Arrests

Brian Hooker calmly ... very calmly ... explained what happened to his wife just days after she went missing near the Bahamas in a new video obtained by TMZ.

The clip -- taken on Monday, April 6 -- two days after Lynette disappeared and two days before Hooker was questioned by the Royal Bahamas Police Force -- shows a fellow seafarer engaging in a conversation with Hooker.

The two have a conversation from their separate ships ... with Brian standing on "Soulmate."

Spotify and Apple Music are under growing pressure to yank D4vd's music off their platforms completely after he was recently charged with sexually abusing and murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas just over a year ago.

The advocacy group Industry Blackout launched a Change.org petition calling on Spotify, Apple and other streaming services to axe all his music from their catalogs, writing ... "When an artist has been charged with the sexual abuse and murder of a minor, a child who was drawn into his orbit through his music and public persona, continuing to stream, promote, and profit from his catalog is a choice. It is not a neutral one."

The petition has under 1,000 signatures so far, but it comes as artists have distanced themselves from the singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke. Rolling Stone reports his former collaborators Kali Uchis, Holly Humberstone, Laufey and Damiano David have all cut their collaborations from streaming platforms with the help of UMG.

Some nasty folks are going after the lawyers defending D4vd in his murder case ... and they're going so far as to flood his defense team with horrendous emails, wishing them the worst simply because they are Jewish.

TMZ got ahold of one piece of hate mail sent to D4vd's defense team ... and it's just a taste of some of the Jewish hate the D4vd case is drumming up.

Here's the full email ... "With the recent shocking news about the crimes D4VD committed on a 12 year old girl. It sickens me that your law firm would pick up this case and defend such a filthy human. I'm not surprised you are all JEWS! the only race that puts money above all morals and will go to the pits of hell for a dollar." It doesn't end there ...

The former owner of the iconic "Home Alone" house has died by suicide ... just days after he was busted on child pornography charges.

Authorities in Lake County, Illinois say 79-year-old John Abendshien was found dead Wednesday evening at a nature preserve ... and a preliminary autopsy determined he died from "asphyxia in a manner consistent with being self-inflicted."

The shocking twist comes less than two weeks after he was arrested and slapped with multiple felony charges tied to alleged child pornography possession. He had been released from custody with conditions after a detention hearing earlier this month.

D4vd's iPhone contains a ton of child pornography ... at least according to prosecutors.

The singer was in court Thursday -- exactly one year to the day of when prosecutors claim he murdered Celeste Rivas -- for a status hearing on his upcoming preliminary hearing, which a judge set for May 1.

During the hearing, prosecutors claimed they went through his phone and found a "significant amount" of child porn. It's unclear if the alleged CP features Celeste.

Prosecutors also revealed a wire tap was involved in the investigation. They said the wire tap took place last year, but there were no other specifics.

D4vd was shackled and wore an orange jail jumpsuit ... he was calm, cool, collected, and looked kinda bored. He spoke briefly to the judge, telling her, "Yes, ma'am," as she explained to him how the prelim works.

Sherrone Moore's former assistant is breaking her silence after the coach's stunning downfall ... claiming he had "complete control" over her during their secret affair and used that power to keep her trapped.

Paige Shiver sat down with ABC News in an interview set to air Friday during "Good Morning America" and didn't hold back ... saying Moore manipulated her emotionally and professionally throughout their relationship.

"Here's a man that had complete control over me, over my emotions, over my career -- and he knew that, and he used it, he used it against me," Shiver said.

A California man was charged with murder Thursday in the stabbing death of a beloved Burbank 1st-grade teacher earlier this week.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is charging Sergio Fraire with murder, with a special circumstance of lying in wait, for allegedly attacking and killing Arti Varma in a Burbank, CA home early Monday morning.

Arti’s daughter -- identified by neighbors as 25-year-old mental health activist Meera Varma -- was also stabbed in the attack ... she was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

On top of the murder charge, Fraire has also been hit with one felony count of attempted murder and one felony count of first-degree residential burglary.

2:15: PM PT -- Dave Merritt entered a not guilty plea in court on Thursday ... and he has since bonded out.

He's due back in court in June.

Former NFL player and current Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was arrested for domestic battery on Wednesday ... after reportedly causing bodily harm to "a daughter."

The 54-year-old was arrested around 9 PM in Overland Park ... and was booked into jail without bond, according to the Kansas City Star.

A complaint was filed with the Johnson County District Attorney's Office on Thursday ... claiming Merritt "unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly" caused bodily harm to a daughter -- a domestic violence offense, the outlet reported.

Dylan Sprouse acted fast when he woke up to a trespasser at his and wife Barbara Palvin's Hollywood Hills property last week ... and new footage from the incident shows him holding what appears to be a gun while speaking to the alleged trespasser at the scene.

TMZ has obtained video of the Disney alum speaking in an animated fashion to the man garbed in all black outside his home Friday morning ... and you can see the alleged silver weapon at his side in his right hand. The person Dylan is addressing is wearing a black hoodie with white writing across the front, which matches what the suspect was wearing when he was arrested by cops.

Another man eventually enters the conversation ... he's in a black hoodie and gray sweats.

Jason Nichols -- the guy law enforcement says is the one seen in viral Ring camera footage yelling and kicking -- has officially been charged with 4 felony counts ... and his bail has now increased to a whopping $250K ... TMZ has learned.

Fairfield PD officials say Nichols is the man in the video that went infamously viral earlier this month, with doorbell cam footage from a home in Northern California showing him kicking and screaming into the camera ... before appearing to break into the home via a sliding door.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Nichols was charged with four felonies -- first-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, and vandalism. He pleaded not guilty to all counts ... his bail was increased to $250K, and he was served with a criminal protective order.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is speaking out about being muzzled for months in the Celeste Rivas murder case, TMZ has learned.

The M.E. says Celeste's cause and manner of death was determined way back on Dec. 9 but the information was only made public on Wednesday because there was a prior court order initiated by the LAPD that had been preventing them from releasing their findings.

In a statement, Dr. Odey Ukpo, says ... "After several months, I am grateful this information can now be released, not only to the public, but also to the grieving family enduring loss. It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter."

"The transparency of the information contained in our findings and reports is essential for empowering the community to make informed changes to affectively reduce fear and allowing the community to take informed action," he added. "Making the Department’s information publicly available is not just about accountability, it is about social justice and prevention."

D4vd and Nick Reiner are sharing a roof over their heads ... they're locked up in the same Los Angeles County jail.

The singer -- who is charged with murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas -- has been transferred to Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Downtown Los Angeles ... according to online records.

Our law enforcement sources tell us D4vd was transferred there because authorities want him under better supervision because he's a celebrity inmate at the center of a high-profile case.

Prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht -- the man who allegedly started the horrific Pacific Palisades Fire -- shouldn't be allowed to introduce evidence and argue about the Los Angeles Fire Department's response to the wildfires to get himself out of trouble.

Here's the deal ... prosecutors say Rinderknecht's attorneys are trying to bring up alleged incidents of the department's supposed ineptitude to protect their client and reframe the case around the response to the January 2025 fire to distract from his alleged role in starting it.

One example Rinderknecht is arguing is that one member of the fire department apparently wasn't alarmed by seeing smoke. But prosecutors say brush fires commonly smolder after firefighters put them out ... something they say this particular firefighter knew, and explains the lack of concern.

Prosecutors list a series of examples they say are just like this ... insisting Rinderknecht's attorneys are grasping at straws and attempting to "transform his trial into a misguided and much lengthier trial about the LAFD."

"Unexpected" star Bella Vaughn's mom Falen has broken her silence after being arrested this week in Arkansas ... and it sounds like she's ready to fight the charges.

Kevin Hickey, Falen's lawyer, tells TMZ ... his client denies any wrongdoing ... and she plans to plead not guilty when she is scheduled to appear in court.

As we reported, FV was arrested on Monday for disorderly conduct and disrupting governmental operations. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Prosecutors trying "American Idol" alum Caleb Flynn for murder say they expect to put his daughters on the witness stand to ask them about the night their father allegedly shot their mother to death inside their home.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors in Ohio say they anticipate multiple children testifying in Caleb's upcoming murder trial. We've also seen the witness list, and there are some redacted names.

As we previously reported, Caleb's two daughters were home the night their mother was murdered ... and prosecutors say Caleb pulled the trigger while his kids were in the other room.

D4vd is living a far different life than he was a week ago ... trading his $15,000 a month L.A. rental for a cold jail cell with strict rules.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the musician, charged with murdering Celeste Rivas, is being held in a segregated single cell. 

D4vd is escorted from his cell to the shower, which he is allowed every other day. The singer is only allowed to make phone calls on the days he is allowed a shower.

Sources tell TMZ that D4vd is allowed recreation time with fresh air, but only 3 hours per week. He has no contact with other inmates during rec time.