Son of filmmaker Rob Reiner jailed on suspicion of murdering parents

The son of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner has been jailedas a suspect in the killing of his parents after they were found dead in their home over the weekend, Los Angeles police said on Monday.

Nick Reiner, 32, who had struggled with substance abuse, was taken into custody on Sunday night and "booked for murder" in the county jail, where he remained without bail, the police department said in a statement.

Homicide detectives would present their case on Tuesday to the county district attorney's office to consider formal charges, police said.

Rob Reiner, 78, director of such beloved films as When Harry Met Sally... and The Princess Bride, and his wife Michele, 70, were found slain at their home in the upscale Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.

The Los Angeles Police Department said its investigation "determined that the Reiners were the victims of homicide" and their son "was responsible for their deaths".

The Los Angeles Times and celebrity news website TMZ.com said the couple's daughter was the first to find her parents.

For years, Nick Reiner, 32, spoke openly about his battles with drug addiction and periods of homelessness that occurred when he refused to seek treatment for substance abuse.

In a 2016 interview, he told People magazine that he first entered rehab for drug abuse at age 15. He eventually had at least 17 stays in facilities.

Those experiences inspired the movie Being Charlie, co-written by Nick Reiner and his father.

"It was the most personal thing I've ever been involved in," Rob Reiner told podcaster Marc Maron in 2016.

Local media reported that Nick Reiner had been spotted arguing with his parents on Saturday night at a holiday party hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien.

Months earlier, Rob Reiner had been photographed with his wife and three children at the September 9 Los Angeles premiere of Reiner's last film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

Pictures showed Nick with a shaved head and a beard, the only person not smiling.

FROM 'MEATHEAD' TO 'SPINAL TAP'

Tributes poured in for Rob Reiner, who was active in politics, supporting liberal causes.

"He has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.

As an actor, Reiner was best remembered for his role on the 1970s television comedy hit All in the Family as Mike "Meathead" Stivic, the son-in-law and liberal foil of the bigoted lead character.

The role garnered Reiner two Emmy awards for outstanding supporting actor.

Reiner went on to a prolific Hollywood career as a director, starting with "This Is Spinal Tap," a 1984 mockumentary about a fictional hard rock band.

The film became a cult classic, known for its mostly improvised script, with Reiner playing the faux documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi.

"That was the trick - to make fun of it and at the same time, honor it," Reiner told CBS's 60 Minutes this year as he promoted his Spinal Tap sequel.

Reiner directed nearly two dozen films, including classics such as Stand by Me, a 1986 coming-of-age drama about four boys who set out to find the body of a missing youth, and 1989's When Harry Met Sally, often cited as one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time.

Reiner also directed the beloved 1987 fairy-tale adventure The Princess Bride, the 1990 psychological thriller Misery, and the 1992 military courtroom drama A Few Good Men.

Michele Reiner was at one time a photographer who captured the image of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book Trump: The Art of the Deal.

Reiner was first married to Penny Marshall, who starred in the TV sitcom Laverne & Shirley, and was also a producer and director. He was an adoptive father to Marshall's daughter and had three children with Michele.