In a regrettable development from the world of show business, former child star Zachery Ty Bryan, who once co-starred alongside comedian Tim Allen in Home Improvement, was arrested in Riverside County, California for suspected DUI, as Entertainment Weekly reports.

Bryan, 42, was subsequently charged with counts of contempt of court and felony DUI, adding to his troubled history of run-ins with the law, which also includes prior assault arrests, including one for an incident involving a former girlfriend.

Arrest details emerge

As detailed by records from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Bryan was arrested and taken into police custody last Saturday in the town of LaQuinta.

From there, he was taken to the John Benoit Detention Center, and his bail was ultimately set at $50,000 in relation to the DUI count and $15,000 for the contempt of court charge.

It was not long afterward that the former sit-com star was released pending his next court date, set for April 23.

It was just this past October that Bryan pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony assault, which drew a sentence of seven days in jail, which he reportedly already served.

Insiders weigh in

Last fall, John Kolego, an attorney representing Bryan explained to USA Today that his client “decided to accept” a negotiated plea “and admit that he recklessly caused physical injury to his domestic partner.”

Kolego added that Bryan hoped that the resolution would facilitate his ability to “get the help that the family needs and move on and not cause his family any more pain or trauma.”

Allen, Bryan's famous TV dad, weighed in on his former colleague's difficulties in a chat with the Hollywood Reporter last summer, saying, “I don't know what's going on with him.”

“Zach is a great kid who has grown into a complex man. At a certain point, he deviated from the guy I know to somebody who is reacting to situations that I had nothing to do with and can't control,” Allen said.

Plight of the child star

As Fox News notes, Bryan's saga is just one of many sad stories of a former child star whose life has taken unexpected, largely negative turns.

Doug Eldridge, a seasoned public relations professional, analyzed Bryan's predicament, but suggested that he had the potential to turn his situation around and make a difference for the better.

“The recent arrest for DUI is a somewhat binary decision: you're either above the legal blood-alcohol threshold or you're not. In that sense, he'll be facing a legal gauntlet, given his priors, which might be considered by the court. While he's certainly going to receive some measure of legal punishment, at least nobody was injured in the incident,” he observed.

Eldrige added optimistically that “if his management team is both savvy and sincere, they'll rebuild his 'brand' around sobriety and responsible lifestyles,” and given the “cache” he believes Bryan's name still carries, he could have a “positive impact” on others, but whether that is the route ultimately taken, only time will tell.