Tag: LASD Lost Hills Station

MALIBU—On Wednesday, June 2, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Lost Hills Station responded to call of a collision in the vicinity of the 4200 block of Decker Canyon Road. Drivers traveling between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Coast Highway were encouraged to take alternate routes.

LASD First responders discovered that a 29-year-old female driving a black and blue 2013 Polaris RGR-800 Crew Side-by-Side ATV had rear-ended by a 51-year-old female driving a gray 2016 Mazda as they were traveling southbound on Decker Canyon Road. The ATV plunged down the cliff 350 feet and was found upside down at the base of the cliff. The driver of the ATV was deceased.

Canyon News initially reported this incident incorrectly stating that it was the driver of the Mazda who rear-ended the ATV. That is not the case, it was the other way around. The ATV driver rear-ended the driver of the Mazda and then drove off the side of the cliff. It was never the intent of Canyon News to cause the driver of the Mazda additional trauma and do apologize for the misprint.

Authorities later released the name of the deceased to be, Sophia Hutchins, the dear friend and manager of longtime celebrity, Caitlyn Jenner.

Road closures stayed in place for several hours, while emergency crews cleared the area and officials conducted a full investigation.

On June 2, at 4:00 p.m., updated reports advised that Decker Road (Highway 23) was still closed in both directions between the Pacific Coast Highway and Decker Edison Road.

By Sharon

MALIBU—The California Wildlife Center has reported back in March 2025 more than a dozen over a dozen Short-beaked Common Dolphins have beached in LA County recently, the potential result of a harmful algal bloom working its way up the food chain.

CWC responded to several of these incidents, and staff is alerting the community to not perform any interventions on the beach. The best way to help is to keep an eye on the animal from a safe distance and contact professionals ASAP.

The CWC notes that marine mammals breathe air, so when they are sick, interventions involving water can be deadly. They regularly see caring individuals attempt to assist beached marine life back into the ocean; but it is dangerous for those in such close proximity to a powerful animal, it is dangerous for the animal as well.

When sick or injured, animals may lose consciousness in the water or become too weak to fight the surf. Pushing such animals back out to sea can actually lead these normally adept swimmers to drown. Other interventions like pouring water over the animal can also cause them to breathe the fluid in.

The LASD Lost Hills Station posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday, May 20 a reminder to the public that beached marine life should be assessed and assisted by professional teams. If an individual spots an animal in distress…

-On the LA county beaches of Malibu, contact California Wildlife Center’s marine program for assistance (310) 924-7256.

-In other regions, call the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline (866) 767-6114 for help in your area.

By Danny Jones