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New details on domestic violence situation of mother, suspect in Surprise standoff
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona’s Family is learning more about the victims in the hostage, baby shot, officer-involved shooting, standoff, and fire situation in Surprise from the mother’s best friend.
Linda Ogle says her friend Allie was doing all she could to get out of a domestic violence situation, and no one ever expected it to escalate to this extreme.
In one day, Allie lost her home and all of her belongings, and she nearly lost her 6-month-old baby, Jaxson.
“Evil. I don’t have any other explanation besides he’s evil,” said Ogle.
Ogle calls it a scene out of a horror movie. Allie and Jaxson are living an unimaginable nightmare after police say 51-year-old Todd Marchetti caused a series of tragic events.
“There’s a lot of fear. She was really afraid of him,” said Ogle.
Marchetti is Jaxson’s father and Allie’s boyfriend of a year and a half. Detectives say Marchetti broke into a home in Surprise around 3 a.m. Friday and held Allie and Jaxson hostage.
Ogle says Allie recently moved in there with her parents to try to get away from Marchetti’s abuse, but he was stalking her.
“He used an ax to get through one of the windows,” said Ogle. “He brought duct tape and ropes and different forms of pliers and a couple different butcher knives.”
The plan was to torture Allie for days while her parents were away for the weekend, according to Ogle, and in the process, she says Marchetti shot the family dog. She says they all went to the vet, but Allie couldn’t escape then.
Ogle says Allie convinced him to let her talk to a construction worker after they got back to ask for help fixing the window he broke. That crew called 911, and then police say Marchetti shot his son.
“She saved both of their lives and I’ve told her that multiple times. She said ‘Oh, well I should have just taken Jaxson out of the house with me’ and I said if you would have picked that baby up and tried to walk out of that door with him he would have opened fire on both of you and neither of you would be here right now,” said Ogle.
Ogle says it’s a miracle Jaxson is alive. She says he’s had two surgeries so far, and doctors expect him to pull through.
“He heard Allie’s voice yesterday and opened his eyes. He wiggles his toes. He grabs my finger,” said Ogle. She’s been by their side in the hospital ever since this happened.
Police say after Jaxson was rescued by tactical teams and taken to the hospital, Marchetti refused to come out, and there was a standoff for hours.
Then, a fire started and destroyed the home. Ogle says Allie’s childhood home burned down, too. “He wanted to make her relive her trauma and that’s exactly what he did,” she said.
On Saturday, investigators say they found Marchetti’s remains in the rubble. They believe he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“There’s a huge part of her that wishes they could have had the family that she wanted to have,” said Ogle.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help them rebuild their lives and recover during this time. If you would like to donate, click/tap here.
There are resources available for domestic violence survivors. For more information, click/tap here.
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Video: Prosecutors Charge Nick Reiner With Murdering His Parents
new video loaded: Prosecutors Charge Nick Reiner With Murdering His Parents
transcript
transcript
Prosecutors Charge Nick Reiner With Murdering His Parents
Los Angeles prosecutors charged Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, the director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
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Our office will be filing charges against Nick Reiner, who is accused of killing his parents, actor-director Rob Reiner and photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner. These charges will be two counts of first-degree murder, with a special circumstance of multiple murders. He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife. These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility parole or the death penalty. No decision at this point has been made with respect to the death penalty.
By Shawn Paik
December 16, 2025
News
Nick Reiner will be charged with first degree murder in his parents’ killing
Michele Singer Reiner, Rob Reiner and their son Nick in 2013.
Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue
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Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue
Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, is being charged with two counts of first degree murder. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said at a press conference Tuesday that the charges include a “special circumstance” of multiple murders and a “special allegation” that Reiner used a dangerous and deadly weapon — a knife.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“No decision at this point has been made with respect to the death penalty,” Hochman added.
Hochman called Rob Reiner an “iconic force in our entertainment industry” and his wife Michele Singer Reiner an “equally iconic photographer and producer.” The police became aware of their deaths on Sunday after a call from the fire department. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the cause and time of the deaths aren’t available at this time as they await updates from the coroner’s office.
Alan Hamilton, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, said that Nick Reiner was arrested in public on Sunday, in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles, near the University of Southern California campus. In response to questions, McDonnell said he was unable to say whether or not Nick Reiner was under the influence of drugs at the time of his arrest. Reiner had been open about his struggles with addiction in the past.


When asked whether there was evidence of mental illness in Nick Reiner’s background, Hochman said “any evidence, if there is any” would be presented in court. Hochman wouldn’t answer a question about whether Reiner admitted to the crimes, saying that is the type of evidence that would come out in court.
Hochman emphasized that “charges are not evidence” and that his office would be presenting evidence to jurors in a court of law. He asked people to rely on trusted sources and not hearsay about the case.
He said that, as in any case, his office would be taking “the thoughts and desires of the family into consideration.”
Prosecutors are filing charges Tuesday afternoon. Reiner is going through medical clearance – a normal process, according to officials – and will be brought to court for arraignment, where he will enter a plea. Reiner is currently being held without bail.


News
Video: Nick Reiner Talked Openly About His Addiction Struggles
new video loaded: Nick Reiner Talked Openly About His Addiction Struggles
transcript
transcript
Nick Reiner Talked Openly About His Addiction Struggles
Nick Reiner was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder after his mother and father, the movie director Rob Reiner, were found dead in their home. The younger Reiner had been open about his struggles with drug abuse and homelessness.
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“I was scared to get in trouble…” “We’re talking with Nick Reiner and his father, Rob Reiner.” “I think I’m lucky in the sense that I have parents that care about me. And because of that, when I would go out and do, you know, things like drugs and stuff like that, I’d feel a tremendous amount of guilt because I’d think, oh, you know, they’re thinking about me right now. They want me to do good.” “How was it working with your son?” “Oh, good, good.” “Deep down, he trusted that we loved him and that we were there for him. And that put a little bit of a break on certain things. I mean, it’s a desire to survive.”
By Shawn Paik
December 16, 2025
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