Video shows Nick Reiner buying a drink moments before his arrest in parents’ killings

BRENTWOOD, LOS ANGELES: Newly surfaced surveillance video obtained by ABC7 shows Nick Reiner calmly purchasing a drink inside a gas station just moments before his arrest in connection with the killings of his parents, director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.

According to the authorities, Reiner, 32, was taken into custody on Sunday night, December 14, about 15 miles from the family's Los Angeles home. He has since been charged with two counts of murder and is being held without bail.

Prosecutors say additional charges and sentencing considerations are pending. 

Surveillance shows a calm demeanor before arrest 

Video recorded inside a convenience store shows Nick Reiner wearing jeans, a striped jacket, a baseball cap and a red backpack as he waits to buy a canned drink, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his wallet.

The footage was captured shortly before Reiner surrendered to police on a nearby street, according to a local outlet. Additional video obtained shows Reiner raising his hands as two police vehicles pulled up around 9.15 pm.

Multiple patrol cars arrived seconds later, and officers held him at gunpoint before forcing him to the ground and placing him in handcuffs. Photos later shared by the Los Angeles Police Department showed Reiner being restrained while lying on the pavement. 

Authorities say Reiner appeared to be wearing the same clothing seen in the convenience store footage at the time of his arrest.

He was later transported to custody and placed on self-life-ending watch at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. Police initially set bail at $4 million, but that amount was later revoked. 

Earlier footage also reportedly showed Reiner walking near another gas station late Saturday night, hours before authorities believe the killings occurred. 

Charges filed as investigators detail timeline and evidence 

Prosecutors have charged Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, who were found dead inside their Brentwood home on Sunday afternoon.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the couple appeared to have been dead for several hours when they were discovered, with rigor mortis already setting in. 

The couple's daughter, Romy Reiner, reportedly found the bodies after they failed to answer the door for a scheduled appointment.

Investigators later searched a motel room where Reiner had been staying and reported finding extensive blood evidence, according to law enforcement. 

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Reiner is charged with special circumstances, which could increase sentencing exposure.

"Charges are not evidence," Hochman said. "Evidence is something we will be presenting in a court of law to meet the standard of proof we meet at every criminal case, which is beyond a reasonable doubt."

If convicted, Reiner faces a possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hochman said his office will consider whether to seek the death penalty.