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Man charged with killing an 'American Idol' exec and husband will undergo mental evaluation

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Man charged with killing an 'American Idol' exec and husband will undergo mental evaluation
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Man charged with killing an 'American Idol' exec and husband will undergo mental evaluation

2025-08-21 04:03 Last Updated At:04:10

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man charged with fatally shooting an “American Idol” music supervisor and her husband in their Los Angeles home will undergo mental evaluation to determine whether he's fit to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Raymond Boodarian, 22, was set to be arraigned in a courthouse in Los Angeles but did not enter a plea. A judge suspended the criminal proceedings against him while a psychiatrist examines him to determine his competency.

He's charged with two counts of murder in the killing of longtime “American Idol” producer Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, both 70, who were shot when they came home unexpectedly during a burglary on July 10.

A judge at a court that specializes in mental health will consider the evaluation and decide whether Boodarian will proceed toward trial or be placed in a state hospital.

Boodarian stood behind a window in a custody area of the courtroom, and appeared to try to remain out of sight.

His attorney declined comment, and the district attorney's office had no immediate comment.

Boodarian will undergo the same evaluation in the same small courthouse on Hollywood Boulevard where a man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston and driving into the front gate of her home was recently found to be not competent to go to trial.

Police said they responded to a 911 call about a burglary at the home of Kaye and Deluca in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. Police said they found no sign of forced entry or other trouble and left.

Four days later the couple's bodies were found, shot to death, when officers carried out a welfare check at the home. Boodarian was arrested the following day.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman later said in a community meeting that investigators believe the couple arrived home unexpectedly while Boodarian was burglarizing it. He shot them with their own gun and later called 911 himself, Hochman said.

Kaye had been with “American Idol” for more than 15 years and was working on the upcoming season of the hit singing competition TV series at the time of her death. She had also worked in the music departments of several other productions, including “The Singing Bee,” “Hollywood Game Night,” “Lip Sync Battle,” and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.

Raymond Boodarian, charged with the fatal shooting of "American Idol" executive Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, appears in court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Raymond Boodarian, charged with the fatal shooting of "American Idol" executive Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, appears in court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Los Angeles County deputy public defender Nancy Kolocotronis stands in front of Raymond Boodarian, charged with the fatal shooting of "American Idol" executive Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, in court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Los Angeles County deputy public defender Nancy Kolocotronis stands in front of Raymond Boodarian, charged with the fatal shooting of "American Idol" executive Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, in court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Raymond Boodarian, charged with the fatal shooting of "American Idol" executive Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, appears in court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Raymond Boodarian, charged with the fatal shooting of "American Idol" executive Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, appears in court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal officer shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel and broom handle, further heightening the sense of fear and anger radiating across the city a week after an immigration agent fatally shot a woman in the head.

Smoke filled the street Wednesday night near the site of the latest shooting as federal officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas into a small crowd while protesters threw rocks and shot fireworks. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a news conference that the gathering was an unlawful assembly and “people need to leave.”

Things later began to quiet down at the scene, and by early Thursday fewer demonstrators and law enforcement officers were there.

Such protest scenes have become common on the streets of Minneapolis since a federal agent fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7 amid a massive immigration crackdown that has seen thousands of officers sent into the Twin Cities. Agents have yanked people from cars and homes and been confronted by angry bystanders who are demanding that officers pack up and leave.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the situation as not “sustainable.”

“This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in and at the same time we are trying to find a way forward to keep people safe, to protect our neighbors, to maintain order,” he said.

Frey described a federal force that is five times as big as the city’s 600-officer police force and has “invaded” the city, scaring and angering residents, some of whom want the officers to “fight ICE agents.” At the same time, the police force is still responsible for their day-to-day work to keep the public safe.

The Department of Homeland Security says it has made more than 2,000 arrests in the state since early December and is vowing to not back down.

In a statement describing the events that led to Wednesday's shooting, Homeland Security said federal law enforcement officers stopped a person from Venezuela who was in the U.S. illegally. The person drove away and crashed into a parked car before taking off on foot, DHS said.

After officers reached the person, two other people arrived from a nearby apartment and all three started attacking the officer, according to DHS.

“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” DHS said.

The two people who came out of the apartment are in custody, it said.

O’Hara said the man shot was in the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

The shooting took place about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) north of where Good was killed. O’Hara's account of what happened largely echoed that of Homeland Security.

Earlier Wednesday, a judge gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request to suspend its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, while the Pentagon looked for military lawyers to join what has become a chaotic law enforcement effort in the state.

“What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered," state Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said during the first hearing in a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Local leaders say the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights with the surge of law enforcement. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez gave the U.S. Justice Department until Monday to file a response to a request for a restraining order.

Justice Department attorney Andrew Warden suggested the approach set by Menendez was appropriate.

The judge is also handling a separate lawsuit challenging the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officers when they encounter protesters and observers. A decision could be released this week.

During a televised speech before Wednesday's shooting, Gov. Tim Walz described Minnesota as being in chaos, saying what's happening in the state “defies belief.”

“Let’s be very, very clear, this long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement,” he said. “Instead, it’s a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government.”

CNN, citing an email circulating in the military, says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is asking the military branches to identify 40 lawyers known as judge advocate general officers or JAGs, and 25 of them will serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys in Minneapolis.

Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson appeared to confirm the CNN report by posting it on X with a comment that the military “is proud to support” the Justice Department.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking more details.

It’s the latest step by the Trump administration to dispatch military and civilian attorneys to areas where federal immigration operations are taking place. The Pentagon last week sent 20 lawyers to Memphis, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said.

Mark Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory University School of Law and a former Navy JAG, said there's concern that the assignments are taking lawyers away from the military justice system.

“There are not many JAGs but there are over one million members of the military, and they all need legal support,” he said.

Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who killed Good, suffered internal bleeding to his torso during the encounter, a Homeland Security official told The Associated Press.

The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity in order to discuss Ross’ medical condition. The official did not provide details about the severity of the injuries, and the agency did not respond to questions about the extent of the bleeding, exactly how he suffered the injury, when it was diagnosed or his medical treatment.

There are many causes of internal bleeding, and they vary in severity from bruising to significant blood loss. Video from the scene showed Ross and other officers walking without obvious difficulty after Good was shot and her Honda Pilot crashed into other vehicles.

She was killed after three ICE officers surrounded her SUV on a snowy street a few blocks from her home.

Bystander video shows one officer ordering Good to open the door and grabbing the handle. As the vehicle begins to move forward, Ross, standing in front, raises his weapon and fires at least three shots at close range. He steps back as the SUV advances and turns.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Ross was struck by the vehicle and that Good was using her SUV as a weapon — a self-defense claim that has been deeply criticized by Minnesota officials.

Chris Madel, an attorney for Ross, declined to comment on any injuries.

Good’s family, meanwhile, has hired a law firm, Romanucci & Blandin, that represented George Floyd’s family in a $27 million settlement with Minneapolis. Floyd, who was Black, died after a white police officer pinned his neck to the ground in the street in May 2020.

The firm said it would conduct its own investigation and publicly share what it learns.

Associated Press reporters Julie Watson in San Diego, Rebecca Santana in Washington, Ed White in Detroit, Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis and Graham Lee Brewer in Oklahoma City contributed.

A protester yells in front of law enforcement after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A protester yells in front of law enforcement after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Tear gas surrounds federal law enforcement officers as they leave a scene after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Tear gas surrounds federal law enforcement officers as they leave a scene after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Protesters shout at law enforcement officers after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Protesters shout at law enforcement officers after a shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Law enforcement officers stand amid tear gas at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Law enforcement officers stand amid tear gas at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

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