A 68-year-old heiress to the Budget Rent a Car fortune was attacked and strangled in her Hollywood Hills mansion on Thursday evening, authorities confirmed. The assailants, described as masked men, broke into the home on Lookout Mountain Avenue around 8 p.m. and fled in a white Honda Accord after stealing cash and jewelry. The victim, Margaux Mirkin, was hospitalized but later released in stable condition, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Neighbors reported seeing the suspects roaming the property shortly before the attack, and police responded to the scene just before 8:30 p.m., NBC Los Angeles reported. The home, identified through property records, features a brick façade, stained glass windows, and multiple balconies. Mirkin, who neighbors described as reclusive but friendly, was often seen walking in the area. 'She’s one of our normal neighbors,' neighbor Lee Bridges told KABC-TV. 'Normally, the only crime issue we have is mailbox or car break-ins. This is absolutely new.'
The stolen jewelry included pieces gifted by her late husband, William De Rothschild, who died in a Laurel Canyon house fire in 2024. The suspects remain at large as of Saturday, and police have not released further details about their identities or motives.