MALIBU—On Thursday, May 28, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Malibu/Lost Hills Station and the Malibu Volunteers on Patrol issued a joint statement revealing that on the evening of Wednesday, May 27, that they rescued a pair of teenagers trapped by the tide at Point Dume.

Point Dume is a landform that extends into the Pacific Ocean from Malibu and marks the north end of the Santa Monica Bay.

Volunteers were patrolling when they stopped near the Cliffside Trailhead, where a man told them his teenage son and his girlfriend had gone into the water at Point Dume and that the rising tide trapped them between Little Dume and Dig Dume; two beaches along the Malibu coast.

Upon arrival, deputies from the local sheriff’s station and the lifeguards on duty were asked to assist in the search and the couple was found. With some assistance, they climbed over a group of rocks and reached the shore safely.

The Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station is asking citizens to remember that ocean conditions can change rapidly, especially as the water reaches its peak height near evening.

Anyone interested in joining the Malibu branch of the Los Angeles Sheriff Department Volunteer on Patrol can find the information on the website.

By Daniel Diquinzio

MALIBU—The city of Malibu announced on May 27 that they along with the American Red Cross is inviting the community to donate blood at a critical Community Blood Drive on Thursday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Rd.

The Red Cross is currently facing a critical blood shortage, with supplies down more than 3,300 units nationwide. Blood donations are urgently needed for surgeries, emergencies, trauma care, and patients with ongoing medical conditions, including sickle cell disease.

The Red Cross is encouraging African American donors to give blood to help provide closely matched transfusions for sickle cell patients.

All donors will receive a $15 e-gift card and be entered into a $7,500 sweepstakes.
Sign up at RedCrossBlood.org using sponsor code “90265” or call 818-200-3445.
Donors are asked to bring a photo ID, stay hydrated, and eat well before and after donating.

By Danny Jones

SANTA MONICA—On May 27, the city of Santa Monica announced that Santa Monica renters will soon be able to apply for financial assistance as a result of the new Santa Monica Renter Aid program, funded by the Santa Monica City Council on May 26. The program is the first major funding allocation from Measure GS and will be a partnership with The People Concern.

Santa Monica Renter Aid is part of the city’s broader investment in homelessness prevention and renter protections, approved by the City Council in March 2025. The program will launch in summer 2026 and will provide targeted financial assistance and housing stabilization services to eligible renter households facing housing instability or at risk of homelessness. The program is aimed to assist approximately 150 vulnerable renter households each year.

“Santa Monica renters are the backbone of our community, and this program is about making sure they can stay here,” Mayor Caroline Torosis said. “Santa Monica Renter Aid puts Measure GS dollars to work exactly as voters intended, keeping working families housed before a crisis becomes a catastrophe. This is homelessness prevention that is a smart investment for our city.”

Santa Monica renter households earning at or below 120 percent of the area median income, or about $126,000 annually for a one-person household and $180,000 for a four-person household in Los Angeles County, will be eligible. Households experiencing significant housing instability or those at greatest risk of homelessness will be prioritized.

Santa Monica Renter Aid will feature multiple access points for residents, including:

-An online application through the city’s website
-Multilingual application materials and outreach
-Paper applications
-In-person office hours at Virginia Avenue Park and housing navigation support through community partners

Measure GS was approved by voters in November 2022, creating a dedicated funding source for homelessness prevention, affordable housing production and renter support programs. The city’s Resident Oversight Committee and SM City Council prioritized programs that provide direct assistance to renters and help preserve housing stability for vulnerable households.

The People Concern, a longstanding partner with the city in addressing homelessness, will regularly report outcomes to the city. Additional data points will include the program’s effectiveness in helping residents remain housed, successful linkages to other city programs such as the Right to Counsel program and feedback from participant surveys.

Additional details about program access, application instructions, outreach efforts and events will be announced before the program launch.

By Danny Jones

SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica Police Department will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Downtown Substation on Thursday, May 28 at 12 p.m.

The new Substation is located at Santa Monica Place at 395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 122, marking the next step in Santa Monica’s focus to strengthen public safety, support downtown revitalization, and expand visible police presence in one of Santa Monica’s busiest areas.

The Downtown Substation will serve as a public safety command center and community engagement hub, supporting faster coordination with downtown partners, enhanced foot and bike patrol deployment, and direct access for residents, visitors, and businesses.

The Downtown Substation reflects SMPD’s continued focus on the department’s four public safety pillars: crime suppression, homelessness response, traffic safety, and community engagement.

The new location will support a consistent and visible presence in the downtown core, including the Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Place, the Pier, and surrounding transit and pedestrian corridors.

By Danny Jones

WEST HOLLYWOOD—Around 12:26 p.m. on Sunday, May 24, a pair of thieves was captured on video entering an apartment building in West Hollywood and allegedly stealing packages and mail from the apartment’s mailbox located on the 1100 block of Larrabee Street, the WeHo Times first reported.

In the video, two suspects, a man and a woman, are seen walking toward the mailbox. The woman has black hair and light skin, and was wearing a black top, black pants, and a blue jean jacket.  The man was wearing blue jeans, a grayish hoodie, sneakers, and a blue baseball cap with the letters JA printed on the front.

The woman inserts an object into the lock and starts fiddling with it, while the man keeps watch, fiddling with something in his hand.  A nearby elevator door opens, and the man bends down, picks up the packages resting against the wall, and carries them into the elevator.  He comes back out and uses his hand to keep the elevator door open prompting the woman to step into the doorway, as he takes over the task.

After a few seconds, he succeeds in opening the front of the mailbox, allowing him to reach into all the slots, taking all envelopes and packages. The woman comes out of the elevator, takes some from him, and goes back into the elevator.

The theft was reported to the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station and the investigation is ongoing; it is unclear how many packages and pieces of mail were stolen.

In July 2025, a person forced their way into Holloway Terrace at 8530 Holloway Drive and took mail on July 21, 24, 30 and July 31, the Beverly Press/Park LaBrea News reported.

According to ABC 7 Los Angeles, an apartment building on Sweetzer Avenue was broken into several times in 2025 where mail thefts transpired.

Anyone with information about this crime should contact the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station. They can also contact Crimestoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S).

By Daniel Diquinzio

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On May 13 and March 14, several incidents occurred in front of a business in the 8800 block of Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, leading to the arrest of three suspects, who have all been charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office with felonies, the Pride LA reported.

On May 20, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station noted that deputies responded inside a business after a after a claim that a person had allegedly slapped and made criminal threats against another.  Security was forced to remove the suspect who allegedly threw glass and other things at patrons before getting involved in a fight.

After being located by the deputies, the suspect was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats.

Deputies returned to region of Santa Monica Boulevard the next day in response to reports that two people were struggling outside.  A third person attempted to intervene and in the process was injured and taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

All 3 suspects were processed at the West Hollywood Station after being arrested, no details on the names of the suspects have or additional charges have been disclosed to the public.

By Daniel Diquinzio

SANTA MONICA—On May 24, at approximately 5:20 p.m. officers with the Santa Monica Police Department assigned to patrol downtown responded to a call of a reported assault with a deadly weapon in the vicinity of 3rd Street and Broadway. Officers arrived at the scene to discover a male suspect later identified as Tar Nay in his vehicle, brandishing stopping traffic, brandishing a baseball bat, and yelling threats at his victims. He exited his vehicle with his Cane Corso dog and were giving chase when Nay sicced his dog on one of the victims. The dog bit the victim on the thigh. Officers in pursuit stopped Nay on 4th Street and detained him. Bystanders provided witness statements and video evidence to the police to use in their investigation. Santa Monica Fire Department paramedics treated the victim of the dog bite at the scene. Nay was transported to the Santa Monica Jail and booked on the following charges: 245(a)(1) PC – Assault with a Deadly Weapon 422(a) PC – Criminal Threats The Santa Monica Animal Control Officers took custody of the dog and brought it to the local animal shelter. This is an active investigation. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the SMPD at 310-458-8427. By Sharon

MALIBU—The city of Malibu is looking to hire an Environmental Health Administrator to help protect public health, preserve water quality, and safeguard Malibu’s coastline for generations to come.

The position is open until filled and has a salary between $119,184-$155,508 annually with benefits. The position entails leading in planning, directing, administering and evaluating the City-wide Wastewater Management Program; develops and implements ordinances and regulations to promote the facilitation of decentralized wastewater treatment facilities, safety inspections, training and policy administration; administers and conducts plan check reviews of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems; provides complex professional staff assistance to the Community Development Director in areas of expertise; and performs related work as required.

Recruitment may close at any time without notice. To view the complete job description and qualifications, and apply at:

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/malibucity/jobs/5153672/environmental-health-administrator?fbclid=IwY2xjawSDvt9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETAzQjNkSUVPSHIxQ0dOUnR6c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHs6J2qAv2MZoYimv4FtfGF5hZlchKn6j8SNkQvO2m13_0W_imztCRf5c_tVc_aem_d6eQsocOWqe44Z9eFsORBw

Anyone with details or who need special accommodation with the recruitment process can contact Human Resources at (310) 456-2489 ext. 488. Malibu is an equal opportunity employer.

By Danny Jones

BEVERLY HILLS—The Beverly Hills Police Department is hosting a Community Engagement Meeting to provide an update on the Military Equipment Use Ordinance.

The event will be held on Tuesday, June 23 from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. at the Beverly Hills City Hall Municipal Gallery located at 455 N. Rexford Drive. The meeting will allow the public to learn how the ordinance impacts the community and how to collaborate moving forward. All feedback is encouraged.

A virtual meeting will also be held for those unable to attend. For questions or comments visit: www.beverlyhills.org/569/Military-Equipment-Use-Questions-Concern.

By Danny Jones

HOLLYWOOD HILLS—Around 8 a.m. on Monday, May 25, a couple returned to their residence in Hollywood Hills and were horrified to discover they were victims of a burglary.

According to NBC 4 Los Angeles, after the thieves broke into the home, they made a hole in the locked closet door and left with jewelry and expensive bags, estimated to be worth over $500,000.

The couple contacted the Los Angeles Police Department, which dispatched officers to investigate the case and file a burglary report. The LAPD has not made any arrests in the case, and no details on the suspects have been disclosed to the public.

By Daniel Diquinzio