BEVERLY HILLS—On Monday, July 13, the city of Beverly Hills announced that applications for Team Beverly Hills program are being accepted now through Friday, August 21.

Formed in 1996, Team Beverly Hills provides residents with a hands-on look at the operations of local government. This program features a variety of class sessions and includes interactive experiences with many departments. Program participants explore the behind-the-scenes operations of the city including Public Works, Emergency Management, Information Technology, Community Services and Public Safety.

Over 850 residents have completed Team Beverly Hills and over 70 percent of all current elected officials and City Commissioners are Team BH alumni.

The Team Beverly Hills program will select 50 residents (30 appointed by the Beverly Hills City Council, 18 selected by a random lottery, and two selected by the Beverly Hills Unified School District) for its upcoming class. Five representatives from the city’s business community (appointed by the City Council) will also be selected for the program, which kicks off in October 2026 and runs through March 2027.

To learn more about Team Beverly Hills and fill out an application online visit www.beverlyhills.org/teambeverlyhills, by emailing teambh@beverlyhills.org, or link in our bio.

By Danny Jones

SANTA MONICA—Santa Monica’s summer event, “State of the City 2026: From Realignment to Renaissance,” will take place Thursday, July 23, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ocean Park Branch Library located along Main Street between Hollister Avenue and Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica.

This family-friendly event invites residents and visitors to support local businesses, explore the corridor, and even take part in fun activities and exhibits celebrating the city of Santa Monica’s accomplishments. There will even be special meet-and-greet opportunities with ESPN personality and NFL Network reporter Taylor Bisciotti to celebrate the launch of ESPN Beach next year.

ESPN Beach is scheduled to launch next year as the state-of-the-art multiplatform hub for Super Bowl coverage and will simultaneously serve as an immersive fan experience. ESPN Beach will be located at the Santa Monica Pier and Beach.

Goldenvoice, a division of AEG Presents and creator of Coachella, will offer a preview of Ocean Way Festival, a new music festival coming to Santa Monica this September.

Mayor of Santa Monica, Caroline Torosis, will deliver a speech during the event addressing its importance and attendees. Torosis explains the significance of “State of the City” being held on Main Street.

“Santa Monica is on stronger footing than we’ve been in years, and this year’s State of the City is about what we do with that. We’re holding it on Main Street, outside the newly reopened Ocean Park Branch Library, because the future of this city gets built in neighborhoods like this one. I’ll be sharing where we’re headed on housing, public safety, and a local economy that works for the people who live and work here,” said Torosis. 

The city of Santa Monica will also distribute a limited number of vouchers that are redeemable for one eligible purchase per person, excluding alcohol, at participating Main Street businesses while supplies last. 

The Main Street Entertainment Zone will allow adults 21 and older to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating businesses and consume them on sidewalks between Strand Avenue and Pier Avenue as well as in the closed section of Main Street. Wristbands are required, and outside alcohol is prohibited. 

Due to the event, Main Street will be closed from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information on “State of the City,” including parking, transportation, and accessibility, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/state-of-the-city-2026-tickets-1991414932671

By Ryley Metten

WESTWOOD—On Sunday, July 26, Broxton Plaza will host a Vegan Street Fair kicking off the first of three evening hours from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. the fair will feature more than 30 vendors, DJs, and a 21+ Beer Garden. Located at 1036 Broxton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

The Vegan Street Fair is a monthly event held in Westwood Village that celebrates Vegan and plant-based lifestyles, the event is open for all-ages, and offers vegan-friendly cuisine and pastries, live DJ sets, and games.

For the first time, the Vegan Street Fair will feature a 21+ Beer Garden hosted by Tap Truck Beach Cities, bringing craft beverages on tap with a Vintage Ford truck as the bar.

If attendees are unable to attend this month’s street fair, the Vegan Street Fair will return to Westwood Village for the following dates:

• August 30, 3 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• September 27, 3 p.m. – 9p.m.
• October 18, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• November 29, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• December 20, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• January 31, 2027, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• February 21, 2027, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Parking will be available at the Broxton Parking Structure or 10919 Lindbrook Dr.

By Megan Hanson

BEVERLY HILLS—San Francisco-based Vietnamese restaurant, Crustacean, is set to close its doors in Beverly Hills on July 31. The location at 468 Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills has been serving Vietnamese-style dishes for nearly 30 years.

Founded by pioneering chef Helene An and her family, the restaurant is part of the House of AN hospitality group, which began with the family’s first restaurant in San Francisco in 1971. Over the years, Crustacean has become quite renowned by celebrities such as Billy Joel and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Some famous dishes on the menu in Beverly Hills include garlic-roasted Dungeness crab, garlic noodles, whole Maine lobster, Wagyu beef, seafood, and more. Crustacean offers a plethora of vegan options and handcrafted cocktails.

Helene’s daughter Elizabeth explained that the restaurant’s abrupt closure was prompted by the building’s owner’s new plans for the property. An plans to continue serving through alternative options such as pop-ups and catering services.

“We thought at the very least we would have a couple months for the transition. Thank goodness we have a wonderful restaurant in Santa Monica, Tieto, and so we’re going to do a Crustacean pop-up from now until the end of the year. That’s my plan,” Elizabeth An told Fox 11, Los Angeles.

The An family and Crustacean team are hoping for an extension through September 30. This extension would grant a short-term lease for the restaurant and is currently under review.

A Crustacean Beverly Hills Instagram post reads, “Over the past three decades, Crustacean Beverly Hills has been so much more than a restaurant. It has been a place where life happened. And the greatest privilege of all has been sharing those moments with you.”

By Ryley Metten

CALIFORNIA—On July 20, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California announced that former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy David Anthony Rodriguez, 45, of La Verne, was sentenced to a year in federal prison for submitting a false search warrant to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.

In 2021, Rodriguez was hired by a private security firm, Saavedra & Associates, owned by his LASD colleague, Eric Chase Saavedra, 43, of Chino.  One of Rodriguez’s clients was a woman in the process of divorcing her husband, referred to as “Person 1.” He worked at least two shifts guarding her. During this time, she told him her husband possessed valuable items and that she was concerned he could not be found despite multiple attempts.

In July 2022, Rodriguez submitted an affidavit for a warrant in which he falsely claimed a detective requested assistance from the LASD’s Gang Surveillance Team to locate a suspect as part of an investigation into a robbery in Cudahy three days earlier.  He claimed the suspect possessed two cell phones he was seeking the precise location so the suspect could be arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. The missing husband’s number was used as the cell phone number.  Once the warrant was approved, Rodriguez determined that the husband was in Utah and gave the information to Saavedra.

Another client for whom Rodriguez worked was Adam Iza, 25, of Newport Beach and Beverly Hills, who conducted cryptocurrency-related business. He referred to himself as “The Godfather.” He was arrested in September 2024 and pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, and conspiracy against rights, along with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery in Connecticut and California.

In July 2025, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against rights, in October, after he left the sheriff’s department.

The LASD assisted in the investigation, which was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In February 2025, Saavedra pleaded guilty to one count of making and signing a false tax return and one count of conspiracy against rights.  He will be sentenced in the near future.

By Daniel Diquinzio

SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica has started using AI-equipped cameras mounted on top of city parking enforcement vehicles to automatically detect cars obstructing bike lanes. Santa Monica’s Traffic Services Division partnered with the San Francisco-based company Hayden AI to implement the solution.

Seven city vehicles are currently fitted with the company’s vision AI platform, which uses camera systems and computer vision to detect potential violations and capture images.

The technology still requires a human enforcement officer to review and verify each violation before a fine is issued. Each violation results in a $93 fine, a policy that took effect on July 1, 2026, after a 60-day warning period that began May 1. Payment plans are available for low-income residents.

Santa Monica first piloted the program in May 2024 on two vehicles, logging nearly 1,700 violations in six weeks. The idea behind the project is to make city streets safer for cyclists, who are often forced to swerve into vehicle traffic when drivers illegally park in bike lanes. Since the citation phase began in July, the city issued roughly 50 tickets and several hundred warnings, according to a city spokesperson.

The seven-vehicle expansion cost the city $944,000, part of a broader $1.6 million package that also covered automated enforcement and transit tracking. The funding comes from Measure K, a ballot measure that Santa Monica voters approved in November 2024, which raised the city’s Parking Facility Tax on privately owned parking lots from 10 percent to 18 percent.

The tax specifically excludes city-owned lots and structures and is expected to generate about $6.7 million a year. The ballot language stated that the revenue was intended to enhance public safety, create safe routes to school, reduce the risk of fatal traffic accidents, and maintain other essential city services, though the measure does not legally require that the money be spent that way.

The program has drawn both praise and criticism on social media platforms including X and Instagram. Cyclists and disability advocates have responded favorably to the program, viewing it as a positive step toward making streets safer for vulnerable road users. Critics argue that the city is using the program as a revenue generator and that officials should instead prioritize larger issues, such as reducing crime.

By Milan Manesh

PACIFIC PALISADES—At about 7:20 on July 16, a man fled officers from the Los Angeles Police Department West Los Angeles Division who were enforcing a felony warrant in a parking lot near Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades around 7:21 a.m. KTLA 5 first reported.

After reaching Will Rogers State Beach, the suspect entered the Pacific Ocean and started swimming towards Santa Monica but was arrested. Lifeguards entered the water on rescue boards to assess his condition.

In a video available on Facebook, the suspect, who had black hair and was wearing a darkish blue shirt and no pants, is seen being surrounded by two lifeguards lying on their boards, holding flotation devices.  The suspect treaded water, as the lifeguards spoke to him. The Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division rescue boat and a boat belonging to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was also present on the scene.

The suspect swam approximately a mile out to sea.

About an hour and a half later, he was still treading water. Lifeguards left their boards and entered the water to help him. As they tried to secure a flotation device around the suspect, he struggled against them.  The lifeguards which were joined by another from the LA County Lifeguard boat, secured the device around the suspect, allowing them to bring him toward the LASD boat.

The deputy onboard helped the first two lifeguards lift the suspect out of the water and take him into custody, while the third lifeguard returned to his boat.

The investigation is ongoing. No details on the suspect’s name have been disclosed to the public.

By Daniel Diquinzio

SANTA MONICA—On July 22, the city of Santa Monica announced a new program offering one-time and short-term financial aid for those in need of renter’s assistance.

The new program is funded through Measure GS and administered by The People Concern in partnership with Santa Monica’s Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Division. Santa Monica Renter’s Aid is designed to help those eligible to remain stable and safely housed. Applications are available thru August 20

“Nobody should lose their home over one bad month. Renter Aid puts roughly $6 million directly into the hands of Santa Monica renters who hit a rough patch and connect them with The People Concern so a short-term crisis doesn’t turn into a long term one. Keeping people housed is more cost effective and more humane than helping them after they’ve already lost everything,” said Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis. 

To qualify for Santa Monica Renter’s Aid, applicants must be a resident in a housing crisis or at risk of losing housing and meet the income eligibility requirements. The program is for low-income households, including the elderly, those with disabilities, and families with children.

Applicants will be required to provide documentation to verify eligibility. Assistance is not guaranteed.

Those needing help to complete the application may attend a free in-person application on Tuesdays from 3-7 p.m. at Virginia Avenue Park Center Building located at 2200 Virginia Avenue. Thursdays from 12:30-4:30 p.m. at Main Library located at 601 Santa Monica Blvd.

Representatives from The People Concern will be available at the upcoming State of the City event on Thursday, July 23, 4-7 p.m. taking place on Main Street between Hollister Avenue and Ocean Park Boulevard. Admission is free and the event is open to all ages.

According to Zillow, the average cost to rent an apartment in Santa Monica ranges from $2,169 to $4,594 monthly. The average market rent being approximately $3,490 monthly.

Low income in Santa Monica is considered less than $137,400 for a family of four, according to the city’s website. An income of $933-1,439 per person monthly would be considered very low income. An annual earnings of $25,600 annually for a family of four is categorized as extremely low income.

Data from a 2025 Homelessness count noted 475 people living outdoors (including at city beaches), a decrease of 4 individuals from 2024, with 202 people living in shelters, 84 people in vehicles, and 51 people living in tents.

By Sharon

MELROSE—On July 21, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that a years-long joint investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Commercial Crimes Division – Cargo Theft Task Force, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Memphis Field Office, led to a May 21, 2026, Tennessee federal grand jury indictment of 12 people alleged to have participated in a intricate theft network that stole more than $2 million in Nike shoes from the company’s main Memphis-based warehouse between July 2021 and July 2024.

Named in the indictment were Roy Lee Harvey Jr. (previously arrested by the LAPD on January 27, 2024); Bereket Abraham (co-founder/co-owner of Coolkicks, a popular shoe store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles); Jorge Cuellar (an online shoe reseller and popular social media figure known as “horehead_sales”); Keith Cannon; Cadarian Mack; Joel Deluna; and six now-former Nike employees: Michael Perkins, Marquesio Robinson, Julian Baker, Cortez Spenser, Roderico McClellan, and Damon Johnson.

In January 2024, the LAPD arrested Harvey Jr. on state charges of Penal Code 496(a) – Receiving Stolen Property related to the stolen Nike shoes. The arrest prompted the LAPD and the FBI to coordinate their investigations, revealing that Harvey and Abraham conspired to print UPS shipping labels using equipment and the UPS account associated with Abraham/Coolkicks.

After receiving the shoe shipments, Abraham and Cuellar paid Harvey and other co-conspirators more than $900,000 for the stolen shoes, which were either sold online or through Coolkicks to the unsuspecting public.

On June 22 and June 23, 2026, joint LAPD/FBI teams arrested Harvey, Abraham, and Cuellar on federal arrest warrants stemming from the indictment. All appeared in federal court in Los Angeles on June 23, 2026, and face three federal charges: 18 U.S.C. § 2 – Aiding and Abetting, 18 U.S.C. § 371 – Conspiracy, and 18 U.S.C. § 2314 – Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property. If convicted, they could face up to 15 years in federal prison, $500,000 in fines, and up to three years of federal probation.

Anyone with details is asked to contact the Commercial Crimes Division at (213) 486-8766 between 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

By Danny Jones

MALIBU—A heat advisory has been issued for the Malibu region by the National Weather Service starting Wednesday, July 22 and running through Monday, July 27.

While Malibu on the coast will remain cooler, the Santa Monica Mountains and hiking areas in the Malibu region will be much hotter. Temperatures are expected to reach 93 – 107F in inland areas of LA County, and heat impacts will be amplified by high humidity levels (monsoonal moisture).

There is a high risk for dangerous heat illness for anyone, specifically for the very young, the very old, those without air conditioning, and those engaged in outdoor activities.

Safety Tips:

• NEVER leave kids or pets unattended in vehicles
• Don’t go hiking, except in the early morning or early evening, and don’t take your
dog with you. Bring plenty of water and sun protection, and be sure to let someone know where you will be.
• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated
• Stay in air-conditioned spaces
• Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day
• Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing
• See weather updates: https://www.weather.gov/lox/

To find more heat safety tips and local cooling center locations visit: https://ready.lacounty.gov/heat

By Danny Jones