Rick Hilton says his son Conrad insists the only reason he crashed into a parked car in Brentwood this weekend was to avoid running over a dog that darted out into the street.

Rick was out in L.A. today -- when he told a photog, "Well, what happened according to him telling me is that he was driving and a dog ran in front of him and to avoid the dog he had to veer off."

Rick says Conrad DID NOT leave the scene after the collision -- although shortly after the crash, City News Service reported that police told them that Conrad had left the scene.

Check out the crash video below -- doesn't appear to be a doggie anywhere in sight.

Paris, Kathy and Rick Hilton were out in Las Vegas Saturday night for son Barron Hilton's 22nd birthday ... one night after their youngest son Ferris Bueller Conrad cracked up his car in Brentwood.

At least he didn't do this to the car.

One of the biggest real estate deals in the history of Los Angeles was hatched by none other than ... BRANDON DAVIS!!!  And get this ... He'll get hundreds of thousands of bucks for his efforts.



Yes, TMZ has learned Greasy Bear -- the ne'er-do-well grandson of the late oil mogul Marvin Davis -- was instrumental in the sale of Candy Spelling's mansion.

Here's the way it went down.  Brandon was at a Hollywood nightclub on April 27, partying with Petra Ecclestone -- the 22-year-old daughter of billionaire Formula One mogul Bernie Ecclestone -- when she told him she wanted to buy a HUGE house in L.A.

Brandon sprung into action, hooking Petra up with realtor/Paris Hilton's father, Rick Hilton.  Sources tell TMZ, Rick made a deal with Brandon -- to give him a $250,000 finder's fee if Rick could sell a mansion to Petra.

Click here... it's not over yet

FEAR NOT -- the Hilton family is NOT poor ... in fact, Paris' parents tell TMZ the fact they can take a $10 million equity line out of their Bel Air mansion shows they've still got TONS of cash.




TMZ broke the story -- Rick and Kathy Hilton got approval for a $10 million credit line last month ... and we all wondered why the hell such a super-rich family would need the extra dough.

But yesterday at LAX. they explained the whole thing -- saying, "You do these things for investment purposes." Rick says the move is a "good thing" ... because, "That means we have a lot of equity in our home."

One would think Paris Hilton's parents have billions at their disposal ... but for some mysterious reason, Rick and Kathy Hilton just took a $10 million equity line out of their Bel Air mansion.


TMZ has obtained financial documents filed recently at the L.A. County Recorder's Office, which show both Rick and Kathy were approved for the credit line ... and whatever they borrow must be repaid in full by 2021.

It's unclear why the Hiltons have any need for such a substantial credit line -- but as one rich person tells us, "It doesn't mean they're broke ... this thing happens all the time."

Attempts to reach the Hilton family for comment were unsuccessful.

Brooke Mueller spent a lovely evening at Dan Tana's steakhouse in West Hollywood last night, looking a lot better than she did on Thanksgiving morning.


As TMZ first reported, a disheveled Mueller (below) left the Farmer's Daughter Hotel in L.A. Thursday at around 10:00 AM and was escorted to a sober living facility in Bev Hills.

Brooke's lawyer, Yale Galanter, told TMZ she was at the hotel to shoot something for her reality show.  Galanter acknowledged a rep from the sober living facility is in the picture TMZ posted and that she went to the sober house after leaving the hotel, but says it was all part of her ongoing treatment.

Brooke went to Dan Tana's with Rick and Kathy Hilton. Kathy is one of the big wigs behind the reality show which, of course, also features daughter Paris.

Paris Hilton's father, Rick Hilton, was very chatty yesterday about his daughter's recent run-in with the police in Las Vegas -- or at least we think he was.


We ran into Papa Hilton at LAX yesterday and tossed tons of Paris questions his way -- unfortunately he only mimed his answers back to us.

A preview of Paris' defense strategy, perhaps?

Three hours before Paris Hilton was arrested for possession of cocaine, her parents, Rick and Kathy, were all smiles as they walked into BOA steakhouse in Hollywood.
 
The loving parents were relieved the knife-toting, break-in caper ended with no one getting hurt.

Let's hope this latest Paris adventure ends well too.

A likely sober Barron Hilton is back behind the wheel -- and he wasted no time getting his sick new $60,000 ride on the road.


As TMZ previously reported, Paris' younger bro was given a 2010 Mercedes E550 Coupe by his dad as a reward for getting his license back after his 2008 DUI bust -- and it was delivered Wednesday afternoon.

Within an hour of the car's delivery, Barron was already seen driving it -- with Rick riding shotty.

Best DUI gift EVER.

Here's 47-year-old redone Internet singing sensation Susan Boyle in Scotland on Wednesday (left) -- and Paris Hilton's birth father Rick Hilton, 53, in Santa Monica yesterday (right).



One of them is an alleged virgin.

We're just sayin'.

Kathy Hilton, unlike her daughter Paris, is hard at work on a celebrity Christmas charity auction for the Make-a-Wish Foundation ... now if she only knew the actual names of the stars helping her out!


TMZ caught Kathy and hotel heir hubby Rick outside of Mr. Chow last night, where she boasted of all the celebs taking part in the Kathy Hilton Wishing Tree event -- but had a little trouble with Leo's last name. Italian can be tricky.