VENICE
YO!
LOCAL SUMMER FUN SERIES 2021
www.yovenice.com
May 28 – June 24, 2021
Trio Arrested for Attempted Murder of Homeless Man on Venice Boardwalk LAPD make arrests connected to April 28 incident
Police recently arrested three suspects in connection with the shooting and attempted murder of a homeless man on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), on April 28 around 4:27 a.m., a shooting occurred near the 600 block of Ocean Front Walk. “The suspect approached the victim, a homeless man, then aimed a semi-automatic handgun and shot at the victim three times. As the victim crawled away, the suspect shot at the victim for a 4th time,” the LAPD said. The suspect and two female accomplices then entered a 2020 Jeep Compass and fled southbound on Speedway Avenue. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Later that morning, around 4:46 a.m.,
residents near the 1200 block of Palms Avenue reported a vehicle fire in the rear alley. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene around 5 a.m. and discovered a 2020 Jeep Compass fully engulfed in flames. In addition, the suspects in the shooting were seen fleeing from the fire. LAFD Arson investigators determined that the Jeep was intentionally set on fire. LAPD Pacific Area detectives later identified Nichalous Reynolds, a 33-year-old Los Angeles resident, Blanca Marcela Lopez, a 31-year-old female from Inglewood, and Amber Manchel, a 27-year-old of Los Angeles woman, as suspects in the shooting and attempted murder of the homeless man. According to the LAPD, detectives believe the shooting was gang related. Last week, on May 17 and May 18, Pacific Area detectives and investigators from LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division, arrested Manchel in Venice and Reynolds and Lopez in Inglewood. During Reynolds’ arrest, detectives discovered a Rifle, ammunition, and other evidence, according to police.
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
On May 20, 2021, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Reynolds with one count of attempted murder, one count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, one count of arson, one count ignition of a
destructive device, and one count of driving without the owner’s consent. The District Attorney’s Office also charged Lopez and Manchel with one count each of accessory to attempted murder.
Venice High School Named Among Top Schools in Country U.S. News and World Report releases annual report B y T oi C reel Out of nearly 20,000 schools nationwide, Venice High School earned spot #2,095 in the U.S. News and World Report‘s annual high school rankings. According to a recent report ranking the best high schools in the United States by U.S. News and World Report, Venice High School came in at #2,095 in the country. Nearly 20,000 schools were ranked on the list. In addition, Venice High School was named #302 in California high schools (1,675 schools ranked) and #133 in Los Angeles Metro Area high schools. Among highlights behind Venice High’s
ranking including an AP participation rate of 69 percent. The report also gave high marks to the school for its College Curriculum Breadth Index Rank of #1,141 nationwide. This shows the proportions of 12th graders who took and passed AP and IB exams in multiple areas. Venice High also ranked #1,703 nationwide in the report’s College Readiness Index Rank, showing the proportions of 12th graders who took and passed at least one AP or IB exam. In addition, the report noted the total minority enrollment is 86 percent, and 64 percent of students are economically disadvantaged. The rankings were based on six factors surrounding academic performance including college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates. The data was taken from the 2018-2019 academic school year, therefore excluding data from the school year rattled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: Sam Catanzaro