Randy Quaid, wife freed after Texas arrest for allegedly skipping out on $10K Calif. hotel tab

Randy Quaid freed on bail after arrest in Texas

DALLAS — Randy Quaid was given a ride from a small West Texas jail to get bail money from a bank after the actor and his wife were arrested for allegedly skipping out on a $10,000 California hotel bill, according to the sheriff who drove him.

Quaid and his wife, Evi, each posted $20,000 Thursday night after spending several hours in the jail in Marfa, Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez said.

Dominguez said he drove the actor to a bank to obtain the bail money. Quaid, 58, remained in his custody during the trip but was not handcuffed. The sheriff said the actor received no special treatment.

“I like to help everybody out,” Dominguez said. “It’s a small town.”

The couple face felony charges of burglary, defrauding an innkeeper and conspiracy in Santa Barbara, Calif. Authorities received a complaint in early September that the Quaids had not paid a bill of more than $10,000 due to a local hotel, according to a release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.

The felony complaint states that the alleged crimes occurred between June 13-20 at the San Ysidro Ranch resort in Montecito, a posh community near Santa Barbara. The Quaids used a credit card at the resort that they knew wasn’t valid, the complaint alleges.

Josh Lynn, the chief trial deputy for the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office, said prosecutors are waiting to learn what court date was assigned to the Quaids by Texas authorities.

“To the extent that they’ve tried to complete any restitution payment to the business in question, I’m sure that will help to resolve the case,” Lynn said. He did not elaborate.

A clerk at San Ysidro Ranch said the resort was not commenting on the case.

Receptionists for Randy Quaid’s commercial agent, Steven Arcieri, said Friday they couldn’t help a reporter seeking comment. Efforts to locate other representatives for the actor were not successful.

The Quaids were arrested Thursday afternoon after a deputy spotted the couple driving in Marfa, where they had been staying at a hotel, Dominguez said.

Evi Quaid, 46, “resisted a little bit, it wasn’t too much,” the sheriff said. “She calmed down quickly.”

Quaid won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson in “LBJ: The Early Years,” but he’s perhaps best known for his roles in the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” movies, “Independence Day” and “Kingpin.”

He also played a hard-nosed sheep rancher in “Brokeback Mountain.” A native Texan, he is the older brother of fellow actor Dennis Quaid.

Associated Press Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney in Los Angeles contributed to this report.