In a shocking incident on Thursday, the heiress of the Budget Rent a Car fortune became the victim of a violent home invasion at her Hollywood Hills residence. Authorities have reported that Margaux Mirkin, aged 68, was attacked by a group of masked intruders.
The Los Angeles Police Department detailed that at least two men were involved in entering Mirkin’s home on Lookout Mountain Avenue around 8 p.m. The assailants strangled and assaulted her during the invasion.
Police officers arrived swiftly, responding to the emergency call just before 8:30 p.m., as reported by NBC Los Angeles. Mirkin was taken to the hospital, where she received treatment for her injuries and was later discharged in stable condition.
The Daily Mail, through property records, identified Mirkin as the homeowner. Her house is notable for its brick façade, stained glass windows, and multiple balconies. Despite the attack, Mirkin has not provided a public statement regarding the incident.
Local residents confirmed her residency, describing her as a friendly yet private individual often seen enjoying walks around the neighborhood. Neighbor Lee Bridges expressed distress over the occurrence, stating to KABC-TV, “She’s one of our normal neighbors. A senior enjoying her retired life. Normally, the only crime we encounter involves mailbox or car break-ins, so this is unprecedented and deeply concerning.”
‘She’s one of our normal neighbors. A senior having her retired life,’ neighbor Lee Bridges told KABC-TV. ‘Normally the only crime issue we have in this neighborhood is people breaking into mailboxes or cars so this is absolutely new and I’m upset about this.’
Bridges said she would be checking up on Mirkin in the coming days to make sure she is okay.
Two men are seen entering the Hollywood Hills home of Margaux Mirkin, 68, on Thursday at around 8pm. Mirkin, the heiress to Budget Rent a Car, was attacked and strangled by the men, according to the Los Angeles Police Department
After allegedly stealing cash and jewelry from Mirkin, the suspects got away in this white Honda Accord
As of Saturday, the suspects who police say assaulted Mirkin are still on the run. They left her home in a white Honda Accord, police said.
The men took cash and jewelry, police said.
Neighbors told NBC Los Angeles that some of the jewelry stolen were pieces given to her by her late husband William De Rothschild, who died in a Laurel Canyon house fire in 2024.
De Rothschild shares no relation to the Rothschild family, a historic European banking dynasty.
Margaux Mirkin is the daughter of the late Morris Mirkin, who founded Budget Rent a Car in 1958.
Initially an airport-based rental car firm in Los Angeles, Budget Rent a Car grew from a paltry fleet of 10 cars into a national brand throughout the latter half of the 20th century.
Margaux Mirkin was seemingly an active participant in the business, appearing in a feature on the company that was published in the travel section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on March 2, 1982.
Mirkin, then 24, was running the Beverly Hills division of her father’s company. She described herself as a ‘fairy godmother’ who was helping her customers ‘escape from reality for a while and live the dream that is LA.’
Mirkin lives in this mansion on Lookout Mountain Avenue. She was taken to the hospital before being discharged in stable condition
Margaux Mirkin is the daughter of the late Morris Mirkin, who founded Budget Rent a Car in 1958. At age 24, she appeared in a feature on the company that was published in the travel section of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on March 2, 1982
Her division, dubbed Drive-a-Dream, had vintage Porsches, Jaguars and Rolls-Royces in its fleet. At the time, she was reportedly pursuing a new venture that offered armored cars to celebrities and wealthy clients.
Budget filed for bankruptcy in 2002 and after a series of mergers in 2006, the company became a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, which also owns Avis Car Rental.
