From Santa Monica Close Up:

"On Wednesday morning, April 23, 2025, at approximately 9:15 a.m., Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics and LAPD officers responded to reports of an unresponsive man lying near the public restrooms along Ocean Front Walk.

First responders assessed the individual and determined he was deceased at the scene. LAPD officers erected a privacy tent around the body as standard protocol and awaited the arrival of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Roughly ninety minutes later, coroner personnel arrived to examine and transport the body. The official cause of death has not yet been released. Authorities have not confirmed whether foul play or overdose is suspected.

The investigation is ongoing."

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.

Ivan Angel Plancarte, 20-years-old, DOB 05/20/2004; San Gabriel Resident; Charge: 664/187 PC Attempted Murder' $1,000,000 Bail; Pending 4/23/2025 court appearance

On Saturday, April 19, 2025, at approximately 2:26 AM, Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) officers responded to a radio call regarding a reported stabbing in the 1700 block of Ocean Front Walk. One suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Officers arrived on scene within two minutes and discovered two individuals who had been stabbed. The first victim, an adult male, sustained multiple stab wounds to the upper torso. SMPD personnel provided initial medical aid to the victim. Upon their arrival, Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) paramedics continued medical treatment and then transported the individual to a local area hospital. At the time of this release, the victim was in critical, but stable condition.

The second victim, an adult female, was also discovered to have sustained stab wounds. She was also transported to the hospital for treatment and released.

Witnesses reported that suspects fled the scene on foot, traveling southbound after the stabbing.

A preliminary investigation revealed the following suspect descriptions:

Suspect 1: Male, Hispanic, thin build, wearing a grey sweater and a blue bandana or face mask.

Suspect 2: Male, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and light-colored pants.

Suspect #2, 20-year-old Ivan Angel Plancarte from San Gabriel, CA was taken into custody on Monday, April 21, 2025 and charged with attempted murder (664/187 PC).

Suspect #1 remains outstanding.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this crime is encouraged to contact the Det. Zamfirov at (310)458-8398, Det. Sgt. Lozano at (310)458-8774, or the Watch Commander 24 hours a day at (310) 458-8427.

Here are answers to questions we've been getting about the status of surfing at Sunset:

NOTE: This is solely to give answersto the numerous questions we have been receiving about surfing at Sunset. This is not encouragepeople to ho surf or to break any kaws, just answering questions with the knowledge we have observed.

Is Sunset open for surfing?
It was never really closed.

Is PCH open?
It is only open to those that have a proper pass. The closure/checkpoint is at Chautauqua/W Channel Rd. Only vehicles with passes are allowed to continue on PCH. So without a pass, you can not drive a vehicle up to Sunset.

Can I bike up PCH?
If you have the proper pass, it depends on who is at the checkpoint, some gaurds let you through, some say "No bikes...too dangerous".

As of Friday, 4/25, CHP was stationed near Sunset turning back people riding bikes and walking up PCH. stuff changes constantly.

How have people been surfing there, and at Topanga?
They have passes to be in the area, or they snuck in.

Is Will Rogers open?
Yes, the beach and the bike path are now open.

Can I get to Sunset from Will Rogers?
Yes, but the main Will Rogers parking lot is still closed. The small parking lot at Entrada is open, that lot is before the PCH closure. If you park there you can walk or bike up the path to the Bay Club then go around the Club to Sunset. There has been no beach closures, the beach is open all the way to Sunset.


How far is it from the parking lot (the small lot) to Sunset?
About 2.3 miles. A 10 minute bike ride at an easy pace.



I heard there's a secret route to go there and to Topanga?
First Rule and Second Rule

Can I park at Sunset?
The Gladstones lot is closed, it is being used by a constuction company. Vehicles have been parking along PCH.

Is Randy still there/Is he okay?
He is still there, he appears okay.

How's the water?
It appears the same as Santa Monica. There are mixed answers to this.

Is the bike path the only way to get to Sunset for those without a pass?
As of Friday, 4/25, it is possible to ride the bike path to the very end o the Will Rogers Parking where the Bay Club is, then walk the beach over to the rocks at Sunset. CHP was stationed near Sunset turning back people riding bikes and walking up PCH.

Is there police and National Gaurd all over PCH?
There is a heavy presence of both CHP and LAPD all along PCH. A lot of vehicles have been seen getting pulled over. The National Gaurd is stationed at specific areas.

On Saturtday morning, about 2:26 a.m., Santa Monica Police responded to reports of a stabbing in the 1700 block of Ocean Front Walk.

The only information out right now is that two people were taken to the hospital with stab wounds. Police said they remained in stable condition as of Saturday afternoon. No information on whether any suspects were detained or identified in this stabbing.

The victims were reported to be brother and sister. And reports say they were asttacked by to drunk men who were seen on scooters.

The sister spoke to the news service

"She said it was around 1 a.m. on Saturday when her group went down to the beach, just wanting to dip their toes in the water. Before they got to the sand, the sister said they noticed two men from a distance, seeming to be drinking and riding their scooters on the boardwalk.

The sister said she found it suspicious, but they carried on. They later again noticed the same men who seemed to be getting closer to her group.

The two men eventually approached her and her brother and began harassing them, she said. The sister said that her brother was trying to protect her and his girlfriend and her other friends during the confrontation.

The men pulled out pocket knives and began threatening them, the woman said. She and others in the group managed to record the suspects.

The sister begged the two men to leave her and her brother alone, but the suspects didn't listen, and instead attacked and lunged at both of them with their knives.

The group was able to escape to safety, and the sister said she and her brother ran toward the parking lot to get to their car.

The woman said she was stabbed four times -- in her head, her back and under her armpit area. Her brother was stabbed five times -- with hits to his stomach and back."

The beach and the bike path at Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades finally reopens after being closed to the public for over 3 months due to the Palisades Fire. The video above was shot on Friday evening, showing that the National Guard is gone and there is no more closure of the beach or bike path. The beach and bike path are open all the way to the end where Sunset Point is.

Pacific Coast Highway Closure remains enforced and the large Will Rogers Beach Parking lot is still closed. The Will Rogers Lot 1 (small lot at the Santa Monica border) is open.



For surfers wanting to go surf Will Rogers or Sunset, as of Friday evening, it is possible to go there via the bike path (and then walk the beach past the club to Sunset).

For more news and updates on the Palisades Fire, Click Here.

Story by City News Service

The owner of a pit bull mix who fatally mauled a toy poodle in Santa Monica has been identified, and authorities Wednesday were evaluating possible charges in the death.

The attack happened around 5:30 p.m. Friday near Main and Strand streets, not far from shoreline, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

A gray-and-white pit bull attacked the 11-year-old toy poodle, who sustained fatal injuries, police said. One of the poodle's owners was also bitten while trying to save the dog, according to police.

The pit bull owner fled the scene on foot with the dog, and his image was captured by security cameras, police said.

The owners of the poodle, named Dublin, said the pit bull's owner should be held accountable for failing to prevent the attack and for fleeing the scene afterward.

The incident happened less than two blocks from where the poodle's owners, Alyssa Kluge and Christopher Dietrick, live.

"This is a walk we take three times a day," Dietrick said. "We were walking home with Dublin. As we were walking, a man was not paying attention; he was leaned into the passenger window of a car, and the pit bull mix lunged across us, got a hold of our Dublin. It was very violent. There was a big scuffle. I kept punching the dog."

The man then grabbed his pit bull and "took off running," Dietrick said.

A good Samaritan drove the couple and Dublin to an animal hospital, but Kluge said, "My baby died in my arms."

"I got him on St. Patrick's Day more than 11 years ago, and he was aptly named Dublin," said Kluge, who raised the dog since he was 10 weeks old.

Witnesses said the pit bull's owner, speaking with an English accent, shouted that someone was going to kill his dog as he ran up Fourth Street and into an apartment building in the Ocean Park neighborhood.

Following days of seeking public help, the SMPD shared an update on Wednesday morning stating that the owner had been identified. Police did not provide his name, however.

Police said under current law, several dog-on-dog attacks and related violations fall under civil or misdemeanor-level offenses, including failure to control a dangerous animal or failure to provide information following a dangerous bite.

The Santa Monica city attorney was identifying any municipal or criminal violations that might be applicable to this attack, officials said. middle class local"

On April 22, Palisades Charter High School will begin holding in-person classes at the school’s new temporary location, dubbed “Pali South,” located at the site of the former Sears building at the corner of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue, 302 Colorado Ave.

Since the devastating wildfires destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades, including portions of the Pali High campus, Santa Monica teams have worked around the clock to assist schools, businesses and residents from impacted areas with their relocation efforts to Santa Monica.

Thanks to an emergency order approved by the City Council and dedication from city staff across all departments and cooperation and partnership from school leadership, the city has been able to help students at Pali High and other schools get back to in-person learning as quickly as is safely possible.

The school will hold classes at this new site through the end of the school year on June 6, then return to campus after summer break for the fall semester.

Pali South’s school day begins at 8:30 a.m. and lets out at 2:46 p.m.

Also nearby in the area, Santa Monica High School has a similar schedule.

Peak traffic is anticipated between 7-8:30 a.m. and 2:30-4 p.m. Those who don’t need to be in the area during these times are encouraged to avoid traveling there during these peak periods.

The first week of the new activation of this previously vacant corner will undoubtedly come with learning and adjusting. We appreciate the community’s patience as we observe and address traffic flow, drop off and other logistics at this new campus.

As we all prepare to welcome Pali High to downtown Santa Monica, below are some important details for students, parents, residents, businesses and their employees to prepare for the change in patterns downtown.

HOW WILL STUDENTS GET TO AND FROM SCHOOL?

Pali High’s student population comes from all over the region, comprised of families from nearly 100 different ZIP codes.

Students will arrive:

By public transit on the Metro E Line, Metro buses and Big Blue Bus
With their parents/guardians at the drop-off and pick-up lot located behind the downtown Metro E Line station, via the entrance on 5th Street
Via nine private charter buses sponsored by Pali High parents, with drop off inside the Pali South site
By car, with limited parking passes for students and school staff on school days for Parking Structures 5 and 6
Walking, biking, scooting from various locations

The city’s mobility team, in partnership with GoSaMo, the city’s Transit Management Organization, and Pali High leaders have been in close coordination to assist students and parents with transportation options.

Students, parents and anyone else traveling to the downtown area in the coming two months should give extra time for their commutes, think about avoiding peak times and explore non-driving options.

For personalized help with trip planning, GoSaMo offers online appointments. You can also reach them at (213) 425-0955 or Info@GoSaMoTMO.org.

Santa Monica has developed a traffic and mobility plan to make the transition as smooth as possible. This includes deploying changeable message boards, traffic safety personnel and adjusting signal timing for the best flow of traffic.

For the safety of all, please do not double park, stop at red curbs or stop at bus stops surrounding the school site.

Follow all traffic laws and avoid actions that may put your safety or the safety of others at risk. Use crosswalks and be aware of your surroundings as you make your way around the area.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Public transit to downtown Santa Monica via the Metro E Line or Big Blue Bus is an easy, stress-free and affordable way to go.

These options are free for all students with a registered GoPass and offer a great way to access the new downtown campus. Students can contact their school’s administration for a free GoPass TAP card.

From the E Line Downtown Santa Monica Station, Pali High students can walk south into the drop off/pick up lot to access a pedestrian tunnel that will allow them to safely cross under 4th Street directly into the Pali South parking lot.

Discount rates and passes are available to city employees, income-qualified residents and many others. Find more information at metro.net.

Big Blue Bus and Metro are also free for all riders on Pali South’s opening day, in celebration of Earth Day.

Download the Transit app for iOS and Android to plan your trip via BBB and track your ride in real-time, or use Big Blue Bus’s online trip planner at bigbluebus.com/planner.

CHARTER BUSES AND LIMITED PARKING IN DOWNTOWN STRUCTURES

A limited number of parking passes are allocated to students and teachers on school days from April 22 through June 6 in Parking Structure 5, at 4th Street and Broadway, and Parking Structure 6, at 2nd Street between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard.

For those walking to campus from parking structures or otherwise, the front entrance of Pali South is the glass door along Colorado Avenue.

Private charter buses will bring many students to school from the region, as was also the case at the home campus. These buses will drop off students near the main entrance to the school site, entering and exiting through the driveway on Colorado Avenue.

CARPOOLING & DROP OFF/PICK UP

The drop off and pick up lot for Pali High will be the Metro drop off area located across 4th Street from the campus.

This lot is designed for brief stops and for active loading and unloading only. Cars waiting or parked in the lot will be asked to exit.

The best way to access lot is by exiting the I-10 West Santa Monica Freeway at 4th/5th Street in the right lane to turn onto 5th Street. Then merge to the left lane and turn left into the driveway of the parking lot.

Please note that there are no left turns from 5th Street onto Colorado Avenue when exiting the drop off lot.

From the drop off lot, students can access the pedestrian tunnel to safely cross 4th Street directly into the Pali South campus.

For a less congested drop off option, park at the metered parking on Main Street in front of City Hall and Tongva Park and have your student walk to school from there. And all city-owned Downtown Santa Monica parking structures are free for the first 90 minutes, so parents are also encouraged to explore pickup at those lots.

Drop off, parking or waiting are not permitted along 4th Street or Colorado Avenue.

Students can ride the Metro E Line a short distance from nearby stations at Expo/Bundy, 26th Street/Bergamot or 17th Street/SMC.

The Expo/Bundy Station is recommended for a faster pick up and drop off experience and to alleviate congestion in the downtown Santa Monica area. Take the Metro E Line three stops to and from the Downtown Santa Monica Station.

Metro will deploy additional ambassadors at the Expo/Bundy and Downtown Santa Monica Stations to help students with directions and provide assistance.

For commuters driving into downtown, exiting at the Lincoln Boulevard offramp may provide a smoother route. It may also be beneficial to adjust arrival and departure times, if possible, to avoid the morning and afternoon peak times.

Also of note: One lane in each direction will be closed on Lincoln Boulevard on April 21 and 22 between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard. This may cause impacts if exiting the freeway at Lincoln.

WHERE CAN STUDENTS EAT OR HANG OUT BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL OR WAIT TO BE PICKED UP?

Santa Monica businesses are excited to welcome Pali High students! Go here for a list of local business specials and deals for students.

Access a list of all downtown businesses here. For list of places to eat at Santa Monica Pier, click here. And fun things to explore, click here. Any Santa Monica businesses who would like to submit a “Welcome to Santa Monica, Pali High!” special, can do so here.

Physical education classes during the day are set to be held at Historic Belmar Park and the city of Santa Monica has helped facilitate after school sports, meetings and other activities at various parks, libraries and city facilities around town.

Santa Monica’s Main Library is just a few blocks away from Pali South, at 601 Santa Monica Blvd., and offers many free resources and spaces for homework and studying ― open Monday through Thursday until 8 p.m. Find more at santamonica.gov/library.

We invite students and parents to spend a bit more time in Santa Monica to avoid the traffic and enjoy what the community has to offer.

The city hosts many free and low-cost arts, sustainability, and cultural activities and other classes and programming that all are welcome to attend. Visit the city’s website and events page for more!

WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR SECURITY AT AND AROUND THE PALI SOUTH CAMPUS?

Santa Monica Police Department personnel are in close coordination with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who oversees Metro public safety, to coordinate efforts at the E Line station. There will be an added security presence at E Line station and in the area around the campus/drop off lot.

Big Blue Bus's Transit Safety Officers are stationed on high-traffic routes and at select bus stops, to assist riders with navigating the system and addressing safety and maintenance concerns.

Downtown Santa Monica Ambassadors will also have an added presence around the Pali South campus, outside the E Line station and in downtown parking structures to assist with questions, security concerns and wayfinding.

The Pali South campus will be closed to the public. Students, teachers and school staff must show official school identification to get onto campus. Pali High will provide security personnel and campus aides to help answer questions and ensure everyone gets to school safely.

The pedestrian tunnel beneath 4th Street will only be open to students during arrival and dismissal. Students must stay on campus during school hours. Only seniors are permitted to go off-campus for lunch.

The Pali South campus will have 24/7 onsite security and will be closed outside overnight.

Santa Monica Police can be reached on the non-emergency line at (310) 458-8491.

For more news and updates on the Palisades Fire, Click Here.

The City of Malbu breaks ground on the Permanent Skate Park, an exciting first step toward enriching the lives of the Malibu community.


This new skatepark will feature street and transition elements including, stairs, rails, ledges, banks, a flow bowl, quarter pipes, spine, extensions, and waterfalls making it an exciting addition to our community’s recreational spaces.

The 2028 Olympics Surfing Events finally have venue, here's the statement LA18 released today:



"Synonymous with California-culture is Surfing, which will be held at Trestles Beach in San Clemente, CA where athletes will enjoy the best and most consistent waves for competition in Southern California."