Dramatic footage capturing the moment Rob Reiner's troubled son, Nick, was arrested on Sunday in connection with the alleged stabbing deaths of his parents has been shared by authorities. Nick, 32, was arrested at a Los Angeles subway station in Exposition Park, about 15 miles from his parents' Brentwood home.
Officers from the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division, assisted by U.S. Marshals, moved in and escorted him to a squad car during the arrest, according to authorities. The LAPD's Gang and Narcotics Unit, on Monday, shared the chilling photos — which have since been deleted — showing Nick being detained near a Metro station roughly 15 miles from Rob and Michele Reiner's California home.
Tracked and Nabbed
In one image, Nick — his face blurred — is shown pinned to the ground, his hands restrained behind his back. Another photo captures officers pressing him against the front of a squad car as they took him into custody. The caption did not name him, referring only to "a double homicide suspect."
The arrest was carried out by U.S. Marshals with support from the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division, according to the post.
When asked why the LAPD's Gang and Narcotics Unit removed the images shortly after sharing them, a department spokesperson declined to comment.
Nick had earlier checked into The Pierside Santa Monica, where hotel staff were alarmed to find a shower 'full of blood' and a trail leading off of his bed, alongside a window covered up by bedsheets.
Nick arrived at the hotel around 4 a.m., only hours after a heated argument with his parents at Conan O'Brien's holiday party, according to TMZ. Witnesses said Nick appeared "tweaked out" when he checked in — and he never formally checked out.
Later that Sunday, Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were found stabbed to death by their daughter inside their $13.5 million Brentwood mansion. Police have since said their son Nick is responsible for their deaths.
The brutal killings and Nick's subsequent arrest have sent shockwaves through Hollywood, leaving the Reiners' many friends in the industry stunned and grieving.
No End to Trouble
Nick, who has long struggled with drug addiction and mental health issues, was reportedly placed on suicide watch following his arrest. Authorities say he was taken into custody on murder charges after allegedly stabbing his well-known director father and his mother on Sunday afternoon.
He is currently being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
According to sources who spoke with The New York Post, Nick, Rob, and Michele Reiner were seen engaged in a "very loud argument" at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party on Saturday night.
Those familiar with the situation speculated the argument may have centered on Nick's refusal to enter yet another drug rehabilitation program, after already completing 17 previous stints.
"They had had an argument at Conan's holiday party, and Rob had been telling people that they're scared for Nick and scared that his mental state was deteriorating,'' a family friend who lives near the Reiner home told the outlet.
A neighbor claimed that Nick was "badly addicted" to a mix of opiates and heroin. Sources said his 28-year-old sister, Romy Reiner — who found their slaughtered parents — told investigators that Nick "should be a suspect," warning that he was "dangerous."
Others pointed to what they described as a history of violent behavior linked to his drug use, including a meth-fueled episode in which he allegedly trashed his parents' guest house.
In 2015, Rob Reiner directed "Being Charlie," a film inspired by Nick's struggle with addiction, which Nick co-wrote with a friend he met in rehab.
