerable buildings during a major earthquake. The city’s requirements address several types of existing buildings, including wood-frame buildings with soft, weak, or open-front walls; non-ductile concrete buildings; and pre-Northridge steel moment-frame buildings. The city established voluntary provisions with minimum seismic design and strengthening standards intended to improve life safety, reduce the risk of building collapse, and help limit the loss of housing and economic disruption following a significant earthquake. Visit www.weho.org/seismic for information.

The Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit (EMR) Program is available to qualifying wood-frame buildings with 5 to 10 units, built before January 1, 1991, with a soft, weak, or open front (SWOF) seismic deficiency, and where the building owner has received a notice to retrofit under a mandatory ordinance. Eligible buildings must be located in one of 14 California cities that have adopted such ordinances: Albany, Berkeley, Mill Valley, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose in Northern California; and Beverly Hills, Burbank, Culver City, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Torrance, and West Hollywood. To see if one qualifies visit the EMR webpage at www.crmp.org.

Eligible building owners can receive an incentive payment covering 70 percent of engineering and permit fees, up to $7,000, along with 70 percent of retrofit construction costs, up to $4,260 per unit. In total, EMR provides earthquake retrofit grant assistance up to $49,600 for multi-family buildings. This funding is not available in combination with other FEMA grant funding. The EMR grant program is administered by CRMP, a Joint Powers Authority between the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

In addition to EMR, CRMP administers the Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) and Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) grant programs. In 2025, CRMP provided grant funding for 6,811 retrofits.

To register for a retrofit grant, eligible building owners may visit www.crmp.org/emr-retrofit-grant-program-ad-registration. To receive CRMP retrofit program email updates, such as registration information or when a program has expanded visit www.crmp.org/sign-up.

By Danny Jones