Brother of Las Vegas Shooter Arrested in North Hollywood in Child Porn Case

A brother of Las Vegas mass shooter Stephen Paddock has been arrested in North Hollywood on suspicion of possessing hundreds of images of child pornography, according to authorities.

Bruce Douglas Paddock, 58, was taken into custody at a nursing facility in the 5300 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard on Wednesday morning. Television news footage showed Paddock in a wheelchair being loaded into the back of a van by Los Angeles Police Department officers.

Documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court outlined 20 criminal charges against Paddock, all related to possession of child pornography or the sexual exploitation of children. The felony complaint for the arrest warrant accused Paddock of having more than 600 pornographic images of children or youths, including 10 or more images showing a child younger than 12.

The investigation of Paddock began after evidence was found in a Sun Valley business where he had been squatting, the LAPD said in a statement. The evidence was found after Paddock was evicted, police said.

Paddock was homeless at the time and couldn't be found, the LAPD said, adding that investigations "recently" tracked him to the North Hollywood facility where he was arrested Wednesday.

The LAPD released a photo of Paddock "in case there may be victims of unreported incidents," who might see it and contact authorities, the department said.

Josh Rubenstein, an LAPD spokesman, said Paddock's arrest was the result of an independent investigation by the LAPD and not related to the deadly shooting rampage in Las Vegas.

"There's no connection," he said.

On the night of Oct. 1, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock fired on the crowd at a country musical festival from his hotel room in Las Vegas. Paddock killed 58 people in the meticulously planned attack and wounded hundreds more before he shot and killed himself. His motivation remains a mystery, authorities say.

On Wednesday, Sandra Breault, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Las Vegas, declined to comment on Bruce Paddock’s arrest.

Bruce Paddock, who is one of four brothers, was apprehended at a nursing home that offers patients long- and short-term medical care. A spokeswoman for the facility confirmed the police activity occurred there, but declined to comment on Paddock, citing patient privacy laws.