TV Star Faces Felony Charge After Arrest

Jonathan Taylor Thomas, the actor who played Randy Taylor on “Home Improvement,” was arrested September 21, 2026, in Westlake Village, California, after deputies said he interfered with a DUI stop and kicked an officer.

Thomas, 45, was a passenger, not the driver. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the car was pulled over for a DUI investigation of the person behind the wheel. During that stop, Thomas got out.

“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,” authorities said.

Deputies said he “appeared intoxicated, continually exited the vehicle and approached the deputies, distracting them from their investigation” while field sobriety tests were underway. When they moved to detain him, he allegedly “kicked a deputy in the stomach.”

He was booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station jail. The arrest was later treated as a detention, and he was released more than 34 hours later. The driver, who has not been named, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office told People a case has been submitted and is under review. NBC4 reported that prosecutors are weighing drunk-in-public and felony battery on a peace officer. No timeline for a charging decision was given.

Thomas has been largely out of public view in recent years. He was last photographed in 2021 walking two dogs. In July, former costar Patricia Richardson posted a photo with him and Taran Noah Smith, captioned “My other boys.”

He is also known for “The Lion King,” “The Adventures of Pinocchio” and a later role on “Last Man Standing.” No statement from Thomas or a representative was included in the initial reports.