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A skater takes a slam to his forehead, splitting it open, during a best trick contest in the pool at the Venice Skatepark. This was one of the many events at the Venice Beach Games.



The dead naked man found stuffed in a barrel in the Malibu Lagoon has been identified as 32-year-old Javonnta Murphy. A singer/song writer and father from Los Angeles.

Homicide detectives are investigating his death and authorities believe the high tide may have carried the barrel into Malibu lagoon from the ocean​.






Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS


From Santa Monica Close Up:

"On Tuesday evening, Santa Monica Police Officers responded to a report of a violent confrontation at Palisades Park around 7:30 PM. According to eyewitness accounts, two groups, appearing to be unhoused individuals, engaged in a heated altercation possibly fueled by alcohol and a dispute over territory.

Law enforcement swiftly intervened and apprehended two individuals involved in the altercation. Simultaneously, Santa Monica Firefighters arrived at the scene to provide immediate medical attention to one person who suffered injuries during the incident. The injured individual was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

As the investigation unfolds, authorities are now considering the possibility that alcohol may have played a role in escalating tensions during the confrontation. The involvement of alcohol may be a contributing factor in understanding the sequence of events that led to the violent clash between the two groups."

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:

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Join us for a conversation with Shaun Tomson & Noah benShea , authors of "The Surfer and the Sage", w/ Julie Cox, founder of Traveler Surf Club.

When: Thursday, August 3rd, 2023 @ 5pm for Conversation + Book Signing / 6pm for Reception

Where: 5pm @ Malibu Village Books / 6pm @ Traveler Surf Club

Program + Signing: 5-8pm

General Ticket is $35/person: incl: 1 copy of "The Surfer and the Sage", Conversation, Book Signing, Meet and Greet & Reception. 10% of your proceeds go to The Mighty Under Dogs, a grassroots non-profit providing surf therapy to children with emotional, cognitive, and physical disorders, as well as autism. Admission for one.

Wine and liquor generously provided by Strange Family Vineyards and Casamigos!

We are looking forward to seeing you - if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: malibu@villagebookstores.com or call us at: 424-235-2262

Malibu Village Books
23559 Pacific Coast Highway 23559 Malibu, CA 90265

For more info and admission, Click Here



Earning The Locals Respect.

Visit Topanga Lou Surf Videos for Topanga surfing videos.



Colorful flowers bloom all around the beach in the Pacific Palisades.



Join the Parent and Me Skate Clinic on Saturday, August 5 at 9 AM at the Temporary Skate Park. Champ Camp instructors will teach new skaters the basics and give parents tools to help them progress. http://

For more info and to register, Click Here


Update to Monday's stabbing on Santa Monica Beach


The 27-year-old man was that was stabbed by the restrooms on the 2000 block of the beach was taken to a hospital where he eventually died from his injuries.

Witnesses who stayed in the area said they heard an argument between the victim and the suspect in a breezeway next to the men’s restrooms. One of the witnesses then saw the suspect stab the victim several times in the torso and chest, police said. Whether the assailant and victim knew each other remains under investigation.





The suspect, was a homeless man identified as 48-year-old Juan Evarastico Bahena. Police found the weapon belived to be used in the attack in the Bahena’s backpack.



Juan Evarastico Bahena is seen in a photo released by the Santa Monica Police Department on Aug. 1, 2023

Additional details will be provided when available.


Here are some updates about the Dead Body Found in Barrel at Malibu Beach:

Authorities say that a maintenance worker first saw the barrel drum floating in the lagoon on Sunday afternoon and brought it onto the shore using a kayak, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The worker said it was too heavy and didn’t want to open it so they left it on the shore, the news site said.





The next morning around 10:10 a.m., a lifeguard saw the barrel in the lagoon and swam out to retrieve it, according to the sheriff’s department. When they brought it ashore, they opened it and found the corpse of a naked Black man inside, authorities said.

“From what I did see it didn’t look to me like it was decomposed or had been there a long time,” Lieutenant Hugo Reynaga of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.



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