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When the dust settles, the real story begins. In The Leonard Files, veteran NBC4 Los Angeles investigative reporter Eric Leonard takes you beyond the headlines of Los Angeles' most compelling stories. With exclusive interviews and deep-dive reporting, this podcast uncovers the untold stories of survival, loss, and resilience in the face of crisis and change.
From community leaders and impacted residents to the decision-makers shaping the future, The Leonard Files exposes the challenges, the failures, and the hard-fought battles happening behind the scenes.
The Leonard Files.
🎧 Subscribe now and stay ahead of the story.
From community leaders and impacted residents to the decision-makers shaping the future, The Leonard Files exposes the challenges, the failures, and the hard-fought battles happening behind the scenes.
The Leonard Files.
🎧 Subscribe now and stay ahead of the story.
68 Episodes
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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.
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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.
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for information about our collection and use of personal data for
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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