By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-15 17:50:17 | Updated at 2025-01-15 20:43:04
3 hours ago
A travel influencer accused of murdering an elderly woman cannot be photographed at his court hearings because he was horrifically-injured in a scooter accident.
Garrett Bruno, 33, was wheeled into his arraignment at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) Court Tuesday on a gurney after falling off his scooter in October last year and cracking his skull.
He is now suffering from brain damage and cannot stand up unaided.
Bruno, clad in black prison garb and with his bare feet exposed, could move his hands and legs and was able to answer 'Yes' to a simple question posed by the judge. He pleaded not guilty to charges including second-degree murder.
The travel influencer was moved from hospital to LA's Twin Towers jail earlier this month. Bruno's lawyer Ambrosio Rodriguez told Thursday's hearing Bruno's injuries are so severe they require care that the jail cannot provide.
Judge Keith Schwartz ruled that because the injury was not sustained during the crash that killed Esther Abouab, 83, Bruno cannot be photographed during his court appearances for the sake of his privacy.
Rodriguez also claimed his client, who previously posted shirtless photos of himself enjoying luxurious vacations to 61,000 followers, had been delirious.
He told the court that Bruno had been asking how he'd been transported to the Twin Towers jail from Israel, even though he has lived in the California city for years.
Alleged murderer Garrett Bruno, pictured, cannot be photographed at court proceedings after falling off a scooter and leaving himself brain damaged, a judge ruled
Bruno is pictured snorting drugs outside his West Hollywood home at 11am on October 19 last year. Ten days earlier, he smashed his car into Esther Abouab, 83, while speeding and killed her
Bruno is pictured covered in blood in the immediate aftermath of the car crash. He was discharged from hospital but fell off his scooter and cracked his skull 15 days later
But prosecutor Geoffrey Rendon had little sympathy for Bruno's predicament, branding him a 'menace to society' who'd shown no remorse over the October 10 death of Abouab.
He referenced a DailyMail.com exclusive which showed Bruno snorting drugs on the street outside his $1.1 million West Hollywood home nine days after the smash.
Bruno, who is gay and who surprised the West Hollywood community by revealing his support for Donald Trump last year, claimed it was prescription ketamine.
Tuesday's hearing was told that Bruno was traveling at a 'high rate of speed' in a 25mph area when he smashed his Ford Explorer into the Ford Expedition Abouab was traveling in.
The force of the impact slammed Abouab's 4,000-pound SUV across four lanes of traffic.
Bruno's bail was set at $1.2 million, with a judge saying he'd have set it higher were his hands not tied by a recent Supreme Court ruling.
It is unclear if anyone will bail Bruno out, with another hearing set for later this month to discuss the extent of his injuries.
Tuesday's court appearance was the latest installment in a distressing saga which began on October 10 last year, when Bruno smashed his car into Abouab's a few blocks from his West Hollywood home.
Abouab, the mother of Hollywood restaurateur Greg Morris, was rushed to hospital where she succumbed to blunt force trauma injuries.
Esther Abouab (pictured) died when Bruno slammed his Ford Explorer into the Ford Escape SUV she was traveling in with husband Joe. Her son is Hollywood restaurateur Greg Morris
On Tuesday, the court was told how the force of the crash blamed on Bruno send Abouab's 4,000-pound Ford SUV (pictured) flying across a four lane highway
Bruno is being held at Los Angeles Twin Towers' correctional facility. His lawyer Ambrosio Rodriguez argued in court that the influencer's injuries are so severe he requires specialist treatment
Her husband Joe was also in the car and was badly injured but survived.
Bruno was photographed at the scene being pulled from his smashed car covered in blood and handcuffed to a gurney.
A narcotics test showed he had ketamine in his system, according to a DailyMail.com source.
The influencer was released from hospital within days, but suffered the first of two scooter accidents shortly afterwards.
He broke his jaw after falling from the motorized two wheeler and was taken back to hospital to have screws inserted before being released.
Then on October 18, Bruno threatened a DailyMail.com reporter when contacted over the phone for comment about the crash which killed Abouab.
On Saturday October 19 - 10 days after Abouab's death - DailyMail.com photographed Bruno snorting drugs on the street outside his home.
He scooped white powder from a black metal vial using a tiny spoon at 11am in the morning while walking his dog.
Bruno's injuries from the accidents were still clearly visible.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Office had no idea Bruno was in a coma until November 15, when they stormed his home in a dramatic raid captured by DailyMail.com
Bruno is seen using a tiny metal spoon to snort drugs outside his home after the crash that killed Abouab. Prosecutors said this proved he had little remorse for the deadly smash
Bruno pictured six days before the scooter crash which left him in a coma and suffering from brain damage
Bruno took to Instagram to claim DailyMail.com's photos showed him taking ketamine that had been legally prescribed for
He took to Instagram on October 22 to insist he had been snorting prescription ketamine to treat depression and anxiety.
Bruno also commented on Abouab's death for the first time, posting: ''I am very sorry for the loss of this life, but the cause of the accident is still under investigation.'
On October 24, Bruno's mother paid him a surprise visit from her home in Florida. He shared a snap of them together and posted an Instagram story of himself working out.
The injury to his jaw was clearly visible.
One day later, Bruno suffered his second scooter accident. He fell off the vehicle and cracked his skull.
The influencer was rushed to Cedars Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills in a coma.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Office knew nothing about Bruno's injuries until Friday November 15, when they swooped on the bungalow Bruno shared with his ex to arrest him for Abouab's murder.
Dramatic DailyMail.com photos and videos captured that raid.
It was initially feared Bruno would not survive his injuries. But he regained consciousness late last month and was transported to the Twin Towers jail in early January.
Bruno is pictured in happier times. He previously shared images of his glossy travel adventures with his 61,000 Instagram followers.
The influencer (right) enjoys a trip to Fire Island Pines in September 2023. Bruno surprised many in the LGBT community by coming out as a MAGA supporter last year
The influencer shared workout footage on his Instagram page hours before the scooter accident which has left him comatose
Bruno's Ford Explorer is pictured after the October 10 crash which killed Esther Abouab and injured her husband Joe
Bruno is on a wing with other gay and bisexual prisoners, a law enforcement source told DailyMail.com.
If well enough to stay in a dorm, he will share it with 20 other prisoners.
Inmates are given two cold meals and one hot meal a day.
They're allowed about two hours for exercise.
Staffers insist that despite its grim reputation, the Twin Towers jail is a humane facility where wardens do their best to focus on inmates wellbeing.
If convicted of Abouab's second-degree murder, Bruno faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars - and could be jailed for life.
