Week of April 22, 2024

BREAKING NEWS: 90 Percent of Third Street Promenade Businesses Report Shoplifting, with 72 Percent Experiencing Almost Every Day

John Alle, Santa Monica Coalition

April 25, 2024 - The Santa Monica Coalition conducted 3 separate walks and surveys of every ground floor retail business with its owner or store manager in November 2023, January 2024, and February 2024. The purpose was to determine the amount of retail theft and shoplifting. The 3 dates were selected to analyze any difference before and after DTSM, Inc.'s hiring of Legion Corporation, a Fresno-based company selected to patrol the 3rd Street Promenade and Downtown. There was less than a 15%...

BREAKING NEWS: Hello Girls of World War I Should Get Congressional Medal

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Well-known American historians Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs of San Diego State University and Dr. David Kennedy of Stanford University have submitted a letter to Congress, cosigned by 55 academic and independent historians, calling for passage of legislation in the 118th Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Hello Girls, America's First Women Soldiers. The letter, attached to this release here, urges the Senators and House Members to cosponsor S.815 and HR 1572,...

SMPD Horse Patrol Conducts Equine Glam Photo Shoot in Front of Santa Monica City Hall

David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer
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4.19.24 — Today, I was fortunate enough to run into 11 members of the Santa Monica Police Department equine patrol, participating in a first ever photo shoot involving officers and their horses. Officer Del-Cornejo, who prefers to be called Dell, was astride a topically light colored horse. Dell told a photographer that he felt fortunate to be able to come to work and ride. Officer Barajas rode a dark brown horse with a brown mane. She said that she has been with the department’s horse...

Brazilian Woman Wheels Dead Uncle Into Bank, Has the Corpse Co-sign to Guarantee a Loan for $3,250

Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer

“I don’t think he’s well. He doesn’t look well at all,” remarked one distrustful employee as Vieira tried to get her elderly relative to guarantee a 17,000 reals ($3,250) loan. Paulo Roberto Braga, 68, had died at least two hours before, authorities said. Ten minutes after visiting the bank in Rio de Janeiro Tuesday afternoon with her dead uncle, local police arrested Vieira. She was charged with violating a corpse and attempted theft through fraud, according to the Rio newspaper O...

Woman Dies of Lead Poisoning After Using Vietnamese Hemorrhoid Ointment

LA Department of Public Health

April 18, 2024 - The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning residents not to use a Vietnamese herbal ointment called "Cao Bôi Trĩ Cây Thầu Dầu" (Castor Oil Hemorrhoid Extract) because it contains lead and can be fatal. A woman in Sacramento died in March after developing severe lead poisoning from using the Vietnamese herbal ointment, which has been promoted for treating hemorrhoids with a suggested intra-rectal application. The product was purchased on Facebook and...

Rally Opposing Needle Distribution at Santa Monica Parks Draws Multiple News Outlets

Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff

April 17, 2024 - Differing views were expressed by speakers at a hastily convened rally opposing the free needle distribution program at Reed Park yesterday, but everyone agreed on one thing: needles do not belong in public parks. Approximately 70 people attended the rally Tuesday morning, including Channel 7 News and several other public and private news outlets. The small attendance belies the true opposition to the county program. 22,000 signatures have been collected opposing the...

Frontier Communications Website and Phone Customer Service Out of Commission

Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff

April 17, 2024 - Since at least yesterday, the Frontier Communications website and phone payment system have been down. It is not possible to log in to pay bills nor to make payments at the self-service-only toll-free number. Technical Support has a recording that says, "We are experiencing a technical issue with our Internet support system platforms and are unable to take calls or chat. We are working quickly to resolve the issue and apologize for inconvenience. We hope to be up and running...

Beach Warnings for Los Angeles County April 25, 2024

LA Department of Public Health

April 25, 2024 Ocean Water Use Warning for Los Angeles County Beaches The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters: BEACH AREA WARNINGS: Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach. Near Will Rogers Tower 18 100 yards up and down the coast from the creek. Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier. Redondo...

Suspects Arrested And Immediately Released Without Bail, After Looting Ulta Beauty on Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica

Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer

Three suspects were booked and immediately released after using sledgehammers to break open displays at Ulta Beauty on Wilshire Blvd. They stole over 23,000 in merchandise, including high end perfumes and women's clothing accessories. \The LAPD and SMPD participated in the search, which resulted in arrests in South Los Angeles. There are three additional suspects for whom police are searching. The people who burglarized the store were wearing hoodies and face masks. The press release from the...

BREAKING NEWS: The O Family of Kittens is Looking for a Home

The Lange Foundation

We rescued Odette, Oona, Otis, and Ozzie two weeks ago from the East Valley shelter. They are seven-weeks-old and couldn't be cuter. They are all extremely friendly, playful, and curious. They are almost ready for adoption and will be available in pairs since kittens do best growing up with a friend. If you're interested in giving a pair of wonderful kittens a forever home, please apply at https://langefoundation.org/cat-adoption-application/....

BREAKING NEWS: George Gascon's Handpicked Assistant District Attorney for Ethics and Integrity Charged with 11 Felony Counts and Is This a Pattern with George Gascon?

Ryan Erlich, Association of Deputy District Attorneys

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Ms. Teran has already been scrubbed from the official District Attorney website, her position filled now by another individual.] Friends in High Places Teran Affair Raises Questions, Reveals Limited Standard of Accountability for Those in Gascon's Inner Circle Who Commit Bad Acts As you all know by now, the Attorney General of California has charged Diana Teran, George Gascón's handpicked Assistant District Attorney for Ethics and Integrity, with 11 felony violations of Penal...

BREAKING NEWS: Don't Sign Their Petition if You Oppose Giving Benefits to Wealthy Real Estate Developers

SMCLC

If you've been to the grocery store recently you've been approached, as I have, by well-meaning appearing individuals who want you to 'help apartment owners.' The message below from the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (not to be confused with the Santa Monica Coalition) explains why you should not sign and allow this to be put on the ballot. April 23, 2024 Dear Friends of SMCLC, Paid signature gatherers will soon be asking Santa Monica residents to help qualify an initiative that will...

  • The Daily Santa Monica Crime and Drug Video - April 26, 2024

    Santa Monica Coalition
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    Santa Monica's City Council thinks the city is just fine. One councilmember called the homeless residents our neighbors, their wants and desires equivalent to those of people who pay rent and pay taxes. The 'freedom' of some, most of whom suffer from drug addiction and mental illness, to live in filth, disease and to commit crimes with impunity, is valued over the ability of the rest of society to live healthy lives in law and order. Watch the videos shot and distributed by the Santa Monica...