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The Malibu resident filmed shooting arrows at beachgoers walking their dogs was reported missing by her affluent family last year due to worries regarding her mental condition, and she reportedly has a history of legal issues.
Michelle Sperber, aged 68, is currently detained at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, facing serious charges following a standoff that led to a nine-hour negotiation with police before her arrest in handcuffs.
The Daily Mail can now exclusively disclose that Sperber, daughter of the late landscaping magnate Burton Sperber, is also dealing with multiple legal matters, including criminal allegations from a hit and run and evading police last September.
Sperber’s sister, Wendie Jo, was an actress and appeared in a sitcom called Bosom Buddies that starred Tom Hanks and featured in multiple films. She died in 2005 at 47 years old.
Wendie Jo founded an organization called weSPARK Cancer Support Center, with which their mother, Charlene, was heavily involved.
Court papers obtained by the Daily Mail show Sperber was facing two misdemeanor charges over the September 26 incident which saw her crash a rented Mustang sports car and then attempt to outrun law enforcement.
Eight days later, her family briefly reported her missing saying she hadn’t been seen since August 18, with the LAPD missing persons alert saying her relatives were ‘concerned for her wellbeing’.
Adding to her legal woes, Sperber is also facing lawsuits from a car rental company and a security firm – in both cases over unpaid bills.
Michelle Sperber, 68, is facing felony charges after she was caught firing arrows at dog walkers on the beach
Police were called to Sperber’s Malibu home and a nine-hour standoff ensued. Footage from the scene showed the woman’s balcony littered with items and trash
Sperber’s family briefly reported her missing last August, with the LAPD missing persons alert saying her relatives were ‘concerned for her wellbeing’
Last month Midway Rent A Car filed suit to claw back $27,031 due to unpaid rental fees and damage to the 2024 gray Ford Mustang Ecoboost she wrote off in the September crash.
A tow fee of $525 was added to the tab, with a report from Titanium Towing noting the vehicle was missing its front right tire and had extensive damage to the front end when they collected it from Sperber’s $12million Malibu mansion.
The second case, which was filed in March last year, saw International Protective Service LLC sue over unpaid fees totaling $35,000.
According to the company, Sperber signed a contract for a security detail for her home in March 2023 but refused to pay up when approached for the cash the following January.
Sperber is now facing a fresh legal battle over the incident on Tuesday which saw her arrested on the balcony of her luxury pad overlooking Puerco Beach while clutching a bow and arrows.
Neighbor Larry May said the cops were called after a man reported having an arrow shot at him by a woman who then retreated inside her home.
The Malibu woman is the daughter of late landscaping tycoon Burton Sperber and his wife, Charlene
In another case, Sperber was sued by International Protective Service LLC for unpaid fees after she signed a contract for a security detail for her Malibu home
Sperber’s sister, Wendie Jo Sperber was an actress, appearing in popular sitcoms and films before her death
May told ABC7, Sperber ‘was not happy with the dogs that we sometimes have on the beach’ and ‘was shooting arrows at people.’
That then led to a tense nine-hour standoff with the cops while negotiators – including her siblings Ellice and Richard – attempted to calm her down.
But eyewitnesses said her behavior continued to escalate, with Sperber hearing screaming threats and tossing personal possessions off her balcony.
Footage from the standoff shows clothes, trash, and other items scattered on the sand under the balcony of the four-bedroom beachfront home.
Sperber’s sister, Wendie Jo appeared in the ABC series Bosom Buddies alongside Tom Hanks
Police arrived at her home, and an intense standoff ensued while negotiators and Sperber’s siblings attempted to calm her down
Sperber’s neighbors told local news that she’s exhibited erratic behavior before at her beachfront home, with one neighbor noting that a similar incident happened just days prior to her arrest
Eventually armor-wearing cops swooped in to arrest her and hauled her off to jail where she was booked in at 8.40pm, according to LA County Sheriff’s Department records.
According to neighbors, Tuesday’s incident is not the first time she has exhibited erratic behavior, with Carolina Cohen telling ABC7 that Sperber had done something similar days prior to the incident.
She said: ‘This woman was screaming all kinds of obscenities, and then she started throwing all kinds of objects that she had inside the house.’
Sperber’s father, who died in 2011 was founder of the ValleyCrest companies and was posthumously inducted into the Green Industry Hall of Fame after a six-decade career. He was also a talented amateur magician.
ValleyCrest landscaped multiple high-profile projects, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Getty Center, AT&T Park in San Francisco, and Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas.
His daughter who is still cooling her heels in an LA County jail cell after failing to pony up a $30k bond, is due to make a court appearance over the incident on Friday.
