Masked thieves attack and strangle Budget Rent a Car heiress, 68, at her Hollywood Hills mansion

By JAMES CIRRONE, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:38, 25 April 2026 | Updated: 18:45, 25 April 2026 The heiress to the Budget Rent a Car fortune was attacked in her Hollywood Hills mansion on Thursday by a group of masked men, authorities said. Margaux Mirkin, 68, was strangled and assaulted by at least two men who were seen entering her home on Lookout Mountain Avenue at around 8pm, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Officers responded to the home just before 8:30pm, NBC Los Angeles reported. Police said the victim was taken to the hospital for her injuries and was later released in stable condition. Through property records, the Daily Mail identified Mirkin as the owner of the home, which has a brick façade, stained glass windows and at least three balconies. Mirkin did not return a request for comment. Neighbors also confirmed to multiple outlets that she lives in the home. She was often seen out on walks and was described as someone who mostly keeps to herself but is friendly to others. '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. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.