Hollywood Man Charged in Deadly Attempted Robbery on 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica Police Say Planned AfterHours Sale Turned
Violent
Hollywood resident Karen Melikyan, 41, has been arrested and charged in connection with a deadly attempted robbery that unfolded during an afterhours meeting at a Santa Monica business on May 18, police said Monday.
Officers with the Santa Monica Police Department responded around 9:30 p.m. to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at a storefront in the 1300 block of 3rd Street Promenade. Officers arrived within two minutes and began investigating the scene.
Detectives determined that the store owner had arranged a private meeting with Melikyan, a known associate, when
a second suspect entered the business and sprayed the owner with a chemical irritant. During the ensuing struggle, the legally armed store owner shot the intruder. The suspect was transported to a hospital, where he later died. Identification of the deceased is pending notification of the next of kin.
Melikyan was detained at the scene and later booked on charges of homicide (187(a) PC), robbery, and conspiracy. The store owner was not injured and is fully cooperating with investigators.
Police believe the incident was targeted and involved individuals who knew one another. Authorities emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Martin Jauregui at (310) 4584852 or Martin.Jauregui@santamonica. gov, Detective Sergeant Chad Goodwin at (310) 458-8774 or Chad.Goodwin@ santamonica.gov, or SMPD Watch Commander (24/7): (310) 458-8427.
Woman’s Car Stolen from UCLA Valet in Santa Monica While Visiting Husband in ICU
Couple Left Without Vehicle During Cancer Treatment
After Thief Stole Keys
Brittney Mickles-McQuirter, a local
her 2025 Honda CR-V with UCLA Medical Center valet staff shortly before midnight on May 12. Hours later, she was informed by hospital workers that a man, believed to be unhoused, allegedly accessed the valet stand, took her keys, and drove off with the vehicle.
The theft occurred while MicklesMcQuirter remained inside the hospital with her husband, Joe McQuirter, who has been in the ICU since April 18, recovering from cancer-related complications. The couple, married just last October, now
finds themselves without transportation and vital personal items that were left inside the vehicle.
Video surveillance reportedly captured the theft, but Mickles-McQuirter says she has not been granted access to review the footage. She filed a report with UCLA campus police, who confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.
UCLA released a statement that said, “We apologize for this unfortunate incident. A police report was filed, and our insurance carrier is investigating.”
Despite receiving a temporary five-day rental car from the hospital, MicklesMcQuirter says she is responsible for the insurance costs. Using an Apple AirTag attached to the keychain, loved ones have attempted to track the stolen vehicle, but each lead has come up short.
To help cover mounting medical expenses and replace their vehicle, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched, and you can read more and contribute here.
Montessori school teacher, says she parked
Fatal Electrocution Reported in Malibu After Downed Power Line
Power Line Brought Down Near Point Dume; One Person Killed
A fatal electrocution occurred Saturday afternoon during a tree-trimming operation near Point Dume, prompting a response from the authorities.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the incident occurred shortly after 1:00 p.m. at a property on
Cliffside Drive near Grasswood Avenue, where a tree trimmer accidentally brought down a power line. A person on the ground came into contact with the live wire and died at the scene.
Authorities have not released the identity of the deceased or confirmed whether the individual was a worker, a resident, or a bystander. The tree trimmer involved was uninjured.
Footage posted to the Citizen app showed a small fire at the scene following the incident.
Sheriff’s officials have ruled the electrocution accidental. No arrests were made, and the investigation is ongoing.
Elon Musk’s Tesla Renews Santa Monica
Tesla Keeps California Roots with Santa Monica Service Center Renewal
Despite relocating its corporate headquarters to Texas, Tesla has reaffirmed its commitment to California with a major lease renewal in Santa Monica, as reported by Commercial Observer. The electric vehicle manufacturer has signed a renewal for its 82,000-square-foot industrial facility located at 1100 Colorado Avenue, continuing operations at the site it has occupied since 2021.
The two-story building will remain home to one of Tesla’s service centers,
underscoring the company’s enduring footprint in the region. The renewed lease, which takes effect in January 2026, was facilitated by Daum Commercial Real Estate Services, with Michael Collins and Dustin Hullinger representing the property owner, Thompson Properties.
Xan Saks of Beta Agency represented Tesla in the transaction.
Tesla initially signed a five-year lease valued at $12 million for the property in 2021. The Santa Monica facility complements the company’s broader real estate footprint in the state, which includes service centers and a manufacturing plant in Fremont, still considered the largest automotive facility in North America.
Although Tesla CEO Elon Musk moved the company’s official headquarters from Palo Alto to Austin, Texas, in 2021, citing California’s pandemic restrictions and regulatory environment, Tesla’s activity
in the Golden State remains substantial. The company continues to lease significant industrial space, including two of three buildings in Livermore, acquired by Westcore for more than $326 million.
Musk has also shifted other corporate operations to Texas, including the
headquarters of SpaceX and X, formerly Twitter. Nevertheless, Tesla’s lease renewal in Santa Monica suggests that while its executive offices may have moved, California remains a key operational hub for one of the nation’s most valuable companies.
Getty Villa Museum to Reopen After Months-Long Closure Due to Palisades Fire
Limited Public Access Resumes With Major New Exhibition on Mycenaean Greece
The Getty Villa Museum will reopen to the public on Friday, June 27, after nearly six months of closure due to the Palisades Fire, Getty officials announced on Monday.
The museum, located just off Pacific Coast Highway, has undergone extensive cleanup and safety evaluations since it was forced to close on January 7 when flames threatened the site. In the fire’s immediate aftermath, 17 Getty staff members, including security and facilities teams, remained onsite to protect the museum, seal the galleries, and extinguish small fires. Targeted water drops by the Los Angeles Fire Department helped spare the Villa from significant damage.
Since January, Getty’s operations teams have removed over 1,300 fire-damaged trees, replaced all air and water filters, flushed water systems, and deep-cleaned indoor and outdoor areas. While most of the museum’s architecture remains intact, visitors will notice changes to the surrounding landscape, including reduced
vegetation and visible burn scars.
To help manage traffic along PCH and streamline the reopening, the Villa will operate on a limited four-day schedule—
Friday through Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Access will be via Pacific Coast Highway only, as Sunset Boulevard remains closed to Villa-bound traffic.
Daily attendance will be capped at 500 guests, and free, timed-entry tickets must be reserved in advance online. Parking remains $25 per vehicle.
The museum’s first post-fire exhibition, “The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Ancient Greece,” will debut on June 27 and run through January 12, 2026. The groundbreaking exhibition includes more than 230 artifacts from the Mycenaean civilization, including clay tablets inscribed in Linear B, the earliest written form of the Greek language, and the celebrated Pylos Combat Agate, a rare Minoan sealstone considered one of the finest artistic achievements of prehistoric Greece.
Getty also confirmed the return of its Outdoor Classical Theater this fall with the 19th annual production, Oedipus the King, Mama!, a contemporary adaptation co-produced with the Troubadour Theater Company. Public programming— including talks and events tied to the Pylos exhibition - will continue both online and in person.
The Villa’s previous exhibition, Ancient
Thrace and the Classical World, was cut short by the January evacuation. A virtual tour of that show remains available on Getty’s website, offering a digital look at rare artifacts from Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece.
Visitors may experience traffic and arrival delays at the Getty Villa Museum. Getty continues to work closely with local officials to remain up to date on appropriate safety and arrival measures
Why Santa Monica Might Need a Desalination Plant, and Maybe Even Nuclear Power Welcome to Urban Jungle
SMa.r.t.
Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow
Santa Monica is known for its ocean views, sunny skies, and strong environmental values. But there’s a challenge on the horizon that could test the city’s priorities: water. If Santa Monica follows through on California’s state housing requirements, which call for tens of thousands of new homes, the city’s water supply will not be able to keep up. That could mean building something the city and its neighbors have never had before: a desalination plant. And powering it might require making some tough decisions, possibly even considering nuclear energy, something many local environmentalists have long opposed.
More People, More Water:
Right now, Santa Monica gets most of its water from a local underground source called the Santa Monica Basin. The city has worked hard to reduce its dependence on imported water and is proud of its progress toward water self-sufficiency. But here’s the catch: that aquifer has limits. It only holds so much water, and it can only refill so fast, especially during drought years. If Santa Monica builds all the new homes required by the state, it will mean tens of thousands more people living here (or even more), using water for everything from showers and toilets to cooking and gardening. Even with continued conservation and recycled water programs, the city just doesn’t have enough natural supply to keep up. That’s where desalination, turning seawater into drinking water, starts to look like a real option.
Desalination Needs a Lot of Power:
Desalination sounds great in theory: endless ocean water, cleaned and ready for use. But there’s a big catch: it uses a lot of energy. You need powerful pumps and filters to remove the salt, and those machines have to run 24/7.
Santa Monica has committed to clean energy goals, so running a desalination plant on fossil fuels would go against everything the city stands for. Solar and wind are part of the solution, but they’re not always available when you need them. The sun doesn’t shine at night, and the wind doesn’t blow on demand. Batteries can help, but storing that much energy is expensive and complicated.
Enter: Nuclear Power (Wait, What?): Here’s where things get tricky and highly controversial. Nuclear power could actually be one way to run a desalination plant. It’s carbon-free, steady, and powerful. Newer technologies, like small modular reactors (SMRs), are designed to be safer and more flexible than older nuclear plants. If California continues developing this kind of clean, reliable energy, it could provide the right match for large-scale desalination. But nuclear power is an extremely sensitive topic, and for good reason, especially among environmentalists. Many have spent decades opposing it because of safety concerns, radioactive waste, and the high cost of building plants. Even with improved technology, nuclear still raises tough questions. And the new small modular reactors have not yet proven to be economically viable or even safe.
A Dilemma for Local Environmentalists and Housing Advocates:
That threatens to put Santa Monica’s environmental community in a real bind. On one hand, they want to support housing, fight climate change, and make the city
more resilient. On the other hand, they’ve long stood against nuclear power.
If solar and wind alone can’t reliably power a desalination plant, and fossil fuels are off the table for climate reasons, nuclear might be the only option left. That means environmentalists, residents, and city leaders may have to ask themselves a hard question: are we willing to rethink nuclear energy in order to solve an urgent water and housing problem?
What Comes Next?:
Santa Monica’s future will be shaped by how it handles this intersection of water, housing, and clean energy. If the city builds more homes, and it probably will, it will also need more water. A desalination plant might become essential. And figuring out how to power that plant without harming the planet could lead to extremely difficult but necessary conversations. These conversations aren’t really happening yet, but the issue can’t be ignored for much longer. It needs to be addressed soon.
This is more than a local issue, it’s a glimpse into the kinds of choices many communities may face as we try to live more sustainably in a changing world.
Daniel Jansenson, Architect, Building & Fire-Life Safety Commission
Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow: Mario Fonda-Bonardi, Architect AIA (exPlanning Commissioner), Jack Hillbrand, Architect AIA, Landmarks Commission, Matt Hoefler, Architect NCARB, Dan Jansenson, Architect, Building & Fire-Life Safety Commission, Michael Jolly, AIRCRE, Thane Roberts, Architect, Robert H. Taylor, Architect AIA, Sam Tolkin, Architect, Planning Commission, Phil Bro
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Santa Monica Airport to Host Air Taxi Flights for VIPs and Fans During LA28
The aircraft will also support emergency services and security operations
While Santa Monica will no longer serve as a competition venue for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city will still play a key role in LA28’s transportation infrastructure through a new air taxi initiative backed by Archer Aviation.
Archer, named the Official Air Taxi Provider of LA28 and Team USA, plans to deploy its electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, Midnight, across the region to shuttle VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between Olympic venues. The aircraft will also support emergency services and security operations.
Among Archer’s planned network of vertiports is the Santa Monica Airport, which is set to become one of several electric take-off-and-landing hubs serving the Games. Other locations include Los Angeles International Airport, Hollywood, Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft can carry
four passengers and a pilot for trips between 20 and 50 miles, promising a 10to 20-minute flight time and significantly reduced noise and emissions compared to helicopters. The company aims to certify the aircraft with the FAA to standards comparable to commercial airlines.
Although Santa Monica withdrew from hosting beach volleyball events due to disagreements over community
benefits and logistics, city officials say they remain committed to supporting the Olympics as a regional partner. That includes hosting watch parties, practice venues, and coordinating hospitality through its CELEBRATE28 program.
“When the world shows up to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympics, we look forward to welcoming hundreds of thousands of participants and sports
enthusiasts to Santa Monica for an iconic California experience,” said Misti Kerns, President and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism.
The LA28 Games are set to begin on July 14, 2028, with over 15 million visitors expected across Southern California.
Pasjoli to Temporarily Close for Redesign, Unveil New Menu June 12
Santa Monica French Bistro Will Pause Service
Starting June 1
Acclaimed French bistro Pasjoli will close temporarily starting on June 1 as it prepares for a transformation that includes updates to its space and a full revamp of its menu, the restaurant announced this week.
The brief hiatus will allow the team to reimagine elements of the restaurant’s interior, including new décor, painted walls, and rearranged furnishings. Pasjoli will reopen on June 12 with an entirely new food and beverage menu while maintaining the core elements that have made it a standout on the Westside dining scene.
In a message to guests, the restaurant emphasized that signature experiences, like its renowned duck press, will remain part of the Pasjoli experience.
“We’re evolving, but not changing the things our guests love,” the announcement said. “Expect the same hospitality, thoughtful cooking, and elevated atmosphere.”
Before the brief closure, diners are encouraged to experience the current menu through the end of May. Reservations can be made through OpenTable for both the final days of service and the reopening in mid-June.
Additional details on the new menu and refreshed design will be shared in the coming weeks.
