It’s not uncommon for TV sets to endure some serious real life drama from time to time, but the set of popular procedural NCIS: LA just had more than its share of unwanted attention. While filming was taking place yesterday, an extra was arrested on the set of the long-running drama series, now in its thirteenth season.
According to Deadline, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that 42-year-old Brandt Osborn was taken into custody while working on NCIS: LA yesterday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. Osborn was acting as an extra on the CBS hit, and was being used in a scene of pedestrians that was filming near the corner of Cahuenga and Hollywood Blvd. He was later booked on accessory to manslaughter, and his bail was set at $100,000.
Osborn was one of three men arrested in connection with the deaths, last month, of aspiring actress and model Christy Giles, and her friend, architect Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola. The two had last been spotted at an apartment in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood on the westside of Los Angeles, before their bodies were dropped outside the Southern California Hospital in Culver City and Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Hospital.
It is thought that the suspects drugged both women at a home somewhere in 8600 block of Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles, which led to them overdosing. By the time Giles was discovered on November 13, she had already died, while Cabrales-Arzola was admitted to the hospital in critical condition. Her family took her off of life support on November 27.
The two other men who were arrested in connection with their deaths are 37-year-old David Pearce, who was booked on suspicion of manslaughter with his bail set for $1 million, and Michael Ansbach, 47, who was booked on suspicion of accessory to manslaughter and had his bail set at $100,000. Police noted that the investigation is still on-going, as they believe that others in the area may have been drugged by one or more of the suspects. The case against all three men will be taken to the Los Angeles District Attorney on Friday for filing consideration.
Right now, there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that Osborn had been anywhere near the principal cast members of NCIS: LA, but I can only imagine that having the police come on set and arrest someone would make for a very scary time for anyone who happened to witness it. While we don’t know how many people connected with the series were present when he was arrested, it’s good to hear that no one on set was hurt as Osborn was apprehended. All that the victim’s families can hope for now is that they can see justice served for their loved ones soon.
