Santa Monica Police Investigate Assault on Pier as Hate Crime
The incident occurred at Palisades Park during a clash between pro-Gaza demonstrators and counter-protesters
Santa Monica police are investigating a violent assault on the Santa Monica Pier Sunday evening as a hate crime, where a man was targeted due to his religious identity during a pro-Gaza demonstration, authorities said.
The incident occurred at Palisades Park during a clash between pro-Gaza demonstrators and counter-protesters, according to a statement from the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD). Officers responded to multiple disturbances between the groups, and the victim, who sustained minor injuries, was treated by Santa Monica Fire personnel at the scene.
Based on witness statements and reported circumstances, SMPD detectives are treating the assault as a hate crime. The department condemned the act, stating, “Hatred, intimidation, and violence will not be tolerated in our community. Everyone who lives, works, and visits Santa Monica deserves to feel safe.”
The investigation remains active, with detectives reviewing video footage, pursuing leads, and collaborating with regional law enforcement.
The SMPD urged anyone with information or footage to contact its Criminal Investigations Division or the Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.
Man Stabbed on Ocean Front Walk in Santa Monica, Suspect Sought
Detectives Gathering Evidence as Search for Suspect Continues
Police are investigating a stabbing that left a man injured Sunday afternoon near Ocean Front Walk, authorities said.
Officers responded about 4:58 p.m. to the 1600 block, where they found an adult male suffering from non-life-
threatening stab wounds, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Officers provided medical aid until firefighters arrived and transported the man to a local hospital.
The suspect fled before police arrived. Detectives are reviewing video footage, canvassing the area, and interviewing witnesses to determine what led up to the incident and to identify the attacker.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8491. Updates will be released as the investigation continues.
Better is maternity care in the 4th trimester.
Our Fourth Trimester Program redefines maternity care, offering post-birth support for new mothers. From acupuncture treatments that alleviate physical discomfort to mental health services offered through the postpartum period. It’s just one of the many ways we treat you for the better.
Carjacking Suspect Crashes in Malibu After Taking Off With Kids in the Car
Three Children, the Suspect, and Another Driver Were Hospitalized
What began as a carjacking outside a 7-Eleven in East Los Angeles on Friday night ended nearly an hour later with a violent crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, leaving three children, the suspect, the children’s father, and another driver hospitalized, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported the incident started about 6:40 p.m., when a woman left her Chrysler sedan idling with her three children inside. The children are aged 2, 7, and 9 years old. A male stranger allegedly took the moment to steal the car despite the presence of the children.
The child’s father, who was in another car nearby, tried to stop the carjacking but was unable to do so while sustaining injuries after being dragged by the vehicle.
Sheriff’s deputies located the car and gave pursuit until the car entered the 10 Freeway, when the California Highway Patrol took charge. Because the children were in the car, CHP ruled out a PIT maneuver. Deputies instead used a spike strip, which the suspect hit, at first slowing the car but causing the carjacker to drive erratically as he continued his attempt to escape.
The pursuit came to an end in Malibu when the Chrysler T-boned an SUV on Pacific Coast Highway. All three children were rescued and airlifted to UCLA Medical Center in Westwood with minor to moderate injuries. The SUV’s driver was also hospitalized.
Authorities said the suspect fled barefoot from the wreck, discarding clothing and climbing fences before officers captured
him and took him into custody. The kidnapper was also taken to the hospital. The suspect’s name has not been released.
Santa Monica Historic District Tour
Showcases Early 20th Century Bungalows
The Third Street Walk, led by Conservancy board president Mario Fonda-Bonardi, will highlight the architectural and historical significance of the neighborhood, featuring 27 bungalows from 1903 to 1915
The Santa Monica Conservancy invites the public to explore the city’s first historic district during a free guided tour on Sunday, August 31. The Third Street Walk, led by Conservancy board president Mario Fonda-Bonardi, will highlight the architectural and historical significance of the neighborhood, featuring 27 bungalows from 1903 to 1915 and four structures from
the late 1800s.
The tour begins at noon at the Shotgun House, located at 2520 Second Street, with check-in starting at 11:45 a.m. Walk-ins are welcome, and the event runs monthly on the second Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. Participants should wear comfortable shoes, bring sunscreen, a hat, water, and layers for the one-hour walking tour.
Established in 1990 through a grassroots effort by local residents, the Third Street Neighborhood Historic District showcases Santa Monica’s early architectural heritage. Fonda-Bonardi, a key figure in the district’s designation, will share stories of Ocean Park’s oldest buildings and residents.
Parking is available at metered spots along Norman Place and Main Street or at city lot #10 at 111 Hill Street. Visitors are encouraged to use public transit, such as Big Blue Bus #1, or rideshare services due to limited summer parking.
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Forest Service and BLM lands right up the road for Hunting.
• Some furnishings available.
THE WATER
Choose the Right Tropical Plants Your Indoor Space
Plants, Pottery and More at Urban Jungle
Beautiful foliage and fresh air — two benefits of welcoming indoor tropical plants to your home space.
In most urban settings, access to nature and green spaces are limited. However, with Urban Jungle, a community-centered oasis that hosts a unique variety of indoor and outdoor plants, Santa Monica’s urban dwellers can welcome nature inside of their home.
Task performance, health and reduction of stress is known to improve with the addition of indoor plants, adding a touch of comfort, satisfaction and happiness to your indoor spaces.
Urban Jungle sprouted from a deepseated love for horticulture shared by the founders Tracey and Mark Marriott in 2024. The nursery is not only a sanctuary of green, but a place that helps people inspire their own environments, both indoor and outdoor, and nurture plant life.
Inside Urban Jungle is a lush slice of paradise, giving urban dwellers access to a unique variety of indoor tropical plants including pathos, snake plants, or dracaena, and Ficus lyrata, or the fiddle leaf fig. While some urban dwellers lack outdoor space, Urban Jungle invites you to adorn the inside with its selection of indoor tropical plants.
“People that don’t have a lot of yard space look to Urban Jungle to add a touch of green to their homes. Whether they are looking for another of their favorite tropical plants, or new ones, to learn and nurture, we have an amazing selection. We help plants lovers complete their collection and make their homes feel more like home,” Tracey said. “We love answering our customers’ questions and guiding them on how to care and nurture these beautiful plants.”
While there are many variables in caring for certain indoor and outdoor plants,
Urban Jungle’s expertise in raising plants is community-centered, offering customers valuable tips and guidance on how tropical indoor plants not only brighten your home, but filter and purify the air.
Many of the outdoor plants found at Urban Jungle started from the soil of the founders’ 14-acre farm in Los Angeles.
Urban Jungle’s indoor tropical plants are sourced from San Diego and Hawaii. An unrivaled selection from exotic rarities to familiar favorites, Urban Jungle’s collection is diverse and hand-picked for its health and vibrancy.
In addition to its variety and selection, Urban Jungle offers a service to customers when they choose a pot for their newest home addition — potting. With a variety of global and locally sourced pottery in various styles and designs, empty-handed customers leave the nursery with plants, pots and recommendations on where to
place them.
“We have a large array of sizes and colors, on top of hand-crafted designs by local artists,” Tracey said. “Our plants and pottery are both incredibly affordable.”
Urban Jungle’s farm-to-nursery selection gives people many options. From exotic rarities to low-maintenance succulents, Urban Jungle is a green retreat for all to enjoy.
Visit Urban Jungle at 3113 Lincoln Boulevard, Santa Monica, open Monday through Friday 11 to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 6 p.m.
VISIT: Certified Plant Growers, the parent company of Urban Jungle, opened a new location in Huntington Beach! Visit 10502 Garfield Avenue, Huntington Beach, California 92708.
To learn more about Urban Jungle and follow its journey, follow @ urbanjungleplantsandpottery on Instagram.
Welcome to Urban Jungle
Immerse yourself in a sanctuary where nature’s tranquility meets the vibrancy of city life. Urban Jungle is more than a plant store it’s a communitycentered oasis bringing a lush slice of paradise to your urban lifestyle. Here, we passionately believe in the power of plants to transform spaces and elevate well-being.
Why The Past?
SMa.r.t.
Santa Monica Architects for
Responsible Tomorrow
a
When you walk down a street in Santa Monica, you can feel it. That quiet hum of history that lives in the old buildings: the Craftsman bungalows tucked behind flowering jacarandas, the
Art Deco storefronts with their stubborn charm, the jockeying storefronts of Main Street even the weathered apartments that have seen generations of renters come and go. These buildings aren’t just “structures.” They’re memory keepers. And if we’re not careful, we’ll lose them.
Here’s the thing: cities like Santa Monica are constantly under pressure. Land close to the ocean is expensive, development is usually profitable, and shiny new projects always promise more tax dollars, with, of course, no adverse impact. You’ve already seen it: another oversized econo box going up where a proud streamline moderne building once stood. Sure, progress has its place, but history has its place, too. When everything inexorably becomes new, slick, profitable, and “efficient,” something essential gets erased.
Think of it this way. Imagine Santa Monica without the Georgian Hotel, without the Clock Tower, without the Pier’s carousel, without those Spanish Colonial courtyards where bougainvillea spills over white stucco walls. Suddenly, it’s not Santa Monica anymore. It could be Anywhere, USA.
And that’s the danger.
Older buildings anchor us. They remind us that this city has a story much bigger than ourselves and that the story started before us and will continue after us. They hold layers of time: grandparents taking first dates to old theaters, kids buying models at Evett’s Model Shop, do-ityourselfers buying parts at Busy Bee, immigrants setting down roots in small apartment courts that still stand today. When you shop or dine on Main Street, you are not just spending money; you are actually walking through time. Tear those places down, and you’re not just losing
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square footage. You’re losing identity.
When we pass an old building with sagging beams, peeling paint, and think, “Eh, someone should knock that down.” But when you learn the important role that building played in our local history, or someone important lived there, or that it was built by a famous builder or developer, or architect, or that hundreds of famous performers played there, when you hear the backstory of that building, your perspective magically changes. Suddenly, the cracked stucco and sagging porch beams don’t look like junk. They look like evidence. Proof that people lived and loved and fought to belong here. And that’s why historic preservation matters.
Now, I get it. Some folks just roll their eyes. They say preserving old buildings is a luxury or that it gets in the way of progress. “Why cling to the past when we need more housing, more density, more modern everything?” It’s not an unreasonable question. But the choice isn’t binary.
Protecting history doesn’t mean freezing a city in amber. It means weaving the old into the new so we don’t forget who we are along the way. Today, our City is 150 years old and has about 160 landmarks and structures of merit. Those landmarks were studied for their value and selected by the Landmarks Commission over the last approximately half-century. What that means is that about every year, on average, only one building or sign or tree emerges as something worthy of preservation by Landmarking: eg, something essential to telling our story is saved in perpetuity. In a city of about 50,000 housing units, one landmark preserved a year for say each of the next 150 years will have NO measurable impact on housing or commercial development. But not preserving that one significant historic object about once a year will leave a gap in our history. The City’s smile will be gapped tooth and thus that much less charming and authentic. An interesting question for looking forward is which building being built today do you think will be the landmark of tomorrow?
Naturally, we should not try to preserve every single building, nor would we want to even if we could, but when an important part of our history is endangered, we should pause and consider the impact of
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that potential loss. Finally, even if you think history is irrelevant, there is another, possibly more important reason to preserve or adaptively reuse old buildings. It often makes practical sense. Older buildings can be repurposed with new uses (called adaptive reuse) faster than building a whole new building. They’re usually built to last, with materials and craftsmanship you’d pay a fortune to replicate today. Think thick plaster walls, deep wood beams, handmade tile. When we rehab instead of replace, we keep tons of debris out of landfills and save the most of the embodied energy that went into creating and assembling those materials in the first place. So it’s not just sentimental— it’s sustainable.
And maybe this is the part many people forget: character is both an ecological and economic asset. Tourists don’t come to Santa Monica just for another shopping mall or high-rise apartment. They come for the pier, the walk streets, the quirky storefronts along Main. The city’s soul: the thing that makes it magnetic is tied up in its older buildings. Lose them, and you lose the charm that makes Santa Monica worth visiting (and worth living in).
So yes, preservation is sometimes messy.
It can be slow, bureaucratic, even a little frustrating.
But the alternative, a city stripped of memory, rebuilt only in glass and concrete or whatever has become today’s fad, is far worse. Santa Monica doesn’t need to look like every other coastal city. It needs to look like itself.
And that means fighting: sometimes gently, sometimes fiercely, to keep those unique, important old buildings, trees, signs, and fixtures standing. Because they’re more than bricks and wood. They’re the storytellers of this place. And once they’re gone, no architect, no matter how skilled, can ever bring them back.
By Mario Fonda-Bonardi, AIA
SM.a.r.t. Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow
Mario Fonda-Bonardi, AIA, former Planning Commissioner, Robert H. Taylor, AIA, Architect, Dan Jansenson, former Building and Life Safety Commissioner, Samuel Tolkin, Architect, former Planning Commissioner, Michael Jolly, AIRCRE, Jack Hillbrand, AIA, Landmarks Commission Architect, Phil Brock, Santa Monica Mayor (ret).
For previous articles, see www. santamonicaarch.wordpress.com/writing
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Spencer Ian Miller
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of: SPENCER IAN MILLER
A Petition for Probate has been filed by Neil Miller in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. 25STPB09100
The Petition for Probate requests that Neil Miller be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.
The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A hearing on the petition will be held in Los Angeles County Superior Court as follows: Date: September 15, 2025 Time: 8:30 am. Dept.: D9 The address of the court: 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.
If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the deceased, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.
Other California statues and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.
You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.
Petitioner Neil Miller/ Adam Grant Stonewood Law Group, PC 16133 Ventura Blvd. Ste. 700 Encino, Ca. 91436
Published in the Santa Monica Mirror, 08/29/25, 9/5/25, 9/12/25
