Nick Reiner, the son of Rob and Michele Reiner who is under arrest on suspicion of fatally stabbing his parents, reportedly checked into a Santa Monica hotel hours before the crime.
According to TMZ, Nick checked into the Pierside Santa Monica around 4 a.m. on Sunday (December 14) using his credit card.
The 32-year-old made a reservation for just one day.
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Trigger warning: This article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some
Before checking into the hotel, he and his parents had attended a Christmas party hosted by Conan O’Brien, during which the family reportedly got into a heated argument.
Rob and Michele were found lifeless at their Brentwood home around 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The Hollywood director and the photographer both suffered fatal knife wounds. They were 78 and 68 years old, respectively.
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Hotel staff allegedly found blood in the shower and on the bed in Nick’s hotel room
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According to the TMZ report, when the hotel staff entered Nick’s room later Sunday morning, they found the shower “full of blood” and more blood on the bed.
The window in the room was also allegedly covered with bed sheets.
The double homicide was discovered that same afternoon. It remains unclear whether the blood found in the hotel room belonged to Nick himself or someone else. The report does not specify this information.
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LAPD detectives went to the hotel on Monday to collect evidence and interview employees.
The suspect was arrested that day about 20 miles (approx. 32 km) away from the hotel in Exposition Park, near downtown Los Angeles.
The 32-year-old is being held without bail at Twin Towers Correctional Facility
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He was booked on suspicion of m*rder at Twin Towers Correctional Facility and is being held without bail. He has also been placed on s*icide watch.
The Reiner family confirmed the tragedy on Sunday in a statement, writing, “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
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During the Christmas party, he reportedly behaved erratically and argued loudly with his parents. A source told The Post that the argument may have stemmed from his refusal to seek treatment following a relapse.
“Rob had been telling people that they’re scared for Nick and scared that his mental state was deteriorating,” a lifelong family friend said.
Years before his arrest, Nick spoke out about his history of substance dependance
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Nick’s history of dependency became the basis for the 2015 semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which was directed by his father.
In 2016, he spoke with People about his issues with hard substances that led him to homelessness.
“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun,” he said.
“Now, I’ve been home for a really long time, and I’ve sort of gotten acclimated back to being in LA and being around my family. But there was a lot of dark years there.”
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In 2015, he told The Los Angeles Times that he had quit her*in after a practical realization about his privileges.
“I got sick of doing that,” he told the outlet. “I come from a nice family. I’m not supposed to be out there on the streets and in homeless shelters doing all these … things,” he said.
Nick is one of the four children the Stand by Me filmmaker had
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Rob was known for directing This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, and A Few Good Men.
He and Michele met when he directed When Harry Met Sally. The couple married in 1989 and shared three children: Jake, Nick, and Romy. Rob also had another daughter, Tracy, whom he adopted during his marriage to his first wife, Penny Marshall.
“I hope the family can heal from this in time,” one person expressed
