Brian Hickerson‘s brother, Zach, was seen for the first time since finding Hayden Panettiere in “cardiac arrest” on Sunday.
According to exclusive photos obtained by Page Six, Zach was seen getting out of a black Honda while arriving back at his home in Greenville, South Carolina, on Tuesday.
Zach dressed comfortably for the outing, wearing a black T-shirt, olive green colored jeans and light brown boots. He paired his look with a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses.
It’s the first time Zach has been spotted since he found Panettiere unresponsive in the Greenville Airbnb they had been staying in with his brother.
Sources with “direct knowledge” told TMZ that the “Heroes” actress and her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian, were inside the rental apartment Sunday afternoon when Zach entered the residence and discovered Panettiere sitting in a chair in the living room.
Brian was reportedly sleeping in another room.
The brothers called 911 and first responders arrived at the scene and attempted to revive Panettiere but were unsuccessful. The “Nashville” alum was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. She was 36.
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According to the Greenville Police Department’s heavily redacted report obtained by Page Six Tuesday, Brian did not become emotional until he was told that the “Remember the Titans” actress had died.
Zach referred to Panettiere as his “brother’s girlfriend.”
Per the report, the aspiring actor showed police a “bag of medication” that Panettiere was allegedly taking at the time of her death.
The names of the medications were redacted in the report.
Brian and Panettiere dated on and off since 2018.
The “M.F.A.” actor had been arrested multiple times for domestic violence against the actress and had been facing money issues following his arrests.
Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, issued a scathing statement after her daughter’s death, saying they have been “trying to get rid” of Brian “for quite some time.”
Page Six exclusively reported that “bad news” Brian had come back into the “Bring It On: All or Nothing” star’s life two weeks ago.
We also exclusively reported that Panettiere kept her friends “in the dark” about reconnecting with Brian.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
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