The Brief

A day after a state board denied parole for Erik Menendez, his older brother received the same decision Friday.

At the end of a lengthy hearing, a two-person panel found Lyle Menendez unsuitable for parole.

The brothers have been in prison for more than three decades for the August 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home.

The board set Lyle Menendez's next parole hearing for three years from now.

It's a major setback to the brothers' years-long campaign for freedom, fueled by renewed interest in the high-profile case, arguments about new evidence, and a judge's decision earlier this year to resentence the pair — making them eligible for parole.

Parole Commissioner Julie Garland said the panel found there are still signs that Menendez poses a risk to the public and should not be released from prison. She also noted Menendez had shown genuine remorse for his crimes.

"You have been a model inmate in many ways who has demonstrated the potential for change," the commissioner said.

But despite the positive factors working in his favor, Menendez still struggles with deception and following the rules, Garland said, adding that incarcerated people who break rules are more likely to break rules in society.

“Don’t ever not have hope," the commissioner told Menendez. "This denial is not … it’s not the end. It’s a way for you to spend some time to demonstrate, to practice what you preach about who you are, who you want to be.

“Don’t be somebody different behind closed doors.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office opposed parole, arguing that both brothers still pose a threat to society and that they committed the killings out of greed hoping to inherit their parent's fortune.

Menendez attorney Heidi Rummel said during the hearing that the district attorneys cling “to their 1990s theory of the case” and ignore the role the sexual abuse played in the shootings.

The brothers' have long claimed they were sexually abused by their father.

“I hope that we’re in a place today that we have a deeper understanding of childhood sexual abuse,” she said. “This crime arose from trauma, from unresolved trauma, from fear, from sadistic abuse, and from cruelty."

Deputy District Attorney Ethan Millius questioned whether Menendez had “genuinely” taken accountability for his conduct. He cited Menendez’s inability to “follow basic rules" while in prison and said he “struggles with honesty.”

“There is no growth," Millius said. "It is just who Lyle appears to be.”

Claims of sexual abuse

On Friday, Lyle Menendez, 57, spoke remotely from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where both brothers are being held. Others also appeared remotely, including two state Board of Prison Terms commissioners — different from those who heard from Erik Menendez, 54, on Thursday.

During the hearing, the commissioners questioned Menendez about his claims of sexual abuse at the hands of his father.

“It was confusing, caused a lot of shame in me,” he said.

Menendez said the abuse started when he was around 6 years old. Around the age of 7 or 8, he said, there was a lot of waiting, and not knowing when something would happen in the bathroom or in the car.

He said it left him in a state of “hyper-vigilance.”

Menendez said when he was growing up he felt disconnected from the people in his life, somewhat borne from a fear that people would see the sexual abuse "in" him.

He said his father never spoke with him about the abuse after it stopped.

“I was getting pretty strong lessons about not trusting the world around me," he said.

Menendez said he was clearly the favored son.

“He was never harsh with me,” he said of his father. "I never got beaten for doing something wrong, so it was a devastating part of it in terms of just fear, I felt contaminated … but I felt love."

“I wanted to believe my father loved me, so in my mind I felt like he was a great man and my main way of dealing with it was that it was just a sickness that some great men have," he continued.

Garland asked Menendez about when he abused his brother.

“I don’t know why I did it," he said. "I think I was just trying to release it from me.”

As for Menendez’s relationship with his mother, he said he was abused by his mother too — something the commissioner said was not in the prison record.

“I didn’t see it as abuse really,” he said. “I just saw it as something special between my mother and I. So I don’t like to talk about it that way.”

He said he now sees it as sexual abuse.

"When I was 13, I felt like I was consenting and my mother was dealing with a lot," he said.

Testimony about the murders

Menendez said there was "zero planning” leading up to the murders on Sunday, Aug. 20, 1989. He said he and his brother bought the guns a few days earlier for “emotional protection.” They bought shotguns, not handguns, because there was no waiting period.

“The decision to buy the guns was Thursday night, it was somewhat impulsive … and that was it,” Menendez said. “There was no other discussion."

Menendez said he believed at the time of the shootings that his parents were going to kill him and his brother — but his feelings have since changed.

“I no longer believe that they were going to kill us,” he told the commissioners. “At the time, I had that honest belief.”

Menendez estimated he spent $100,000 in the months following the murders, including purchasing a Porsche. He said it helped him feel good in the moment and helped temporarily lift him out of his “anguish.”

His life collapsed without his parents, he said.

A combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez (left) and Lyle Menendez, now in their 50s.

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California Dept. of Corrections

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Responding to the commissioners' questions, Menendez said his mother's death caused him more sorrow than his father's because he "loved her and couldn’t imagine harming her in any way." But he said he also had a deep connection with his father, and killing him brought no relief.

“He was the one who sort of guided my life … he had his plan," Menendez said. "I was in his plan. I just felt lost without him.”

Garland referenced the “web of lies and manipulation” the brothers demonstrated after the murders, including attempts to destroy a competing family will and plans for escape from jail.

Garland asked Menendez if he believes he is a good liar.

Menendez said no — not now or then.

Conduct in prison

As with this brother, Menendez's use of cellphones in prison played prominently during the hearing. Cellphones are contraband and possession one is considered a serious violation of prison rules.

Citing prison records, Deputy Parole Commissioner Patrick Reardon noted Menendez had access to a cellphone from 2018 until 2024.

Menendez said he lived in a prison dorm during that time with five other people. He said someone would take responsibility for the phone who didn’t have anything to lose.

“I had convinced myself that this wasn’t a means that was harming anyone but myself... ," Menendez said. "I didn’t think it really disrupted prison management very much.”

In March 2024, Menendez lost his family visits because he got caught with the phone. Because he was caught again, he is now barred from family visits for three years.

According to a prison risk-assessment, cited by Garland, a doctor found Menendez had anti-social traits and was prone to entitlement, deception and manipulation. He also had a history of not accepting consequences.

Menendez said he talked through those issues with his doctor.

"Those elements were there with the cellphone use," he said. "I recognize them.”

But he noted he had also done some good in prison, by working with people who are especially vulnerable.

“I would never call myself a model incarcerated person," he said. "I would say that I’m a good person, that I spent my time helping people. That I’m very open and accepting.”

He called himself a "peacekeeper," someone who helps resolve conflicts.

The commissioners lauded Menendez for earning a college degree in prison and for starting a greenspace program and other mentorship work at a time when there was no guarantee he would ever get out of prison.

Menendez cried as he spoke during his closing statement to the commissioners.

“I will never be able to make up for the harm and grief I caused everyone in my family," he said. "I am so sorry to everyone, and I will be forever sorry.”

Comments from family

Members of the Menendez family pleaded with the commissioners to grant Lyle Menendez freedom. They said like his brother, Menendez has reformed himself behind bars and is no longer a threat to society.

“I’ve heard so many times over the last 35 years, why didn’t they just leave?" said his cousin, Anamaria Baralt.

She added that the trauma and childhood abuse created an illusion that there was no escape for the brothers, a concept that the criminal justice system is better at acknowledging now than when the crimes happened.

“I am begging you, commissioners … make this torture end," she said. "This 36-year nightmare. Let us put it behind us.”

Family members issued a statement late Thursday after Erik Menendez's parole was denied, saying they were disappointed in the decision but respected it.

The Friday hearing for Lyle Menendez was interrupted when his attorney learned that audio from his brother's Thursday hearing had been leaked to a local TV station.

“I don’t think you can possibly understand the emotion of what this family is experiencing," Rummel said. "They have spent so much time trying to protect their privacy and dignity.”

She blasted the parole board for the leak, although it's unclear how the audio got out.

Garland noted the transcripts will be made public anyway 30 days from now and that people could request release of the audio. She denied a request by Rummel to adjourn the hearing.

Several family members elected not to speak as a result of the leak. Rummel said they wanted to protect their privacy.

What's next?

The recommendation in Lyle Menendez's case is subject to review by the Parole Board's chief counsel. The decision will became final unless the the board finds it was made based on an error of law or of fact.

The board has up to 120 days after the suitability hearing to conduct a review.

In California, the governor has the right to review the board's decision. Gov. Gavin Newsom has up to 30 days to approve, reject or amend the recommendation.

In a separate bid for freedom, the brothers have asked Newsom to grant them clemency.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.