The Marina del Rey Dragon Boat Festival will take place on March 4th, 7 AM - 4 PM, at Burton Chace Park. This free event features dragon races, entertainment, arts & crafts, food truck fare and more.

For more info, Click Here.

On February 16, 2023, at about 7:00 PM, Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Officers were dispatched to the beach Parking Lot 1 North (1550 PCH) regarding an armed carjacking.

SMPD Officers met with the victim who stated two male suspects approached her and demanded the keys to her vehicle while one brandished a handgun. The victim complied and the suspects fled in her vehicle, a gray Ford Focus. The vehicle description was broadcast to all assisting units. Officers located the stolen Ford Focus on the eastbound I10 Freeway. Officers witnessed the passenger jump out the vehicle before it continued east on the freeway. As the driver began to exit at Robertson, he collided into other vehicles.

The driver, Jonathan Manuel Perez a 22-year-old from Los Angeles, was located in the Ford and taken into custody. A replica firearm was found in the vehicle. Perez was transported to the SantaMonica Police Jail where he was booked for Carjacking and other Vehicle Code sections. Officers also discovered Perez was on active parole for a prior Armed Carjacking.

Although a perimeter was set for the outstanding suspect with LAPD assisting via helicopter, this second suspect was not located. He remains outstanding and is described as a Hispanic male,unknown age, wearing a black jacket, black pants, and a dark facemask over the mouth.

Anyone with any additional information pertaining to the outstanding suspect or incident is strongly encouraged to contact SMPD Detective Ismael Tavera at 310-458-2256 or the Watch Commander( 24 hours) at 310-458-8426.

Another RV Encampment fire along the Ballona Wetlands on Saturday.

LAFD arrived quickly to the scene of a reported vehicle fire to discover a burning motorhome parked on the road shoulder. During fire extinguishment, a lifeless adult male was discovered in the vehicle. Beyond medical help, he was determined deceased and remains at the scene. No other injuries reported. The cause of the fire is under active investigation.

A fire broke out just as I was driving by an encampment at Ballona Creek at Playa Vista, one of the most delicate ecosystems in LA. It took a long fight and millions of taxpayer dollars to preserve it. It’s time to save it again @TraciParkforLA @KPCC pic.twitter.com/cC693vB3Ul

— rob eshman (@Foodaism) February 18, 2023

Venice Healer Daisy does not approve of two guys waving "Jesus is King" flags.

Click Here for more Stories about Venice Healer Daisy

Mike, aka German in Venice, vlogs about daily life in Venice Beach, and the nearby communities.

"After three months being in Germany, the GIV is returning to his beloved Venice Beach, California. I feel crazy emotions in my body, some are positive, some negative, but I definitely love going back to LA. Nothing has changed."

If you would like to support German in Venice with some gas money or you want to buy him a coffee, you are welcome to donate to his paypal account: https://paypal.me/germaninvenice

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"On Friday, February 17th, 2023, the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works sanitation workers, in white hazardous materials suits, along with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc., cleaned up homeless encampments at Venice Beach. Many of the unhoused have been using the restrooms as living quarters, which has caused significant health and safety concerns for both the unhoused and the general public."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

Marine hazards returning to the area next week - mostly Tuesday night into Wednesday night. High seas, strong winds, and high surf are all possible.

Light rain could return to our area as early as Wednesday, with heavier rain by the weekend.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations-West Bureau’s Special Assault Section is seeking the community’s assistance in identifying a suspect wanted in connection to an attempted sexual assault.

On February 4, 2023, around 6:30 p.m., a male suspect approached a lone adult female at a local beach in the area of 15500 Pacific Coast Highway. The suspect made a statement of intent, then proceeded to place his hand over the victim’s mouth while brandishing a boxcutter. The victim was able to safely escape, preventing any further assault.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, between 20 to 30 years of age. He stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs around 150 to 160 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. The suspect was wearing a navy blue or black zip-up jacket with dark pants and a tan hat.

Detectives are requesting that anyone with information that could lead to the identification of the suspect, additional victims, and witnesses contact the Special Assault Detectives, at 213-473-0447. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may also visit www.lapdonline.org and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip.

Interceptor 007 update: Repairs completed: Interceptor 007 returns to full working capacity. Following the replacement of a barrier damaged in January's storm , Interceptor 007 is good as new and continuing to intercept trash in Ballona Creek, Los Angeles County.