RIP

Benji Gregory -- best known as the child star on the sitcom "Alf" -- has passed away ... TMZ can reveal.

The actor's sister Rebecca tells TMZ her brother was found dead in his car at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, AZ, on June 13.

His death certificate confirms that date, and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office tells us Benji's cause of death is still pending.

9:30 AM PT -- Josh Klinghoffer's attorney, Andrew Brettler, tells TMZ ... "It was a tragic accident. After Josh struck this pedestrian in the intersection, he immediately pulled over, stopped the car, called 911 and waited until police and the ambulance arrived. Obviously, he's cooperating with the police throughout the traffic investigation. This was purely a tragic accident."

Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer is being sued for wrongful death and for allegedly being behind the wheel of a car that ran over and killed a pedestrian.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Josh was driving a black GMC Yukon in Alhambra, CA back in March when he made a left turn and ran into a pedestrian who was using a crosswalk.

9:24 AM PT -- Opening statements are done ... court is breaking until 9:40 AM PT.

9:15 AM PT -- Alex Spiro finishes his opening statement by saying the prosecutors need to prove this death was foreseeable ... and Spiro says it simply wasn't.

9:10 AM PT -- Spiro's honing in on the broken firearm ... saying now no one can test the gun in the condition it was in when Halyna Hutchins was shot since law enforcement broke it during testing.

8:52 AM PT -- Alec Baldwin's defense team plays the 911 emergency call for the court. Spiro highlights how the caller says the shooting was accidental and blames AD David Halls.

The remains of an American climber missing for 22 years have been found on the Peru mountain where he was buried by an avalanche.

Police in Peru say they found U.S. mountaineer William Stampfl's mummified body Friday near a camp on Mount Huascaran, one of the highest peaks in the Andes.

William was trying to summit Mount Huascaran back in 2002 when an avalanche buried him under snow and ice. Cops say his still-frozen body was found about 5,200 meters up the 6,768-meter mountain.

A mechanic at an Iranian airport is dead after a horrific accident ... getting sucked into the running engine of a Boeing commercial airliner.

The fatal incident happened at Chabahar Konarak airport in southern Iran, where mechanic Abolfazl Amiri was doing routine maintenance work on the tarmac.

Reports say Amiri was doing one last check on a Boeing plane when he realized he had forgotten one of his tools near one of the plane's engines ... and when he collected it, he got sucked into the turbine.

Sam Rubin had a massive blockage of his coronary artery ... according to the L.A. County Medical Examiner's report on his death.

The M.E.'s Office says it determined KTLA's famed entertainment reporter officially died of ischemic heart disease due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Translation: Sam suffered a heart attack due to the blockage.

As TMZ first reported ... Sam was rushed to UCLA West Hills Hospital back in May, and we were told he had gone into full cardiac arrest while at home.

Bodybuilding star Andre Cavalcanti was tragically killed last week ... after he was involved in a horrific accident on a roadway in Brazil.

The crash reportedly happened on July 5 in the northern region of Parana ... when a 17-year-old allegedly took his parents' car without their permission and went on a joyride with two other minors.

The teen was reportedly cruising down BR-369 road ... when he suddenly collided head-on with Cavalcanti, who was atop his motorcycle.

Joe Bonsall, the longtime tenor for the iconic country/gospel group The Oak Ridge Boys, is dead.

Joe died Tuesday as a result of complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) ... according to a statement from his band.

He had been battling ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- for more than 4 years ... and in January he announced he was dropping out of the group's farewell tour.

Grim news outta New York City -- a woman's body was found in a sleeping bag left on a sidewalk for trash pickup.

Authorities found the decomposing body wrapped in a plastic bag inside the sleeping bag, which was tied to a dolly cart -- this after they responded to reports Friday of a suspicious package with a foul smell outside a building on East 27th Street.

The victim has been identified as 31-year-old Yazmeen Williams, and cops have ruled her death a homicide ... revealing she was shot in the head.

Joan Benedict -- known for TV favorites like "General Hospital" and "Candid Camera" -- has died.

A family spokesperson announced Monday that Joan, who was the widow of actor Rod Steiger, died on June 24 at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to complications from a stroke.

Joan had a remarkable career, kicking things off in the 1950s with "Candid Camera" ... where one of her most famous moments was playfully tickling men with her feathered hat as they sat next to her.

Neverland Ranch is under serious threat from a huge SoCal wildfire, but Michael Jackson fans should not worry ... 'cause fire crews and heavy-duty equipment are already there to keep the iconic property safe.

As TMZ previously reported ... the gigantic Lake Fire in Santa Barbara is burning toward MJ's infamous ranch, fueled by the dry land conditions and sweltering heatwave and now mass evacuations are underway.

Capt. Scott Safechuck, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, tells TMZ the blaze is a big-time threat to Neverland ... which is why dozens of firefighters are already there -- including multiple fire trucks and bulldozers. Fire aircraft is also in the area, ready to respond!

Alec Baldwin is about to stand trial for the fatal shooting on the "Rust" movie set ... and he's already in New Mexico for a pretrial hearing.

Check out these first images of Alec in court Monday at the Santa Fe County District Courthouse ... he's in a suit and tie with thick black glasses and has his arms folded over his chest as he sits with his defense team.

Alec seems pretty aware of the camera -- the trial will be live streamed -- and at one point he leans over to one of his attorneys and whispers something in his ear.

Porn star Jesse Jane's official cause of death is an overdose ... TMZ has confirmed.

TMZ has learned Jesse died of an accidental fentanyl and cocaine overdose according to the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner's office.

We broke the story back in January ... law enforcement sources told us the famed adult film actress was found dead at a home in Moore, OK after authorities responded to the residence on a welfare check.

Sam Worthington's showing love for the late, great producer Jon Landau ... lauding his leadership abilities -- and, referring to their hit movie "Avatar."

The actor shared a statement with Deadline early Sunday in honor of producer Jon Landau who passed away Saturday ... saying JL was a passionate producer who led with humor, strength and compassion.

And, Worthington's honoring him through what they made together too ... writing, "The People say all energy is borrowed and someday you have to give it back. I see you, Jon.” The Na’vi -- the main alien tribe from their hit movies "Avatar" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" -- are also known as "The People."

Khyree Jackson's death shocked the sports world ... and, now TMZ has photos from the scene showing the aftermath of the tragic crash.

The Minnesota Vikings cornerback was driving in a Dodge Charger alongside Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton earlier Saturday morning when the crash occurred ... and photos now show that Dodge Charger completely disfigured.

Pictures show the car being loaded onto the back of a tow truck ... flattened with the back part of the vehicle severed from the rest of the cab.

Khyree Jackson -- the Minnesota Vikings cornerback -- was killed Saturday along with two other people in a vehicular accident in Maryland, according to authorities.

Maryland State Police tell TMZ ... Jackson, Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton were driving in a maroon Dodge Charger in Upper Marlboro early this morning when they collided with two other automobiles.

During their preliminary probe, investigators learned that one of the other motorists in a silver Infiniti rammed into the Charger while trying to change lanes at a high rate of speed. That sent the Charger crashing into a moving Chevy Impala before barreling off the roadway into a bunch of trees where the car finally came to a stop.