WOODLAND HILLS—On Friday, October 4, Woodland Hills police officers arrested four adults and two juveniles in connection with a flash mob robbery at the Westfield Topanga Mall.

According to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Inmate Locator that may be found on the LASD webpage, Amaya McDonald, 19 of Los Angeles was arrested for felony forgery. She has been detained. Bail has been set at $150,000.

Joshua Jones, 22, of Los Angeles was also arrested and detained. Charges are felony forgery with bail set at 1,085,000.

Justin Jones, 18, of Los Angeles, has been arrested and detained. Bail was set at $150,000.

Reports indicate that Rejene Robinson, 26, of L.A. was arrested a couple of hours after the others while driving the vehicle used in the larceny case. She was arrested by officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department and detained for possession of stolen property.

The identity of the other two suspects detained is being withheld due to their age. This case is still under investigation.

Lawmakers have put more stringent laws in effect due to the uptick in crime, specifically flash mob robberies.

Anyone with more information on this case or the individuals charged is encouraged to call the LAPD Commercial Crimes Division at 818-374-9437

By Sharon

MALIBU—On Thursday, October 3, the LASD Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station indicated on its Facebook page that it has a Safe Exchange Zone in the east side of the parking lot.

Individuals having a private party transaction off Ebay, Offer Up, Facebook Marketplace, or other sites, should utilize the safety of the Sheriff’s Station parking lot to conduct exchanges.

Here are a few safety reminders to keep in mind when buying/selling online.

1. Always meet in a public place (such as Police/Sheriff Station)
2. Never go to an exchange alone, always bring backup.
3. Only bring enough money for the purchase.
4. Try the product first, before buying.
5. Get proof of the purchase (written document/receipt).
6. Do not give out your personal information.
7. Always trust your gut, if something seems off it probably is.

Individuals are reminded that when utilizing Malibu/Lost Hills Station’s Safe Exchange Zone, LASD deputies cannot act as official witnesses for the transactions. They will not provide legal advice or settle any civil disputes.

By Trevor

MALIBU—On October 4, the city of Malibu reported that it is moving forward with implementing speed cameras along Pacific Coast Highway to reduce speeding and enhance road safety. The move comes after Governor Gavin Newsom signed bill SB 1297 into law.

According to the city of Malibu website, they launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop a Speed Safety System Use Policy and a Speed Safety System Impact Report, which are essential first steps in implementing the speed camera system. The measures will ensure the program is rolled out responsibly and in accordance with the state statute outlined in the bill. Proposals must be electronically submitted to Susan Duenas, Public Safety Director, at SDuenas@malibucity.org no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, November 1. A copy of the full proposal is available at www.MalibuCity.org/Bids.

“We are committed to moving forward with the speed camera program as quickly as possible, while adhering to all state guidelines,” said Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart. “This is an important tool in our ongoing efforts to improve safety on PCH, and we will continue to keep the community informed as we progress.”

The City’s Public Works Department already identified the locations where speed cameras will be placed based on the highest rates of speed-related collisions and fatalities. The speed cameras will be installed in the following high-risk areas along Pacific Coast Highway:

-Decker Canyon
-Between Guernsey Avenue & Morning View
-Latigo Canyon
-Between Carbon Beach Terrace & Carbon Canyon
-Tuna Canyon

The law goes into effect in January 2025, and Malibu is aiming to move quickly while ensuring that all necessary regulatory processes are followed. The city remains dedicated to an “all of the above” approach to road safety, combining enforcement, education, and infrastructure improvements.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, October 3, the Santa Monica Police Department announced that it received a grant for $80,229 from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to decrease alcohol-related harm in their community.

“This is important to the Santa Monica Police Department in order to increase protection for youth and to address crime at problem locations,” said Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista.

The grant is one of nearly 50 awarded in California to local law enforcement agencies through ABC’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.

The grants help local law enforcement efforts by combining theirs with ABC agents who have expertise in alcoholic beverage laws to help reduce alcohol-related harm within their community.

“The Alcohol Policing Partnership program can improve the quality of life in neighborhoods,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “We’ve seen a real difference in the communities where the grant program’s resources have been invested.”

The APP program was created in 1995 to strengthen partnerships between ABC and local law enforcement agencies. The program is designed to keep alcohol away from minors and prevent harm to the community. It has distributed around $3 million to local law enforcement to fight alcohol-related harm.

The funds will be used to help prevent alcoholic beverage sales to minors and obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs.

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is an agency of the government of the state of California charged with the regulation of alcoholic beverages. ABC’s mission is to provide the highest level of service and public safety to the people of California through licensing, education, and enforcement. ABC is a department of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency.

By Trevor

WOODLAND HILLS—On Friday, October 4, the LAFD battled a two-story house fire in Woodland Hills. The blaze was reported at 12:20 p.m. at 4901 N Winnetka Avenue.

By 12:37 p.m., firefighters extinguished the blaze. Firefighters responded to a two-story home to find a small fire inside near an electrical outlet, where the wall and contents in front of the electrical outlet sustained damage.

The residents were not home, and no one was injured during the incident. It took 26 firefighters 17 minutes to extinguish the flames. No additional details about the house fire were disclosed to the public.

By Trevor

GRIFFITH PARK—On Sunday, October 6, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that they had to rescue a hiker near Mt. Hollywood Drive at 8:39 a.m. Firefighters and paramedics located one hiker with a medical emergency in a remote area approximately one mile from Griffith Observatory.

The LAFD Rescue Helicopter hoisted the patient and directly transported to a local hospital by air. No additional details about the incident were reported to the public.

A hiker was also rescued by officials on Saturday, October 5 in Hollywood Hills. That incident was reported at 12:31 p.m. at 3824 Mt Lee Dr. A female, approximately 45-years-old sustained a lower extremity injury in a remote area near the Hollywood sign.

Paramedics located her and provided treatment on the ground prior to preparing her for a hoist. The LAFD Rescue Helicopter performed the hoist operation to bring her out of the remote area and is transported her to a local hospital in fair condition.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Saturday, October 5, Lt. Erika Aklufi of the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News via email about an officer-involved shooting that occurred. The incident was reported at approximately 5:21 p.m., the officer becoming the victim of an unprovoked attack.

The officer was on foot at the front of the police station to collect information from a resident about an unrelated call when he was confronted by a male in his 30’s at the front doors of the station.

The officer explained to the individual that he needed to wait while he spoke with the other party. Without warning, the individual attacked the officer while pulling a knife from his clothing. The suspect slashed and stabbed the officer. The officer immediately moved away and armed himself with his duty weapon. The suspect followed the officer continuing the knife attack as the wounded officer retreated around the corner of the building where the officer involved shooting transpired.

Officers provided medical aid to the subject until the Santa Monica Fire Department took over. The subject was later pronounced dead at the scene. The name of the subject has not yet been disclosed to the public.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office is responding. Per protocol, the Santa Monica Police Department is conducting an internal investigation to ensure that policy and procedures were followed. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will be investigating this incident.

Anyone with details about the incident or suspect is asked to contact the Watch Commander desk 24 hours a day at (310) 458-8427.

By Trevor

SHERMAN OAKS—On September 28, St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church located at 13360 Valleyheart Dr, in Sherman Oaks, was vandalized for the fourth time in two months. Due to the tagging on the statue of St. Francis at the front of the Church, the Los Angeles Police Department is treating the most recent incident as a hate crime.

Canyon News reached out to the Pastor of St. Francis de Sales for more information. Father Mike Wakefield responded with a copy of his statement below and the photos included in this article.

“Recent Vandalism

Four events occurred in the last two months that I find very unsettling and disturbing. Each of these events took place at night. Here are the dates each incident was discovered in the light of day.

Wednesday, August 7, the statue of St. Francis de Sales in front of the main door of the church was vandalized with yellow paint. In addition, something was placed on the top of the concrete base and set afire.

Friday, August 16, the window at the front porch of the rectory was set on fire.
Friday, September 20 the statue of St. Francis de Sales was vandalized again, this time with “chomo” written in black spray paint. Chomo is a slang term for child molester.
Saturday, September 28th, the statue was vandalized again with black spray paint.

Each of these incidents was promptly reported to the Van Nuys Division of the LAPD. Officers were here to take a report the first, third, and fourth time. With the second incident, the police officers called the arson investigators to examine the incident onsite. The third act of vandalism with “chomo” written on the statue is being treated by the LAPD as a hate crime.

Roberto, bless him, spent much time painstakingly cleaning the paint and burned residue off the marble of St. Francis de Sales. Once the statue was cleaned it suffered another paint assault.

To me, our statues or any religious images are not merely marble or plaster or paint.

They take our attention and direct our thoughts to the holy person they represent. In our Catholic lives defacing a statue or religious image is an assault on that holy person, an act of desecration. In addition, St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of our parish and represents our parish. An assault on St. Francis de Sales Church is an attack on you, my parish family. An attack on our parish raises me to come to its defense.

I am in the process of having additional security cameras installed. As any number of business owners will agree, security cameras do not prevent vandalism. They may help deter vandalism and are the best we can do in hopes of identifying the assailant/s.

The burning of the rectory window frightens me. The fire burned through from the outside bottom right corner to the inside corner scorching the venetian-blinds on the inside. The fire seemingly burned itself out before doing any further damage. The rectory could have easily caught fire. I attribute this deliverance from a house fire to the care of the all-holy Mother of God and my guardian angel.

I invite you to join me in praying for justice and [an] end to these assaults on our church property and to pray for the tortured souls that do such vandalism.”

Those interested in donating to St. Francis de Sales may find the link to donate through Faith Direct on the Church’s website.

Those who may have seen something or have more information on the identity of the vandals are encouraged to call LAPD Van Nuys Station located at 6240 Sylmar Avenue, in Van Nuys at (818) 374-9500

By Sharon

SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica City Council will hold a study session Tuesday, October 8, to discuss the proposed Games Agreement to host beach volleyball on Santa Monica State Beach, the birthplace of the modern sport, for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.

According to a press release, the first of four formal agreements with the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, or LA28, the Games Agreement would secure Santa Monica as a venue city and provide a framework for future, more detailed, agreements.

The discussion is the result of over a year of negotiations between Santa Monica city staff and LA28 and is an opportunity for the Santa Monica City Council and the public to discuss the proposed deal points and the potential costs and benefits of moving forward.

“Santa Monica is an iconic destination known worldwide. And as the birthplace of the modern sport of beach volleyball, there is no better place to host the competition for the 2028 Summer Olympics,” said City Manager David White. “The city team has worked hard to negotiate a deal that works for Santa Monica, and the study session is a critical opportunity for the City Council and the public to provide input on what’s best for our unique community.”

If the Santa Monica City Council decides to move forward with the direction, a finalized Games Agreement would come back for a final vote at a future meeting. Exact terms, conditions, costs, and operational details would be negotiated in three additional future agreements.

For more details read the full staff report and fact sheet.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica posted on their Facebook page that it will be holding a Oil Recycling & Filter Exchange Event at O’Reilly Auto Parts on Saturday, October 19.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2018 Lincoln Blvd.

Santa Monica residents may bring their used oil filter & exchange it for a new filter for free (exclusions apply). Used oil filters are hazardous waste that cannot be thrown in the trash, but both the oil and steel are valuable resources that can be recycled.

Anyone with questions can contact customer service at (866) 311-7266.

By Trevor