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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.

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:

July 31, 2024


BEACH AREAS NOW CLEARED:

· Las Flores Creek at Las Flores State Beach

The entire swim area.

· Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove

The entire swim area.

· Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach

The entire swim area.

· Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach

100 yards up and down the coast from the public access steps.

· Castlerock Storm Drain at Topanga County Beach

The entire swim area.

· Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove

100 yards up and down the coast from the Paradise Cove Pier.

· Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro

The entire swim area.

· Escondido Creek at Escondido State Beach

The entire swim area.

· Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu

100 yards up and down the coast from the lagoon.

· Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach

100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms.

· Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica

100 yards up and down the coast from the pier.

These warnings have been issued due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested.

BEACH AREAS NOW CLEARED:

Warnings have been lifted for the following beach areas where recent sample results identified water quality levels within State standards:

· Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey

Use the map below to obtain the current water quality status of your favorite beach location. Use your mouse wheel to zoom into a particular location. Click on the marker to identify the sampling location. This map is updated as conditions change.

"54 going on 45". My Birthday Gift Back, to F & F. Grateful for my connection with skateboarding for 43 consecutive years. Thankful to everyone I've connected and ridden with in that time. Here are some clips filmed of me skating months before I turned 54. Edited into a part representing the pure fun, stoke and adventure I get riding on my wooden toys. A gift back to community, friends and family. L&R!! - Bart Saric

Cameo Appearances by Tait Roelofs and Richard Sanchez

Filmed by Jason Hill, Yoshi-San, Todd Nadolny, Tim Chalais, Tanya Schenk, Odin Saric, Tait Roelofs.

Project Save Our Surf returns to Tower 26 to clean the beach. Buckets, gloves and light snacks will be provided.

Come join Project Save Our Surf for a fun afternoon of music and refreshments cleaning the beach. Buckets and gloves will also be provided for the cleanup. Connect with others in Los Angeles working to support our environment.

We have also partnered with Project Pop Drop to collect items for the homeless that we will be delivering to a homeless shelter on the last Saturday of the month (each month is a different shelter and details will be available at the cleanup for those who want to attend that event as well). We are collecting non- perishable foods and new toiletries, new socks, new underwear, new clothing etc.

Saturday, August 10 · 11am - 1pm
Santa Monica Beach Tower 26

For more info and to register, Click Here

Find out about more upcoming local events, Click Here for the Event Calendar.

The 48th Annual Los Angeles Festival of the Chariots is happening on August 4, 2024 from 10AM - 7PM. This is a FREE festival!

Los Angeles Festival of the Chariots, also known as Ratha Yatra, is a vibrant and joyous celebration. This annual event, held in the heart of Los Angeles, features the grand procession of elaborately decorated chariots carrying the deities of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. Accompanied by traditional music, dancing, and chanting, devotees and visitors pull the chariots through the streets. The festival also includes cultural performances, delicious vegetarian cuisine, and a marketplace showcasing Indian arts and crafts. It's a unique opportunity for people of all backgrounds to experience the rich cultural heritage and spiritual essence of India.

The festivities begin with a parade of three 40-foot tall chariots, which begins at Pico and Main in Santa Monica. The parade proceeds down Main Street until Rose Avenue, when it turns on to the Venice Beach Boardwalk. The parade ends at the festival site, located at Venice Beach Windward Plaza at 12 PM.

The festival, located at Venice Beach Windward Plaza, runs from 12-7 PM. Come out for amazing cultural entertainment, a free feast, gift shop, and other food booths. You do not want to miss this once yearly festival.

Video from last year:

For more info, Click Here

Some scenes of Venice Beach on an early Monday morning.

Early in the morning, police are called to for an out-of-his-mind homeless person who is getting into confrontations with people at the Venice Pier. An hour earlier this same person had been harassing a 12-year old surfer until two people stopped him and "encouraged him" to leave. But he returned and other individuals called the police on him. Unfortunately, as usual , all the police did make him leave the pier.

Then police are called to an office building on the Boardwalk that had a break in. Employees arrived to to work to find a broken glass and evidence that someone entered the building and may still be inside.

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"Santa Monica Police Officers arrested a homeless man for public nudity at Palisades Park on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. The man, known to the officers, was lying on a sleeping bag that did not properly cover his private parts. This individual often sleeps on the sidewalk, occasionally blocking the walkway, prompting police to frequently ask him to move onto the grass.

This is not the first incident involving this individual. Less than two weeks ago, on July 20, Santa Monica Closeup documented another response by police to a call from residents across the street, reporting the man lying with his private parts exposed."

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.

This is an update to an incident from January 2023. On the evening of January 18th, 2023, SMPD Officers responded to a ‘Shots Fired’ call in the 1500 block of Palisades Park. Responding officers discovered a victim who was shot in the face and subsequently transported to a local hospital.

During the investigation, detectives uncovered evidence that on that date and time the victim was in an argument with three subjects. One of the subjects, later identified as Angel Diaz, 21, a resident of Los Angeles, produced a handgun and shot the victim once in the face. The incident is believed to be gang-related.

Detectives discovered the suspect discarded evidence at the crime scene, which was later confirmed via DNA as belonging to Diaz. In addition, Diaz was captured on CCTV footage as he fled the area on foot.

During the investigation, SMPD detectives discovered Diaz was arrested on February 10th, 2023, by LAPD for attempted murder with a handgun. Ballistic evidence proved that the handgun used in the SMPD case was also used in the LAPD case.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed attempted murder charges against Diaz for the SMPD and LAPD incidents. On July 9, 2024, Diaz pled guilty to 245(b) PC – Assault with a semi-automatic firearm. Diaz was sentenced to nine years in state prison. This sentence is to run concurrent with his sentence for the LAPD case.

For additional information regarding this investigation, please contact Detective Ismael Tavera at 310-458-2256 or Lieutenant Aklufi at 310-458-8493