LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police officers conducting a welfare check at a gated home on Monday discovered two bodies inside with gunshot wounds. The victims were identified as Robin Kaye, a longtime music supervisor for “American Idol,” and her husband, Thomas Deluca. A day later, police arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with the killings.
Here's what to know about the case.
Officials said someone who hadn't heard from Kaye and Deluca in several days requested that police check out their residence on a tree-lined block in the upscale Encino neighborhood, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Officers entered the house Monday afternoon and found a man and woman shot to death. Homicide detectives were called.
The victims were identified on Tuesday as Kaye and Deluca, both 70.
The couple paid $4.5 million for the home in the suburb of the San Fernando Valley, according to public records.
Raymond Boodarian, 22, an Encino resident, was arrested “without incident” Tuesday afternoon, police said in a statement Tuesday.
Investigators believe Boodarian was burglarizing the home several days earlier while the couple was away. Police had been called to the residence on July 10 but found no signs of trouble or forced entry. Now, detectives suspect that Boodarian managed to get into the house through an unlocked door and was surprised by Kaye and Deluca.
“The victims returned home while the suspect was inside their residence, and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives,” the police statement said. “The victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, and the suspect fled from the residence on foot.”
Officers interviewed friends and family, reviewed numerous surveillance videos, and recovered unspecified evidence at the scene, officials said.
The district attorney's office said it expects to be presented with the case on Thursday, with Boodarian's arraignment to follow. Boodarian could not be reached for comment. Messages were sent to the public defender's office inquiring if one of its attorneys was representing him.
Court records show Boodarian was arrested in 2024 for alleged battery, exhibiting a deadly weapon and threatening to commit a crime with the intent to terrorize. Charges were later dismissed.
Kaye had been with “American Idol,” the hit singing competition TV series, for more than 15 years and was working on the upcoming season at the time of her death. She had also worked in the music departments of several other productions such as “The Singing Bee,” “Hollywood Game Night,” “Lip Sync Battle,” and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
“Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her,” an “American Idol” spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
Her responsibilities included clearing the rights for thousands of songs for broadcast. In a 2009 interview, Kaye told the Hollywood Reporter how she convinced Led Zeppelin's representatives to approve the use of the song “Whole Lotta Love” to be performed by Adam Lambert during season 8. “I said, ‘This is the time to consider it. If you’re ever going to try it, this is the time.’ I don’t know if Robert Plant knew, but his manager did because his kids were big Adam fans. They watched the show in England," Kaye said.
Nick Fradiani, the season 14 “American Idol” winner, told the Hollywood Reporter that Kaye treated him like a son and called her death a tragedy. “She was caring and understanding of the stresses of the show, especially with choosing a song. She made each conversation with me feel important," said Fradiani, who’s now starring in ”A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical."
FILE - The stage at the "American Idol" farewell season finale at the Dolby Theatre on Thursday, April 7, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.
Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.
On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.
It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.
The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.
Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.
The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.
Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.
Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.
The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.
Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.
Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.
President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
