Former ’90s teen idol Jonathan Taylor Thomas was briefly taken into police custody following an early morning traffic stop in Southern California earlier this week.
The 45-year-old actor, best known for playing Randy Taylor on the hit sitcom Home Improvement, was detained by local authorities on Monday, September 21, in Westlake Village, California. The incident occurred after the vehicle Thomas was traveling in as a passenger was pulled over as part of an active driving under the influence (DUI) investigation.
Law enforcement officials confirmed to reporters that while Thomas was not behind the wheel during the initial traffic stop, his subsequent actions during the field investigation led to his arrest.
“The driver was being detained for DUI investigation. Sometime during the investigation, Mr. Taylor decided he would exit the vehicle. Deputies told him to sit back down in the vehicle. He was uncooperative with them, failed to follow orders, and obstructed the investigation, so he was arrested for obstruction, and he was arrested for drunk in public,” law enforcement shared.
Jail records show that Thomas was booked into the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station jail facility at 1:50 a.m. on Monday, following his initial detention at 12:32 a.m. The former actor was processed and subsequently released over 34 hours later. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the identity of the driver or whether that individual faced formal charges following the field sobriety assessment.
As of publication, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has not filed formal criminal charges against Thomas. However, prosecutors retain the legal authority to review police reports and file charges within the applicable statute of limitations should they deem it appropriate. Representatives for Thomas have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Thomas has intentionally maintained a low public profile since stepping back from full-time acting in the late 2000s. Though rarely seen at Hollywood events, he recently made a warm appearance on social media in July, posing alongside his former Home Improvement co-stars Patricia Richardson and Taran Noah Smith. Richardson shared the sweet reunion photo on her Instagram page with the caption, “My other boys❤️.” Prior to that informal meetup, Thomas was last photographed by paparazzi in 2021 while walking his dogs in Los Angeles.
