Week of October 10, 2024

BREAKING NEWS: Hurricane Milton Makes Landfall South of Tampa, in Sarasota County Florida. Tampa Bay Will Not Receive Storm Surge

David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer

Hurricane Milton has made landfall near Sarasota, Florida, bringing with it significant wind and rain. While Tampa is expected to experience severe weather conditions, including high winds, the most concerning impact will be a projected 12-foot storm surge that is expected to inundate Sarasota and drain Tampa Bay. Meteorologists noted that had Hurricane Milton struck just 15 miles further north, the situation would have been markedly different for the Tampa Bay area, where a once-in-a-century...

BREAKING NEWS: Homeless Man Stabs Officer 4 Times at SMPD Headquarters, Causing the Officer to Draw his Weapon and Shoot Suspect Dead

David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer

Santa Monica police are currently investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred around 5 PM Saturday, October 5th, 2024, near the intersection of Olympic Drive and 4th Street. According to initial reports from scanner traffic, a Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) officer was stabbed by a homeless man, prompting the officer to respond by drawing his firearm and shooting the assailant. The incident took place at the Santa Monica Police Department's headquarters, escalating quickly...

BREAKING NEWS: Before He Stabbed a Santa Monica Cop, Homeless Suspect Stole a Knife From Target Store

David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer
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Since California legalized theft by passing Proposition 47, retailers like Walmart and Target have locked up items that homeless people might want, including socks, underwear, printer cartridges, batteries, flash drives, and apparently kitchen knives. Before he walked the three blocks to Santa Monica City Hall and stabbed an SMPD officer right by the Public Safety Building, Deyaa Haleibeh, 28, went shopping for a knife at target. The cashier unlocked the knife, and said she would meet Haleibeh...

BREAKING NEWS: Deyaa Abdelhadi Halaibeh, 28, Stabbed a Santa Monica Police Officer Four Times on Friday

Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner identified the suspect who stabbed a Santa Monica Police Officer Friday afternoon, as Deyaa Abdelhadi Halaibeh, 28. A man by that name lived in Hudson, New York with 7 siblings. The incident occurred around 6 p.m. Friday, when the officer was standing at the front of the police station on the 300 block of Olympic Drive and was confronted by a man, the Santa Monica Police Department said. The officer, who was speaking with another resident,...

BREAKING NEWS: Plane from Santa Monica Airport Crashes on Catalina Island; Five Onboard Are Dead

David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer

A twin-engine plane crashed shortly after departing from Catalina Airport in Avalon on the night of October 8, resulting in the deaths of all five individuals on board, authorities confirmed. The flight originated at the Santa Monica Airport. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies at the Avalon Station received a distress notification via cellphone shortly after the crash, just after 8 p.m. The message indicated possible injuries and provided a location approximately one mile west of the...

Beach Warnings for Los Angeles County October 1, 2024

LA Department of Public Health

October 1, 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: Windward storm drain at Venice Beach 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain. Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey The entire swim area. Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove The entire swim area. Marie Canyon Storm...

  • Westside Ballet Dancers Hit the Beach for Coastal Cleanup Day: Making Waves On and Off the Stage

    Jill Homes, Special to the Observer

    9/28/24: On National Dance Day, 36 ballerinas from Westside Ballet swapped pointe shoes for gloves and bags, dedicating their Saturday morning to environmental stewardship at Santa Monica's Coastal Cleanup Day. Joining forces with over a thousand volunteers, including divers from the Eco Dive Center, the dancers helped remove more than 400 pounds of trash from the shores, including unusual finds like electric scooters and even wedding dresses. Martine Harley, Westside Ballet's Artistic...

Santa Monica Observer Endorses the Safety Slate for City Council: Phil Brock, Oscar de la Torre, John Putnam, and Dr. Vivian Roknian

Observer Staff

As Santa Monica faces rising concerns about crime and public safety, it's more important than ever for voters to understand which candidates genuinely prioritize safety and security for our community. This election, we strongly endorse the slate of Phil Brock, Oscar de la Torre, John Putnam, and Dr. Vivian Roknian for Santa Monica City Council. These candidates have consistently shown a commitment to tackling the city's safety challenges head-on, standing in stark contrast to their opponents...

  • The Daily Santa Monica Crime and Drug Video - October 10, 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...

  • BREAKING NEWS: Sidney Isaac Meltzner, Founder of Condor-Pacific, Passes Away Peacefully at 98

    Aron Meltzner, His son.

    Sid Meltzner, born in Lithuania on November 12, 1925, passed away peacefully on September 26, 2024. Sid moved with his mother and older sisters to Chicago in 1929, following his father by two years, and proudly enlisted in the US Army after graduating high school, to fight in the final year of World War II. After the war, Sid completed a bachelor's degree at Illinois Institute of Technology, and then moved to Southern California to pursue a career as a mechanical engineer in the aviation and...