The Leonard Files

In this episode of The Leonard Files we break down a busy week in court with new filings, delays, and revelations in three major Southern California criminal cases. Celeste Rivas Hernandez: defense lawyers for the singer knowns as D4vd (David A. Burke) asked to delay proceedings, as they review 'terabytes' of potential evidence in advance of a preliminary hearing. Jonathan Rinderknecht: federal prosecutors lay out what they plan to present to jurors in the upcoming trial of the man accused of igniting the Palisades wildfires in 2025, including -- how the Feds plan to invoke another notable prosecution as a motive in this case. Rob and Michele Reiner: a major delay in the murder case against their son Nick Reiner, who faces charges for allegedly killing his parents inside their home. We discuss why high-profile cases often face long delays, and what pre-trial memos can reveal about prosecution strategies. ⚠️ Content warning: This episode includes discussion of alleged crimes involving violence and the death of a minor.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Federal aviation officials imposed new helicopter restrictions after last year’s disastrous collision between an airliner and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C. The announcement mentioned a recent ‘conflict’ between a plane and helicopter near Hollywood Burbank Airport — an incident that turns out to involve NewsChopper4. Plus, new developments in the deadly LA County Sheriff’s bomb squad explosion, including the mystery of a missing grenade, and why federal prosecutors say millions were stolen in while massive hospice care fraud schemes went undetected for years.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The latest information on the investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who’s body was found inside a Tesla registered to the pop singer D4vd, appeared in Texas, where D4vd’s family tried to block an LA court order. Plus, documents released by the LA Fire Department show their intricate plans to try to control news coverage of the Palisades fire after action report, and the former fire chief, dismissed after the fire, has sued the Mayor alleging retaliation.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New developments in stories from years past: a jury has reached a decision about the death of LAPD Officer Houston Tipping, who suffered a catastrophic spinal injury during training, and the State Bar of California moves to punish a former top LA City Attorney’s Office official for his role in the lawsuits that followed the DWP’s over billing mess. Plus, the arson trial for the man accused of causing the Palisades Fire may be delayed again, while Palisades fire victims have won a major legal victory in their effort to hold the City of LA and State of California responsible for the damage.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How did federal agents catch Ryan Wedding, the former Canadian snowboarder facing indictment in Los Angeles for allegedly trafficking tons of cocaine through the U.S. to Canada? The FBI says he was caught after a decade-long manhunt; authorities in Mexico say Wedding walked into a US embassy and surrendered. Plus - the LAPD is handed a court order that’s changed the ‘less-lethal’ weapons officers are allowed to use at protests, and whether a man detained in Montana is connected to the secretive LAPD investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas, whose body was found in a Tesla registered to the singer “D4VD.”   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Finally we have some insight into whether firefighters communicated their concerns -- that the smaller brush fire blamed for causing the Palisades fire -- had been fully extinguished. New court documents provide our clearest window into what evidence may exist. Plus - the City of LA has recorded its fewest murders since 1966. How is this possible when the LAPD has shrunk to its smallest size in more than a decade, and it appears more officers will retire than will be hired in 2026.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nick Reiner -- charged with murdering his parents Rob and Michele Reiner -- lost his private legal defense team at a hearing this week. But the judge also discussed an ongoing defense investigation that may suggest where the criminal case is headed. Plus -- moment by moment of what happened in court, and what the lawyers said outside.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The LAPD is ending 2025 with two key numbers going the wrong way: officers have used their guns far more often on duty than in recent years, and the number of officers employed by the City of LA is shrinking. Also, some new text messages exchanged by California State Parks employees could shed light on what happened in the days before the Palisades fire, when firefighters were mopping-up from a much smaller brush fire that continued to smolder.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cops called out bad information circulating on the investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas-Hernandez, the teen whose remains were found in the Tesla sedan registered to the singer D4vd. Also, why the defense lawyer for the man accused of causing the Palisades fire is very interested in the lawsuit filed by Palisades fire victims against the City of Los Angeles.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An unusual hearing was held this week in federal court in Downtown LA – when a judge was asked to disqualify the acting US Attorney for Southern California. Former state assemblyman Bill Essayli first served as the interim US Attorney, now described as an, ‘acting,” US Attorney – raising questions about whether his tenure is lawful under a variety of laws. Could the judge’s decision affect criminal cases in LA? Also, the latest on the man accused of causing the Palisades Fire, and the arrest of a former LAPD officer who was once cleared in the on-duty killing of a man in Venice.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After months of investigation the ATF announced this week that agents had arrested a 29-year-old man on a federal arson charge – and accused him of causing the Palisades Fire. Jonathan Rinderknecht is being held in Florida with no bail, after fire investigators concluded the January 7th Palisades Fire was a reignition of a January 1st brush fire in the same area. Rinderknecht is charged with igniting the January 1st fire, and federal prosecutors say more charges are likely.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why did so many news outlets blast out headlines – that an arrest had been made in the death of Celeste Rivas? No such arrest was made – we explain the confusion and have updates on another murder investigation tied to remains in a car, plus -- why a family’s lawsuit could renew a criminal investigation into an in-custody death at LA’s Twin Towers jail.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, missing since April 2024, was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla registered to musician D4vd. Police are investigating the case as a homicide, though no charges have been filed. In this episode, we break down the latest details, the investigation’s focus, and what comes next.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We run down some of the unusual crime stories we followed this week, including a home invasion robbery in Woodland Hills, the discoveries of the bodies of 2 people inside cars at LA tow yards, and consider why the California Attorney General has suddenly taken legal action against LA County, after years of complaints about poor living conditions inside jails.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The US Attorney’s Office in Southern California filed a civil lawsuit against Southern California Edison in federal court, seeking to hold the utility liable for the cost of fighting the Eaton Fire and for the damage it caused to the Angeles National Forest. More than 5,000 fire victims have already filed suit in state court for the deaths of loved ones and the loss of homes and businesses. We consider the implications of the new federal case with attorney Mike Artinian, who’s firm already represents hundreds of Eaton Fire victims in lawsuits against SCE.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Erik & Lyle Menendez’s defense lawyer Mark Geragos says he’s going to court to challenge the decision last week to deny parole for the brothers, but it’s a difficult legal path. Criminal justice professor and parole attorney Bruce Zucker talks about the reality of the decisions last week and the prospect of a successful legal challenge.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The last of 6 men accused of taking part in the 2008 murder of LA County Sheriff’s Deputy Juan Abel Escalante was returned to Southern California from Mexico this week, as part of a negotiated agreement between the US Justice Department and Mexican justice officials. Roberto Salazar was charged in 2011 but wasn’t located until March, 2025. Deputy Escalante’s murder led to one of the largest organized crime prosecutions of a street gang in Southern California – that helped transform the Cypress Park neighborhood where Escalante was killed.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We update a few stories we’ve been covering: arrests in burglary of actor Brad Pitt’s home in Los Feliz, an information vacuum in the hoax bomb threat made by LA Mayor Karen Bass’ former deputy mayor for public safety, and new allegations against already-accused LA City Councilman Curren Price.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The ATF and LA County Sheriff’s Department continue to examine what caused the hand grenade explosion that claimed the lives of Detectives Victor Lemus, William Osborn, and Joshua Kelley-Eklund. The grenade that detonated – had been examined and x-rayed and was believed to be inert. But what if the x-ray was inaccurate? The latest on the ongoing investigation.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More questions have been raised about the LAPD’s response to the home of an American Idol music supervisor and her husband, who were worried about security in the neighborhood, and were murdered when they walked-in on a burglary in progress. Police had been at their doorstep minutes earlier, but newly-public court records suggest the couple was never made aware of the prowler investigation and were shot to death.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Federal agents and homicide detectives are working to find out – how 3 members of the LA County Sheriff’s Department’s Arson and Explosives Detail, also known as the Bomb Squad, were killed July 18 when something they were examining detonated in the parking lot of the unit’s headquarters near East LA. Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn were killed. Now, investigators are tracing the origin of the items that caused the explosion.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mid-year crime data suggests LA is safer now – than last year. Like most other major cities in the US the number of violent and property crimes reported to police continue to decline, following major drops in 2023 and 2024. Historically the number of police shootings trend down along with the violent crime rate, but in the City of LA, they’ve increased in the first 6 months of 2025.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The cause of the January 7, 2025 Palisades Fire remains a mystery, at least to the public, as fire investigators from the ATF and local agencies have said little about what’s been discovered. We’ve picked up a few clues in recent weeks, that appear to suggest the case is focused on what ignited a much smaller brush fire in the Palisades Highlands that burned a week earlier. Fire experts have told us it’s possible, but unlikely, that something left smoldering from the first fire re-ignited in the intense winds on the morning of January 7.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New court documents show federal authorities had considered the possibility in early June that the man accused of being an accomplice in the Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing might try to harm himself. Daniel Park was found unresponsive in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown LA Tuesday morning and died at a hospital. The LA County Medical Examiner says he died by suicide.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Police and federal agents announced 2 significant arrests this week in high-dollar jewel heists. Detectives in Simi Valley say they caught 4 members of a safecracking crew – a few weeks after a jewelry store was the target of a tunnel-in blowtorch burglary. Separately, federal prosecutors announced an indictment of 7 people accused of pulling-off – what authorities say – was the single-largest jewelry heist in US history: the theft of more than $100-million in valuables from a secure transport trailer at a truck stop along the I-5 freeway.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A key clue collected near the scene of the 2022 murder of 81-year-old Ok Ja Kim in Woodland Hills – may have helped investigators connect that case with the recent arrest of a man charged with murdering 53-year-old Menashe “Manny” Hidra in Valley Village in April. Newly amended criminal charges also accuse the man of a stabbing during a home burglary in San Fernando in 2022 – where the victim survived.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here’s what we know about the murder of a man in Baldwin Park, California on Saturday, May 31, 2025 – that led to the ambush-killing of Baldwin Park Police Officer Samuel Riveros and a gunfight between officers and the suspected killer. A second officer was wounded and survived. The accused killer was publicly identified by authorities, and detectives are still trying to piece together all that happened.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here’s what we know about the murder of a man in Baldwin Park, California on Saturday, May 31, 2025 – that led to the ambush-killing of Baldwin Park Police Officer Samuel Riveros and a gunfight between officers and the suspected killer. A second officer was wounded and survived. The accused killer was publicly identified by authorities, and detectives are still trying to piece together all that happened.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thieves hit at least 2 Southern California jewelry stores this week, possibly taking advantage of the holiday weekend when more businesses would be closed. Both stores are small, family-owned businesses that say they lost more than $1-million each in jewelry, valuables, and cash. Are the break-ins connected? And what about a number of other massive jewel and cash heists that are still unsolved?   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have announced that former deputy mayor Brian Williams has agreed to plead guilty to a charge related to a hoax bomb threat made at LA City Hall last Fall. Williams, who was Mayor Karen Bass' manager of public safety issues — and her liaison with outside law enforcement agencies, will admit he staged the call and reported a false threat to police, according to a plea agreement filed in court last week. Still a mystery — why did he do it?   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The tragic death of a 21-year-old LA County Sheriff’s deputy in a car crash this week raised renewed questions about how mandatory overtime shifts have exhausted some of the Department’s workforce. Dep. Daniel Chavira died at a hospital after he was airlifted from the scene of the crash. He was driving home after working a double shift at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, and within hours we heard from some of his colleagues, who told us the, ‘relentless,’ required overtime has left thousands of deputies weary and in need of sleep (as of this recording the cause of the crash was still under investigation and it wasn’t clear whether fatigue on the part of any of those involved - played a role in the crash).   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Federal agents scouring online profiles that appear tied to the man who blew up a fertility clinic in Palm Springs — include some videos of explosive experiments in the desert! Some of the videos, which have since been taken-down from YouTube and other sites, show specific chemicals used in some of the tests.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We have a full account of the statements Lyle and Erik Menendez made in court this week just before a judge reduced their prison terms and opened the door to possible release on parole. Parole hearings are often scheduled months in advance, and it wasn’t clear when a hearing would happen. Then, late this week California prison officials announced a previously scheduled June 13, 2025 clemency suitability hearing would be “converted” to an initial parole hearing for the brothers.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Erik & Lyle Menendez will argue this week that they deserve to have their life-without-parole prison terms reduced after spending decades behind bars. A resentencing hearing, delayed repeatedly for a variety of reasons, is finally scheduled to begin Tuesday, May 13. The LA County District Attorney's Office says it will oppose it, after unsuccessfully trying to intervene to stop the proceeding entirely.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Journalist Dexter Thomas joins the pod to explain who made those (obviously) fake videos of the Hollywood sign on fire – that spread rapidly across social media on the day the Palisades and Eaton Fires burned through Southern California. It turns out those fake videos earned the creator quite a bit of real money! And now – the person behind some of the imagery is selling an online course to teach others how to do it.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the latest development in the Menendez brothers’ saga — California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office says there’s no reason their resentencing can’t go ahead with prosecutors from the LA County District Attorney's Office. Erik and Lyle Menendez have asked the court to boot the DA, alleging the elected DA and the entire office are biased against their bid to receive reduced sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The judge considering whether or not Erik and Lyle Menendez deserve to have their life-without-parole prison terms reduced is expected to decide this week - whether the LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman should be removed from the case. Menendez defense lawyer Mark Geragos says the DA himself is too biased to be fair, and that means all of the office’s employees should be booted as well. What’s the legal standard for a removal like this? The state Supreme Court set some criteria and gave trial judges the power to decide.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nearly a month after LAPD officers shot and wounded Jillian Shriner in Eagle Rock — prosecutors still haven’t decided whether or not to file criminal charges. The LAPD says Shriner, who’s married to Weezer bassist Scott Schriner, fired a shot at officers while they were searching backyards for three people who fled from a freeway crash. Shriner was wounded when two officers returned fire, but recovered and was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An odd side-story to the recovery from the Palisades and Eaton Fires: the LAPD has been collecting and cataloging hundreds of guns found in the ashes of burned homes. They’re trying to make sure government records show guns burned up in the fire are listed as destroyed, or returned to the legal owners.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Defense lawyers for the Menendez brothers have filed a request with the court to remove the LA County District Attorney from the case. Not just the prosecutors in the courtroom — but the entire DA’s office, based on the idea that the elected District Attorney is so biased against them that the proceeding cannot be fair.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The giant drinking water reservoir in the Pacific Palisades highlands, that many Palisades fire victims believe could have supplied enough water to save their homes had it been filled in January, had to be drained again this month. Repairs to tears in its protective cover were made in March, 2025, but more leaks were found as the Santa Ynez Reservoir was refilled in the last weeks. The DWP says the next round of repairs should be quick and the reservoir back in service in May. Still unclear — is whether a full reservoir could have changed the outcome on January 7, when 3 smaller high-elevation supply tanks ran dry, and pumps could not refill them fast enough to supply water as the fire burned into the night.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Menendez brothers’ efforts to have their life-without-parole sentences reduced has been derailed again, this time because of new risk assessment reports produced by the state, and the brothers’ new demand that the LA County District Attorney’s Office be removed from the case for bias. Now the resentencing is temporarily off the table while the judge considers these legal issues.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deputy District Attorney Brock Lunsford considers what’s happened in the months since he and a former colleague authored the recommendation — that Erik and Lyle Menendez should receive a resentencing hearing that brings the possibility of a reduced prison term and release on parole. Lunsford says he was transferred out of the resentencing unit when the new LA County DA took over, and says he believes the transfer was retaliatory.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With roughly 8735 officers on its roster — the LAPD is far smaller than it was a few years ago, and its struggling to recruit and train enough new officers to reach the City’s target of a 9,300 officer-force. The Department has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new online ad campaign, aimed at the ‘smartphone generation,’ but will it produce the results the City needs? City Councilman John Lee joins the pod to discuss.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Now that a judge has denied the LA County District Attorney’s request to stop the resentencing proceedings for Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers will get to make their case this week - that they’re deserving of a reduced sentence, and in all likelihood, release from prison. The DA still says he’s opposed to their release, and apologized for his deputy showing in court, without warning, a graphic crime scene photo that showed Jose and Kitty Menendez’s bodies after they were blasted with shotguns in the family’s living room in 1989.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a day-long hearing in Van Nuys a judge has decided that prosecutors have not provided enough of a ‘legitimate reason’ to stop the planned resentencing hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez. Hear all the detail from inside the courtroom!   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Menendez brothers’ chance for resentencing - and potential release from prison on parole — could hinge on a 2023 state appeals court ruling, that limits when a newly-elected District Attorney can change course in court. A judge wil consider whether to allow LA County DA Nathan Hochman to withdraw the resentencing motion first filed under form DA George Gascon, and, if so, whether the resentencing should happen anyway.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The family of 13-year-old Oscar “Omar” Hernandez wants to know why a soccer coach — now charged with murdering the boy — wasn’t prosecuted before the murder? Two other teens accused the coach of sexual assaults, one in 2022 and another in 2024, but no charges were filed in those cases until last week.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LA prosecutors filed first-degree murder charges against a soccer coach — now accused of murdering a 13-year-old boy. Oscar Omar Hernandez vanished after he went to visit the coach March 28, and now authorities say they fear there are other children and teens who’ve been victimized by the same man.   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The California Supreme Court has reversed the conviction and death sentence of Timothy McGhee, the one-time leader of a violent street gang in Atwater Village. The justices found a juror was improperly dismissed from the trial in 2007 after other jurors made complaints about the juror’s statements during deliberations. Could this mean a new trial?   Thanks for listening to The Leonard Files – Stay with us as we uncover the investigations from some of LA’s most challenging and intriguing moments. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next episode of The Leonard Files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.