Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who was previously a child star famous for his role as Randy Taylor on the 1990s situation comedy Home Improvement, is now facing a number of felony charges following a traffic stop that took place in the early hours of the morning in Southern California. The 45-year-old actor was a passenger, not the driver, when the deputies stopped the car in Westlake Village, but the authorities state that he kept leaving the vehicle, ignored the instructions to remain inside it, and interfered with the DUI investigation into the driver.
What Happened During the Stop
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and local reports state that the incident took place just after midnight on Monday, September 21. The deputies pulled over the car as part of a standard DUI check. During the time when the officers were carrying out the field sobriety tests on the driver, Thomas left the passenger seat several times and came towards the officers, interfering with the investigation.
According to law enforcement officials, Thomas was seen to be drunk and did not cooperate when asked to stay in the car. While being detained for obstruction and public intoxication, he is said to have kicked a deputy in the stomach. He was then arrested and taken to the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, where he was booked early on the morning of Monday.
Charges and Current Status
At first Thomas was suspected of committing felony obstruction/resisting an executive officer and of being publicly intoxicated. Although the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office had not yet brought in formal charges as of Wednesday, the case had been sent for review and the prosecutors still had the option of bringing in the charges. Some reports say that he is being charged with three felony counts concerning obstruction or resistance to an officer.
He was detained for about 34 hours and was then set free at roughly midday on Tuesday, as the online jail records show.
A Look Back at Thomas’ Career
Jonathan Taylor Thomas became well known in the early 1990s as the mischievous middle child in the programme Home Improvement, which ran from 1991 to 1998. He quit the show when he was 16 in order to concentrate on his studies and only appeared in a small number of episodes during the series’ last season.
He also became widely known beyond television as the voice of the young Simba in Disney’s The Lion King (1994). Among his film roles were leading parts in Tom and Huck (1995) and The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996), in both of which he not only acted but also voiced Pinocchio. In later years, however, he withdrew from the public eye in order to focus on education and work behind the camera, such as directing and writing.
What Comes Next
The person who was driving the car is suspected of driving under the influence and has been arrested. Thomas’s case will now be handed over to the district attorney, who will decide whether to bring charges. Should the prosecutors decide to bring felony charges, the case will go forward through the criminal court process, at which point Thomas will be able to enter a plea and, if needed, put up a defense.
No public statement has been released by Thomas’s representatives. Further updates will be given when the Ventura County district attorney has reviewed the file and decided whether or not to proceed with formal charges.
